FW: Mock Data Challenge 1 delay

["Doug Olson" <dlolson@lbl.gov>]

-----Original Message-----
From: gibbard@bnl.gov [mailto:gibbard@bnl.gov] 
Sent: Monday, June 01, 1998 12:42 PM
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Cc: Ozaki, Satoshi; Erskine, John; Kovar, Dennis; Yeck, Jim
Subject: Mock Data Challenge 1 delay


To:      RHIC Computing Community

From:    Bruce Gibbard

Subject: Delay of RHIC Mock Data Challenge 1


A delay in the procurement of HPSS (High Performance Storage System)
software now compels us to delay Mock Data Challenge 1. The paper work
for HPSS was submitted in mid February but as a result of an on-going
dispute between DOE and IBM (the HPSS vendor), BNL was not allowed to
begin negotiations with IBM regarding a contract until mid April, a
two month delay. Now after more than a month of negotiation on this
RCF specific contract, we still do not have DOE approval of a contract
with IBM.  Experience at other labs indicates that even under
the most optimistic scenario for completing this procurement, HPSS can
not be installed and brought to an operational state in the two
months which remain before the scheduled beginning of the Mock Data
Challenge on Aug 3.  Since the use of HPSS is probably the single most
complex issue to be investigated in MDC-1, there seems no reasonable
alternative to delaying its beginning. While in the absence of a
signed contract with IBM no date can be regarded as firm, it is
important for planning purposes that a new data be set.  For now we
are therefore establishing September 8 as a new beginning data of MDC-1.
When a firm date for the installation of HPSS is established, a firm
date for the beginning of MDC-1 will be set.  Continued delays in the
HPSS procurement process may at some point necessitate revision of the
goals as well as the schedule for the MDC-1 exercise.