[Info-vax] Workload manager for VMS, Should it come with one? (or at least a Scheduler?)

[Kerry Main]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Info-vax [mailto:info-vax-bounces at rbnsn.com] On Behalf Of IanD
> via Info-vax
> Sent: July 29, 2017 9:56 PM
> To: info-vax at rbnsn.com
> Cc: IanD <iloveopenvms at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Info-vax] Workload manager for VMS, Should it come with
> one? (or at least a Scheduler?)
> 
> I called the VMS batch system stone age because in the context of
> scheduling and workflow automation, it is. As a single entry job
submitter
> it's ok but that wasn't the context of the post, it was specifically
around a
> scheduler for VMS and/or a workload manager
> 
> Limitations of the batch system as a scheduler and/or workload manager
> off the top of my head are:
> 
> - No inter job relationships
> - No ability to class multiple jobs together or to operate on them in
a
> collection easily
> - No management of job run-time or fine grained control
> - Restartability is rudimentary
> - No trending analysis possible or predictive operations possible
> - No easily extractable statistics
> 
> Since the context was scheduling and workload management, the batch
> system lacks many of the features that I would consider a minimum to
be
> able to provide high level automation (beyond simple alarming /
abends)
> 
> Should VMS have a scheduler as a minimum? I think Yes. Windows, Unix
> have at least some type of scheduler functionality built in, but not
VMS
> *sigh* and it seems we sold the farm in terms of Dec scheduler
> 
> Passing all the intelligence off to another scheduling system is to
give
> away your ability to protect your environment and be the master of
your
> own destiny IMO. Expecting the upstream scheduler to know all the
> intelligence and details of the target system to me is asking for
trouble
> unless you have a perfect exchange of information happening all the
> time - good luck with that one.
> 
> It also goes against a recent Gartner report that picks intelligent
apps
> (mostly at the source) as being the future trend, which to me equates
to
> making VMS smarter in the scheduling department, but dumber.
> 
> I should be able to ask VMS 'Name all the jobs by user xyz due to
trigger
> in the next 2 hours' without having to write painful DCL scripts.
'List the
> jobs in the preliminary class for today's bill run' or 'What is the
> percentage complete metric for customer abc and how long before it
> completes'
> 
> With VMS's batch system as it stands this type of business related
> information would be rather difficult to obtain and more than painful
to
> script up.
> Is it really to much to expect this as a minimum functionality from
our
> VMS system? How else will VMS add value to businesses if we are not
> going to provide an OS and offerings that answer real business world
> wants?
> 
> So the answer is to then leave the VMS batch system alone, not bother
> with a scheduler and roll over and play dead to other schedulers /
> workload systems? /Sarcasm mode ON
> 

Customers on Linux, Windows, Solaris, AIX typically buy commercial job
schedulers because they want multi-platform capabilities with a common
look-and-feel.

Since none of the other platforms offer the level of native workload
mgmt. that you are looking for, do you think having a super duper job
scheduler on OpenVMS that would not integrate with other platforms is
something that enterprise Customers would be interested in? 

That would mean having one job scheduler for their OpenVMS systems and
another multi-platform job scheduler for all their other  systems.

Now, having stated this, I would definitely like to see cluster workload
management improved to integrate some of the Galaxy features e.g.
customer business rules which allow one to have CPU's added, deleted
from central pools based on things like time-of-day, level of workloads
etc. Galaxy can do this today on supported Alpha platforms.

Job scheduling is a multi-platform requirement.

Workload management is a platform specific differentiator.


Regards,

Kerry Main
Kerry dot main at starkgaming dot com