Normalization And Yaim

New Yaim Normalization scheme
For yaim-lcg-ce >= 4.0.5-4 is mandatory the new "CE_CAPABILITY" variable, that combined with the variable "WN_LIST" allow to specify individually or in groups (sub-clusters) the CPU Normalized time value for each node.

Introduction

The old yaim normalization scheme
We first explain the old Yaim Normalization scheme. In this old scheme, the reference for the performance information of the site is measured by using the SPEC2K benchmark suite. A value derived from the result of this SPEC2K benchmark for a site can be see throw a ldap query. Yaim is used for configure the ldap stuff in this way by using the following variables in the site-info.conf file:
CE_SI00=XXXX
CE_CAPABILITY="CPUScalingReferenceSI00=XXXX"
where "XXXX" is a value derivev from the SPEC2K benchmark. See https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/LCG/Site-info_configuration_variables#site_info_def

Other relevant Yaim variables to put in the site-info.conf that you must adjust are:

CE_PHYSCPU=XX
CE_LOGCPU=XX 
CE_OTHERDESCR="Cores=X"
With this information, APEL can calculate the normalized values for the sites.

The need of a new normalization scheme
The SPEC2K benchmark don't reflects the real system performance for scientific applications, so it was changed. Never the less, APEL still use the "CE_SI00" and "CPUScalingReferenceSI00" values for calculate the normalized accounting data for the sites.

To reconcile these two facts, is necessary a new normalization schema that must have these characteristics:

The New Yaim Normalization scheme

The selected new benchmark suite is the HEPSPEC06 one. After execute this benchmark, the result is stored in the "CE_SI00" and "CPUScalingReferenceSI00" variables by scale the HEPSPEC06 result by 250. For example, if the HEPSPEC06 benchmark result is 4, the value associated with the "CE_SI00" and "CPUScalingReferenceSI00" variable will be 1000.

The additional information related to the new HEPSPEC06 benchmark is specified throw the "CE_OTHERDESCR" Yaim configuration variable, that becomes to adopt this form:

CE_OTHERDESCR="Cores=X,Benchmark=XXXX-HEP-SPEC06"
Where you must put the appropriate values in the position signaled by the "X" characters.

Please note that you already must maintain the use of the "CE_PHYSCPU" and "CE_LOGCPU" yaim variables...

Example
For example our cluster is composed by 20 dual-core nodes, and HEP-SPEC06 average value for "each" core is 4 so in this case yaim variables looks like:
CE_PHYSCPU=20
CE_LOGCPU=40
CE_SI00=1000
CE_CAPABILITY="CPUScalingReferenceSI00=1000"
CE_OTHERDESCR="Cores=2,Benchmark=4-HEP-SPEC06"

References