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Modelling the Next Generation ALICE Grid Middleware Using Coloured Petri Nets

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Book cover Application and Theory of Petri Nets and Concurrency (PETRI NETS 2022)

Abstract

JAliEn (Java ALICE Environment) is a new Grid middleware framework designed to satisfy the needs of the CERN ALICE Collaboration for the LHC Run 3. It aims to ameliorate past shortcomings of the original AliEn middleware, and to provide a high-performance, and high-scalability service to cope with the increased volumes of collected data. To achieve this, JAliEn comes with many significant architectural changes – something which is not without challenges in a distributed system. Not only are users unfamiliar with how the framework behaves and communicates, it could also potentially introduce system deadlocks.

One possible way of describing and verifying distributed systems is through the use of Petri Nets (PNs), a modelling language designed for such purposes. Through an extension of it, known as Coloured Petri Nets (CPNs), unique “tokens” can be used to describe individual commands and actions as they are sent through the system. This allows to map, model, and possibly verify JAliEn and its architecture, which will be the focus of this contribution.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This is a JAliEn construct, not to be confused with (C)PN tokens.

  2. 2.

    Assumed to be the case throughout the examples within this contribution.

  3. 3.

    Considered representative for possible paths in the system, with each being independent.

References

  1. ALICE Collaboration, The ALICE Experiment at the CERN LHC. J. Instrument. 3 (2008). Institute of Physics Publishing/SISSA. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/3/08/S08002

  2. Bagnasco, S., et al.: AliEn: ALICE environment on the GRID. J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 119, 062012 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/119/6/062012

  3. Grigoras, A.G., Grigoras, C., Pedreira, M.M., Saiz, P., Schreiner, S.: JAliEn - a new interface between the AliEn jobs and the central services. J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 523, 012010 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/523/1/012010

  4. Hwong, Y.L., Keiren, J.J.A., Kusters, V.J.J., Leemans, S., Willemse, T.A.C.: Formalising and analysing the control software of the compact muon solenoid experiment at the large hadron collider. Sci. Comput. Program. 78(12), 2435–2452 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scico.2012.11.009

  5. Jensen, K.: Coloured petri nets – basic concepts, analysis methods and practical use. In: Monographs in Theoretical Computer Science. An EATCS Series, vol. 1, 2nd edn. Springer (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03241-1. ISBN 978-3-642-08243-6

  6. Pedreira, M.M., Grigoras, C., Yurchenko, V., Storetvedt, M.: The security model of the ALICE next generation grid framework. EPJ Web Conf. 214, 03042 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201921403042

  7. Beaudouin-Lafon, M., et al.: CPN/Tools: a tool for editing and simulating coloured petri nets ETAPS tool demonstration related to TACAS. In: Margaria, T., Yi, W. (eds.) TACAS 2001. LNCS, vol. 2031, pp. 574–577. Springer, Heidelberg (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45319-9_39

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Correspondence to Maxim Storetvedt .

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Storetvedt, M., Betev, L., Hardi, N., Helstrup, H., Hetland, K., Kileng, B. (2022). Modelling the Next Generation ALICE Grid Middleware Using Coloured Petri Nets. In: Bernardinello, L., Petrucci, L. (eds) Application and Theory of Petri Nets and Concurrency. PETRI NETS 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13288. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-06653-5_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-06653-5_11

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-06653-5

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