Description

Goals

SrbTool Usage
SrbAuth Module

SrbConn Module

SrbBrowser Module

SrbTool Applet

Description

What is the SrbTool ?

The SrbTool is a java applet which enbles a user to browse and manipulate directories (collections) and datasets (files) within the Storage Resource Broker (SRB) system using an interactive graphical user interface (GUI).

Why was the SrbTool built ?

The SrbTool is a prototype. It is a proof-of-concept demonstration for the Uniform Visualization Architecture (UVA). It incorporates designs from the Interaction Infrastructure (II) and the Data Arbitration System (DAS).

What features does the SrbTool demonstrate ?

The SrbTool demonstrates a small subset of SRB functions which enable a complete and typical end-to-end sequence of user transactions. Modules created to enable the SrbTool to operate include:

• Secure user authentication
• Session connection management
• Hierarchical directory and file browsing
• Cross-resource/distributed file replication

What does the SrbTool look like ?

The SrbTool is designed to look and function like a standard file transfer tool (such as a common GUI-based FTP client). It consists two independant file browser modules, one to provide a source of directories and files, and the second to provide a destination for file copy operations.

Goals

Produce a proof-of-concept / web-based GUI for the SRB

Validate the Distributed Services model

Validate the Application Framework model

Develop a set of re-usable interoperable modules that fit the UVA model

SrbTool Usage

This section describes the usage of the SrbTool in general and the modules which make up the tool specifically.

1. Enable Authentication
   1. Click the "Authentication" button in the SrbTool's main panel. This will cause the "Authentication" panel to appear:

      

   2. Enter your SRB user name and password.

   3. Click the "Enable" button to authenticate yourself with the distributed network cloud. This will cause the "Authentication" panel to change state:

      

2. Establish Connection
   1. Click the "Connection" button in the SrbTool's main panel. This will cause the "Connection" panel to appear:

      

   2. Enter your SRB server hostname and port number.

   3. Click the "Connect" button to initiate a connection with the SRB server. This will cause the "Connection" panel to change state:

      

   NOTE: If you have not first enabled authentication, the connection panel will remain in a disabled state, and you will not be able to establish a connection the the SRB server:

   

   After you have establish a connection with the SRB server, the formerly empty file browsers will now display directories and files currently registered with the SRB:

   

   The file browser is modeled after a standard hierarchical browser you should be familiar with from any modern window system. Simply "double click" directories to change directories INTO the hierarchical tree. Click the "cd .." button to change directories OUT OF the hierarchical tree.

   NOTE: Although the "path" popup menu correctly DISPLAYS the current working directory (CWD), it does not (yet) allow the user to "pop" directories by choosing an item. This feature will be enabled in future implementations.

   NOTE: Although the "filter" popup menu displays a set of name filters, it does not (yet) allow the user to activate a given filter. This feature will be enabled in future implementations.

3. Pick source file
   1. Use the LEFTHAND file browser to navigate to the desired source directory.

   2. Pick a source file by clicking it once with your mouse.

4. Choose destination directory
   1. Use the RIGHTHAND file browser to navigate to the desired destination directory.

      The "copy" function will use the current directory of the RIGHTHAND file browser as the destination directory. You don't have to pick any file or directory explicitly.

5. Choose storage resource
   1. You may optionally choose the physical storage resource to which the datset will be copied by picking one from the "storage resource" popup menu. The physical storage resources that can be chosen include HPSS, UNIX, Databases, etc.

6. Copy
   1. Click the "Copy" button in the SrbTool's main panel.

   

SrbTool Applet

Run the SrbTool Applet !