Voltron User Manual

Index

Starting the program 2

User Interface 3

Using Voltron 4

Filesystem 4

Jobs 5

Connection 6

Appendix

The Voltron Workflow File Format

Starting the program:

Double Click the Start Icon. This is probably located in VOLTRON/Controller/Bin/Debug/Voltron.Controller unless a shortcut has been made.
A black console box will appear.
Shortly afterward, a login dialog will appear.
Enter your user name and password into the appropriately named fields. For testing purposes we will use username: testuser1 password: testpass1.
Select Root Node or Seed Node
If you want to create a new grid which only you will be on until someone else joins you, click “Root Node”.
If you want to join a grid that already exists, click “Seed Node” which will enable the text boxes for the IP address. You should enter the IP address of a computer that is already on the grid you want to join into these boxes.
Choose a configuration file
If you want to use the default file (recommended) then it is already selected and you do not have to do anything.
If you want to use a special file, which you have already created, use the browse button to get a file selector and choose the configuration file from its location on your computer.
If you want to use a special file which does not yet exist, click the “New File” button, which will allow you to create a configuration file.
Click Okay if you want to use Voltron or Cancel if you have changed your mind.
The console will print current information as it searches for other nodes on the grid. A few moments later, the main Voltron user interface will appear

User Interface

This is the main user interface for Voltron
The number at the top is the number that has been assigned to your computer as a unique identifier on the grid
The Files panel is used to represent files stored on the grid.
The Grid panel is used to visually represent the grid itself:
The top panel shows the entire grid (all connected computers)
The bottom panel shows your Directly Connected Computers(computers you have chosen to make a closer connection to)
The Jobs panel is used to represent all of your processes that have been run using Voltron
This view can be refreshed at any time by going to the “View” menu and choosing “Refresh”

Using Voltron

Filesystem

Adding a file (this can be done in several ways)
When you add a file, you add it to the entire grid, allowing everyone else to see and run this file.
Click on the “File” menu and choose “Add File” which will open a file dialog for you to browse files located on your computer.
Right click on the Files panel and choose “Add File” from the context menu

Removing a file
If you no longer want a certain file to be part of the grid, you may remove it.
Click on the file you want to remove, go to the “File” menu and choose “Remove File”
Right click on the file you want to remove and choose “Remove File” from the context menu

Getting a local copy of a file
You can see many of the files on the filesystem on your Files panel, but you do not have a local copy of all of these files. You may want to make a local copy at certain times.
Click on the file you want a local copy of, go to the “File” menu and choose “Make local copy”
Right click on the file you want a local copy of, and choose “Make local copy” on the context menu

Searching for files
You cannot always see all of the files on the filesystem. At times you may wish to search for files you know or hope exist on the filesystem. (Alternately this is a way to find the files you want from a long list)
Click on the “Search” tab of the Files panel. When you are done, you may wish to return to the “Browse” tab.
Type part or all of the filename you wish to find into the “Search” box.
Files that match the name you input will begin to show up in the panel under the box.

Jobs

Running a process
You can choose to run a file that is on the filesystem on a particular machine or on the best machine in the grid.
Run a process on the grid
Click on the process, go to the “Grid” menu and select “Run process on grid”
Right click on the process and select “Run on grid”
Drag the file over to the “Grid” panel and drop it there
Run a process on a particular machine
Directly connect to that machine
Right click on the machine you want to run it on and choose “Run Local Process” then choose a process with the same pathname on both machines. (For example a process in Voltron/SharedDocuments)
Drag a file from the file system onto the machine you want to run it on.
Stopping a process
Right-click on the process you want to stop in the Jobs List, and select “Stop process”.
Creating a workflow
A Workflow file is an XML document that can be created and modified with any text editor. Creating a Workflow file from the Voltron GUI is currently not supported. However, it can read in an existing file and execute it.
Running a workflow
To run a workflow, select “Run task file…” from the “Grid” menu.
A dialog will show up. Select the desired workflow file to run.
The workflow will now start.
Finding a particular machine or type of machine
Go to the “Grid” menu and select “Search”
If you want to look for a particular subset you know about, type in the Site and Group names. For example Site: RI Group: TS
Type in the resources you require computers showing up on your search to have. CPU utilization must be less than the input percentage, OS version and CPU type must be exactly the same, and all other measures must be greater than the input number
Hit “Search” when you are happy with the requirements you have listed. If you do not get enough results, try doing a less strenuous search.

Connection

Directly Connected Nodes
Directly Connected Nodes are nodes you have chosen to be more closely connected to than you usually are to nodes on the grid
Making a Direct Connection
On the Grid panel, click on the machine you want to directly connect to, go to the “Grid” menu and choose “Direct Connection”
Right click on the machine you want to directly connect to and choose “Directly Connect” from the context menu
On a Tablet PC, use the pen to circle the machine you want to connect to
Removing a Direct Connection
On the Direct Connect panel, click on the machine you want to disconnect from, go to the “Grid” menu, and choose “Disconnect”
Right click on the machine you want to disconnect from and choose “Disconnect” from the context menu
On a Tablet PC, use the pen to scratch out the machine you wish to disconnect from
Show IP Address
Right click on the machine you want to see an IP address for and choose “Show IP Address” from the context menu

Appendix

The Voltron Workflow File Format

A workflow file is a plain XML document. Its structure is defined below:

Taskfile

Header

User[the user’s login ID to run the process]</User

MachineID[machine to start the workflow; usually ‘localhost’</MachineID

ResourceRequirements /> (not implemented)

Id1</Id

</Header

Body

Level

Id0</Id

Task

Id0</Id

Filename[Executable to run, such as Foo.exe]
</Filename

CommandArgs [Command line arguments to pass to the program] </CommandArgs

WorkingDir[Working directory for the executable, for example, C:\Voltron\SharedDocuments]
</WorkingDir

RunInBackground[not implemented]</RunInBackground

StdInputFile [file content to redirect to stdin; not implemented]
</StdInputFile

StdOutputFile [file to redirect stdout to; not implemented]
</StdOutputFile

ExpectedInFiles[files needed to run this process]

fileoutput1</file

fileoutput2</file

[… more output files …]

</ExpectedInFiles

ExpectedOutFiles[files this process will produce; will be posted to the distributed file system. Same format as ExpectedInFiles]
</ExpectedOutFiles

</Task

[… more tasks …]

</Level

[… more levels …]

</Body

</Taskfile