Introduction to AXIS GridLink

As demand for AXIS Distributed Processing grows, it is becoming more common for our clients to set up a dedicated server farm. This farm is then shared by many AXIS users and used for both testing and production runs. The AXIS GridLink Module is a Grid solution which transforms your server farm into the image of a super computer. It is designed to reduce the waiting time for users, maximize the utilization of the farm, and allow users to submit their jobs and monitor the job status without logging on to the server.

The AXIS GridLink Controller runs as a Windows service on a machine on the server farm. When a job is submitted to the farm, it receives the request, submits it to a queue and then launches the AXIS master and helpers of the specified version to run the job. In addition, it allows the user to monitor the status of the running job upon request (through the GridLink Module utility).

AXIS GridLink Module Utility runs on the farm administrator's local machine and allows the administrator to remotely configure AXIS GridLink Controllers without logging on to the server. The utility is password-protected. The default password is "Admin" (case-sensitive). The administrator can change the password through the utility.

Currently we support 192 CPU cores on a GridLink farm, which means the user can run a remote job using up to 191 AXIS helpers. (Please note that AXIS 12102001 or a later version is required. If the user use an older AXIS version, he/she would get maximum 63 helpers.)

GridLink works with AXIS versions from 11.3.02.001. Since new features are added frequently, however, new version of AXIS may not work with older GridLink versions. In this case, GridLink may need to be upgraded. The following table is a version chart for your reference. A green cell means this version of AXIS is compatible with this version of GridLink.

GridLink Versions	AXIS Versions
	11302001	…	11403001	…	11501001	…	12001001	…
1.0x
1.1x
1.2x
1.3x
1.4x
1.5x
1.6x
2.0x
2.1x
2.2x
2.3x
3.0x ... ... ...

Please note that AXIS GridLink Controller and GridLink Module Utility can only run on Windows 2000 Professional, XP Professional, 2000 Server, and 2003 Server, and the AXIS GridLink Module requires the AXIS GridLink Module Licence.

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Current Release

The current version of AXIS GridLink is 3.90 (December 16, 2008).

Please download GridLink Utility from the following link, run it to install GridLink Utility, and then run GridLink Utility to install GridLink Controller Service remotely on all servers. (For users who ever used GridLink application mode, please note that, you don't need to download the controller installation package and install it on each machine any more. The utility installation package has everything that you need.)

Click Here to download the GridLink Module Utility installation package (GridLinkUtil390.exe)

Please read the "Installation Guide" for more details about installation steps.

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Release Notes for Version 3.90 (December 16, 2008)

Enhancements

• GridLink - Support 192 CPU Cores On One Farm (Job #24795)

Now AXIS GridLink supports up to 192 CPU cores on a GridLink farm, which means the user can run a remote job using up to 191 AXIS helpers.

Please note that AXIS 12102001 or a later version is required for this feature. If you use an older AXIS version, you would still be getting maximum 63 helpers.

• GridLink - Specify The Maximum Number Of Simultaneous Jobs Per Master Server (Job #24508)

In addition to controlling the maximum number of simultaneous jobs on the whole farm, now you can specify different numbers for different job queues.

This setting is available at "Farm Settings - Advanced (GridLink)" dialog. You can also right-click on a master server and select the menu "Specify Number of AXIS Jobs".

• GridLink - Save FTA Setting Into Remote Job Record (Job #23912)

Formula Table Accelerator setting now is saved with the remote job historic record.

For a remote job that has run on a GridLink farm, you can check whether the Formula Table Accelerator was enabled or not by right-clicking on the remote job in the Job Monitor dialog and selecting the menu "View Detailed Information". 

Bug Fixes

• GridLink - AXIS Helpers Might Not Join If C:\Spare Directory Couldn't Be Created  (Job #24788)

If all the following conditions are met:

1. The user is using AXIS 12.0 version (12.0.03.001 or later) or a 12.0 maintained version.
2. The user account under which AXIS are launched on GridLink farm cannot create "C:\Spare" on the servers.
3. In GridLink Utility, the user specifies a "temporary file directory" other than "C:\Spare" to be used on the farm.

AXIS helpers will display an error message "Unable to create default output directory!" and therefore will not join the master.

In other cases, e.g. C:\Spare does exist but the helpers cannot access it, helpers may not display any message but simply hang, depending on the Database Link used in the batch.

This bug was introduced in version 12.0 - 13 Jun 07 (12003001), and has now been fixed in GridLink 3.90.

• GridLink - Farm Profile May Not Be Saved During Back-Up  (Job #24972)

In the rare case where the profile host is not used in the current GridLink farm, the "Backup Manager" function in GridLink Utility will not save the profile for the profile host server.

This bug was introduced in GridLink version 3.30, and has now been fixed in 3.90.

Release Notes for Version 3.82 (November 11, 2008)

Bug Fixes

• GridLink - Farm Status Displayed In Farm List Combo Box Might Not Be Correct  (Job #24722)

If there are multiple farm profiles managed by the same Profile Host, the "Farm Status" (ready or not ready) displayed in the Farm List Combo Box might not be correct.

To view the correct farm status, please click on the menu "Farm Profile - Select Current Farm" and view the farm list here.

This bug was introduced in GridLink version 3.80 - 16 Oct 08, and has now been fixed in GridLink 3.82.

Release Notes for Version 3.81 (October 22, 2008)

Bug Fixes

• GridLink - The Controller Might Stop Responding After Actively Running For A Long Time  (Job #24643)

The controller might stop responding if it has been running for a long time and has been actively used.

1. If you run GridLink Utility to connect to the controller:

• If the controller runs on the Profile Host, the utility will show "Waiting for farm profiles..." and hang.
  
• If the controller runs on a non-Profile Host, the utility will be able to retrieve the farm profile from the working Profile Host and displays the server list. In the "Message" column, the utility will show "Connected to GridLink Controller" for this controller (normally, the utility should show "Profile on this controller is up-to-date" after a while).

2. If you run Job Submitter to submit a remote job to the controller:

The submitter will hang with a message "Submitting Batch [batchid] batchname ..."

3. If you run Job Monitor to monitor the remote jobs:

The monitor will show an empty list.

The workaround is to restart the controller service.

This bug was introduced in GridLink version 1.00 - 06 Apr 05, and has now been fixed in GridLink 3.81.

GridLink Related Jobs Implemented in AXIS (not in GridLink module)

Bug Fixes

AXIS 12302001

• GridLink - Remote Job List Dialog May Miss Some Servers In The Server Name Combo Box  (Job #24908)

In the following case:

1. A GridLink farm has multiple job queues and has "Move Remote Job Between Queues" option turned on.
2. A user has saved one master server name (e.g. Server1) in the System Parameters.
3. The user submitted a job to Server1, and it was moved to Server2.

Because Server2 is not in the user’s System Parameters, it is not listed in the server name combo box on the remote job list dialog. Even if the user monitors his/her job that is running on Server2, this server name is not displayed in the combo box.

The workaround is to save Server2 in the System Parameters.

This bug was introduced in version 12.3 - 14 Oct 08 (12302001), and has now been fixed. 

AXIS 12303001

• GridLink - Duplicated Output Records  (Job #24837)

When a GridLink farm is being split between multiple jobs or the resource priority of a remote job is reduced to "no helpers" or an "urgent" job is submitted, some helpers may need to be shutdown.

If the batch uses "Cell Distribution" mode and has any seriatim level export, then the Import/Export database might have duplicated records.
If the batch uses "Target Distribution" mode and has any export, then the Import/Export database might have duplicated records.

Block Recalculation batches are not affected by this problem.

This bug pre-dates AXIS 11.6 and has now been fixed.