Appendix A: checklist of support activities

Service Definitions
- Grid Service Providers
- ensure that technical and support services offered are defined and available to users, along with any service level definitions
- define who may use the Grid service, and document the process for gaining authorisation (and authentication credentials if required)
- define technical and network requirements to use the Grid service
- define acceptable use and other policies for the Grid and make these available, as far as possible, to all authorised users
- ensure that appropriate records of use are kept (subject to the Data Protection Act 1998) to support investigations of misuse
- define responsibilities of all parties to prevent misuse and to assist in investigations (particularly if virtual organisations are allowed to authorise their members)
- define circumstances where authorisation to use the service may be withdrawn, and ensure that organisational and technical processes exist to enable this to be done promptly.
- Organisations with Grid users
- ensure that Policies of the Grid services used are known and supported
- ensure that local Policies and processes allow responsibilities required of Grid users’ organisations to be satisfied.
Network Support
- Network Design
- establish processes to identify and monitor network requirements of Grid applications
- based on risk assessment, identify appropriate technical solutions to support Grid use while maintaining appropriate performance and security for Grid and other applications
- incorporate Grid requirements into network design and provision.
- Network Performance
- review network provision to Grid workstations and servers, and improve components or design if necessary
- deploy processes, tools and expertise to diagnose performance and functional problems.
System Support
- Server Support
- assign responsibilities and authorities and provide necessary effort to operate servers securely
- configure and maintain Grid servers: operating system, network services, Grid services, applications
- consider software and configuration management systems
- plan and provide for user authentication and identification
- provide file management systems
- assign responsibilities and document process for incident response.
- Workstation Support
- if necessary, implement software management practices as for servers
- implement secure authentication methods that allow users to access grids from necessary locations without the risk of unauthorised access
- educate users on safe use of authentication tokens.
User and Application Support
- Promote Grid Use
- work with IT Service to ensure Grid and network requirements are both satisfied
- assign liaison staff to work with potential users
- identify appropriate technologies/applications for Grid services.
- Support Early Adopters
- discuss requirements of early adopter projects
- help early adopters to transfer their applications to the Grid service (e.g. software modifications, client requirements).
- Support Development of Grid Service
- identify standard application services of benefit to multiple users
- monitor service use and adapt service to suit user requirements.