OpenFAM Reference Implementation

Configuration Files

The OpenFAM environment uses four separate configuration files, three for the memory and metadata services, and one for the OpenFAM client.

  1. fam_client_interface_config.yaml: Configures the client interface service.
  2. fam_memoryserver_config.yaml: Configures the memory servers.
  3. fam_metadata_config.yaml: Configures the metadata management service.
  4. fam_pe_config.yaml: Configures the OpenFAM clients.
These configuration files contain the following options.

1. fam_client_interface_config.yaml

Configuration NameDescription
memsrv_interface_type Memory server interface type used by OpenFAM. Default value is "direct". Other option is "rpc".
metadata_interface_type Metadata server interface type used by OpenFAM. Default value is "direct". Other option is "rpc".
memsrv_list List of memory servers. Applicable only if memsrv_interface_type is rpc. Each list entry is given in this format:

<memsrv_id>:<host_address>:<port_no>

metadata_list List of metadata servers. Applicable only if metadata_interface_type is rpc. Each list entry is given in this format:

<metadataserver_id>:<host_address>:<port_no>

2. fam_memoryserver_config.yaml

Configuration NameDescription
provider Libfabric provider to be used by OpenFAM libfabric data path operations. Default value is "sockets". Other supported options are "cxi", "psm2" and "verbs".
delayed_free_threads Number of threads used for delayed free.
ATL_threads Atomic library threads count. Default value is 0, which indicates ATL is disabled.
ATL_queue_size ATL queue size. Number of elements in each queue. Default value is 1000.
ATL_data_size ATL data size per thread(MiB). This is used to allocate buffers and other queue related data structures. Default data size is 1024.
fam_backup_path Absolute path used by the memory server to store archives. Default value is config file location.
type Type of memory used by the memory server to host FAM. Options are "volatile" or "persistent". Default value is "volatile".
fam_path Absolute path to the NVMM data files used by the memory server. Default value is an empty string.
rpc_interface IP address/hostname of memory server, followed by port number. Default value is an "127.0.0.1:8789".
fam_path Absolute path to the NVMM data files used by the memory server. Default value is an empty string.
libfabric_port Libfabric port to be used for data path operations.
if_device NIC name to be used with memory server. Default value is "eth0".

3. fam_metadata_config.yaml

Configuration NameDescription
metadata_manager Metadata manager type used by metadata server. Default is radixtree. Currently radixtree is the only supported KVS.
metadata_path Absolute path where metadata info is stored. By default, it will be placed in /dev/shm/<metadata_manager>. Example: If metadata manager is radixtree, then metadata info would be placed under /dev/shm/radixtree folder.
enable_region_spanning Flag to enable or disable region spanning. By default, it is set to true.
region_span_size_per_memoryserver Region size per memory server (Bytes). Used only if region spanning is enabled. Default value is 1073741824.

4. fam_pe_config.yaml

Configuration NameDescription
FamThreadModel Fam thread model used by OpenFAM. Default value is "single". OpenFAM supports single and multi-threaded model.
provider Libfabric provider to be used by OpenFAM libfabric data path operations. Default value is "sockets". Other supported options are "cxi", "psm2" and "verbs".
runtime Runtime option used for OpenFAM. Default value is "PMIX". Other supported options are "PMI2" and "NONE"
client_interface_type Client interface type used by OpenFAM. Default value is "direct". Other option is "rpc"
fam_client_interface_service_address Address of Client Interface Service. Value is specified in this format: <ip_address>:<port_no>. Applicable only if client_interface_type is rpc. Default value is "127.0.0.1:8787"

Sample configuration files are provided in the source under openfam_parent_directory/config.

Starting Services

All the services and the PE read the respective configuration file from "config" directory placed at the path mentioned by OPENFAM_ROOT environment variable.

Or by default, OPENFAM_ROOT will be /opt/hpe/OpenFAM.

User needs to update this environment variable to select config folder created by them.

A tool by name openfam_adm has been introduced which helps to perform the basic tasks useful to an OpenFAM user such as

  1. creating configuration files,
  2. starting OpenFAM services,
  3. terminating OpenFAM services,
  4. running tests and
  5. cleanup FAM and metadata.

To access the tool, the openfam module must be loaded. That can be done using following command:

module load openfam

The detailed description and available options are given below.

The details of available command line options can be found using -h option of each of the service executable. For Example:

#openfam_adm -h
Usage :
       openfam_adm [-h] [--create_config_files] [--start_service]
                                    [--stop_service] [--clean] [--install_path]
                                    [--config_file_path] [--launcher]
                                    [--global_launcher_options] [--cisinterface]
                                    [--memserverinterface] [--metaserverinterface]
                                    [--cisserver id:{comma separated attributes}]
                                    [--memservers  id:{comma seperated attributes}]
                                    [--metaservers  id:{comma seperated attributes}]
                                    [--test_args] [--model] [--thrdmodel] [--provider]
                                    [--provider] [--runtime] [--kvstype]
                                    [--libfabricport] [--metapath] [--fampath]
                                    [--fam_backup_path] [--atlthreads] [--atlqsize]
                                    [--atldatasize] [--disableregionspanning]
                                    [--regionspanningsize] [--interleaveblocksize]
                                    [--runtests] [--sleep]
Options :
       optional arguments:
         -h, --help            show this help message and exit
         --create_config_files
                               Generates all configuration files
         --start_service       Start all OpenFAM services
         --stop_service        Stop all OpenFAM services
         --clean               Clean all FAMs and Metadata
         --install_path        Path to OpenFAM installation dir
         --config_file_path    Path to create configuration files
         --launcher            Launcher to be used to launch processes(mpi/slurm)
         --global_launcher_options
                               Launcher command options which can be used commonly
                               across all services. Specify all options within
                               quotes(") eg : --global_launcher_options="-N" "1" "--
                               mpi=pmix"
         --cisinterface        CIS interface type(rpc/direct)
         --memserverinterface
                               Memory Service interface type(rpc/direct)
         --metaserverinterface
                               Metadata Service interface type(rpc/direct)
         --cisserver           CIS parameters, eg : ,0:{rpc_interface:127.0.0.1,rpc_p
                               ort:8795,launcher_options: "-n" "1"}. Note : Specify
                               all launcher options within quotes(") eg :
                               launcher_options:"-N" "1" "--mpi=pmix"
         --memservers  id:{comma seperated attributes}
                               Add a new memory server, eg : 0:{memory_type:volatile,
                               fam_path:/dev/shm/vol/,rpc_interface:127.0.0.1,rpc_por
                               t:8795,libfabric_port:7500,if_device:eth0,launcher_opt
                               ions: '-n' '1'}. Note : Specify all launcher options
                               within quotes(") eg : launcher_options: "-N" "1" "--
                               mpi=pmix"
         --metaservers  id:{comma seperated attributes}
                               Add a metadata server, eg : 0:{rpc_interface:127.0.0.1
                               ,rpc_port:8795,launcher_options: '-n' '1'}. Note :
                               Specify all launcher options within quotes(") eg :
                               launcher_options: "-N" "1" "--mpi=pmix"
         --test_args           Test configuration parameters, eg :
                               ,0:{num_pes:1,launcher_options: '-n' '1'}. Note :
                               Specify all launcher options within quotes(") eg :
                               launcher_options: "-N" "1" "--mpi=pmix"
         --model               OpenFAM model(memory_server/shared_memory)
         --thrdmodel           Thread model(single/multiple)
         --provider            Libfabric provider to be used for data path operations
         --runtime             Runtime process management interface(PMI) to be used
         --kvstype             Type of key value store to be used for metadata
                               management
         --libfabricport       Libafabric port for data path operation
         --metapath            path to store metadata
         --fampath             path where data is stored
         --fam_backup_path     path where data backup is stored(on shared filesystem)
         --atlthreads          Atomic library threads count
         --atlqsize            ATL queue size
         --atldatasize         ATL data size per thread(MiB)
         --disableregionspanning
                               Disable region spanning
         --regionspanningsize
                               Region spanning size
         --interleaveblocksize
                               Dataitem interleave block size
         --runtests            Run regression and unit tests
         --sleep               Number of seconds to sleep


For Example, following commands are primarily used to create configuration files, start/stop OpenFAM services and cleanup the FAM and metadata:

       - Generate Configuration Files (Only one time step)

       $openfam_adm @arg_file --create_config_files --config_file_path=/path/to/generate/config/files

       Content of sample "arg_file" :
         --launcher=slurm
         --model=memory_server
         --cisinterface=rpc
         --memserverinterface=rpc
         --metaserverinterface=rpc
         --provider=cxi
         --cisserver={rpc_interface:node1,rpc_port:8787}
         --memservers=0:{memory_type:volatile,fam_path:/dev/shm/vol,rpc_interface:node2,rpc_port:8793,libfab-
       ric_port:7500,if_device:eth0}
         --metaservers=0:{rpc_interface:node3,rpc_port:8788}
         --global_launcher_options="-p" "nodes" "--mpi=pmix"

       - Export path of config files dir

       $export OPENFAM_ROOT=/path/to/generate/config/files

       - Start/Stop OpenFAM Services

       $openfam_adm --start_service

       - Stop OpenFAM Services

       $openfam_adm --stop_service

       - Cleanup

       $openfam_adm --clean


The configuration options passed to the services using command line arguments take precedence over the options present in the respective configuration files.

Similarly, for the PE, configuration options passed using Fam_Options argument of fam_initialize API take precedence over the options present in fam_pe_config.yaml configuration file.