Distributed Computing

I joined NSRL project in mid-2001

NIST wrote code to double-check the contractor's implementation and test expanded capabilites

New code used two sets of database tables - one for collection, one for long term storage

New code used web form interface for input

Mark Rose designed and implemented database tables and web forms, ASP and Perl

I designed and implemented the hashing code, mostly Perl wrapping a .EXE
Perl brought or added :

• ODBC access
• logging of system/shell commands (with backtics)
• "alarm()" process management
• environment info - # processors, pid, OS, FS, etc.
• array and hash manipulation simpler and clearer

New hashing code ran on Windows 98 PCs, not the database server

NSRL project requested and obtained an isolated LAN

Media was fed into the process on several workstations using multiple web browser windows and multiple drives

Media was hashed by hashing PCs based on cron job on Linux PC acting as hashing manager

Collected hashes could be reviewed and verified in one database before being placed in the "offical" storage database

I acquired 10 PCs from excess property and got 6 to run Win98 as a hashing constellation in early 2002

Opened and hashed .CAB, .ZIP, dos compress, .TAR, .UU, .GZ based on extension