This is just a note when I tried to help one application to setup a development/testing environment that runs cross different OSs.

One application has decided to run Symphony Java client, and CPP service. Java client runs on Windows XP and CPP service runs on Linux RedHat 4. In cooperate environment, it is impossible to grant client full access to the CPP service machine, and it is equally impossible to setup a full grid using client's development machine. Now the SymphonyDE cluster comes into play:

1, It is easy setup and maintain
2, Provide developer full access to both client and service end (e.g. run gdb freely)

To setup it up, take the following sample steps:
1, Say have one Windows host (hostwin) and one RedHat 4 host (hostrh4)
2, Setup SymphonDE on each of the individually (Please refer to Platform knowledge base to see how to set DE up, they are both straight forward)
3, Make the Windows to run SD/SSM, and RedHat4 to run services, make sure you setup the vem_resource.conf as follows:

For Windows box:

#
# AGENT service information
# <service name>:<port_number>:<host_name>:<max number of SSMs SD can start>:<max number of SIMs SSM can start>:<OS_type>:<CPU_factor>
#
AGENT:8000:localhost:20:0:NTX86:1
AGENT:8000:hostrh4:0:2:X86_64:1

#
# SD service information
# <service name>:<port_number>:<host_name>:<sd startcmd>
#
SD_SDK :15051:localhost:sd
SD_ADMIN:15050:localhost:sd

#
# RS service information
# <service name>:<port_number>:<host_name>:<rs startcmd>
#
RS_DEPLOY:15052:localhost:rs

#
# GUI service information
# <service name>:<port_number>:<host_name>:<gui startcmd>
# Note:The port number of WEBGUI is fixed as 18080.
#
WEBGUI:18080:localhost:startguiservice

RedHat 4 host:
#
# AGENT service information
# <service name>:<port_number>:<host_name>:<max number of SSMs SD can start>:<max number of SIMs SSM can start>:<OS_type>:<CPU_factor>
#
#AGENT:8000:localhost:20:2:LINUX86:1
AGENT:8000:localhost:0:2:X84_64:1

#
# SD service information
# <service name>:<port_number>:<host_name>:<sd startcmd>
#
#SD_SDK :15051:localhost:sd
#SD_ADMIN:15050:localhost:sd
SD_SDK :15051:hostwin:sd
SD_ADMIN:15050:hostwin:sd

#
# RS service information
# <service name>:<port_number>:<host_name>:<rs startcmd>
#
#RS_DEPLOY:15052:localhost:rs
RS_DEPLOY:15052:hostwin:rs

#
# GUI service information
# <service name>:<port_number>:<host_name>:<gui startcmd>
# Note:The port number of WEBGUI is fixed as 18080.
#
#WEBGUI:18080:localhost:startguiservice

4, start soam on both host (soamstartup):

On Windows host:
C:\SymphonyDE\DE41\conf>soamstartup
Successfully started Symphony DE Platform Management Console on this host.
Successfully started Symphony Repository Service process on this host.
Successfully started Symphony Session Director process on this host.
Successfully started Symphony Developer Edition processes on the local host ...

On RedHat 4 host:
[rc19535@hostrh4]$ soamstartup
Successfully started Symphony Developer Edition processes on the local host ...

5, Run symping from Windows box (make sure you enable that application):


C:\SymphonyDE\DE41\conf>symping -m 4
------------------------------------------------------------
Symphony Ping Utility.

Use this utility to test and verify that components are working and responsive.

Vary the workload to try out different Symphony workload conditions.
This client/service was developed using Symphony Developer Edition APIs.

Configuration Value

Input message size 64 bytes
Output message size 128 bytes
Common data size 0 bytes
Client type async
Number of test runs 1
Number of tasks per run 4
Task processing time 50 miliseconds
Consume CPU cycles No
Session type RecoverableAllHistoricalData
Data Compression Disabled

------------------------------------------------------------
Client connecting to Symphony...
Connected to Session Director.
Connection information:
User: Admin
Application: symping4.1

------------------------------------------------------------
Connected to Session Manager.
Creating 1 session...
Session created. ID: 603

------------------------------------------------------------
Test Run 1.
Test for: Complete Workload Cycle
Sending 4 tasks and retrieving replies...

ExecHostName SI-PID TaskID Execution(ms) TaskRoundtrip(ms)
hostrh4 23527 1 51.941 4404.109
hostrh4 23530 2 52.513 4405.736
hostrh4 23527 3 51.902 4521.926
hostrh4 23530 4 52.275 4522.890

Number of tasks completed: 4
Connection to compute hosts OK.
SIs and SIMs OK.
Test Run 1 done.
Test Roundtrip: 4.593 seconds

------------------------------------------------------------
Workload Summary:
First task input sent: 2010-03-22 14:54:21.905775
Last task output received: 2010-03-22 14:54:26.437025

Total Task Roundtrip: 4.529 seconds
[Last task output received - First task input sent]

Number of compute hosts used: 1
Number of service instances used: 2

------------------------------------------------------------
Task Roundtrip Summary:
Shortest 4404.109 ms (task 1 on host hostrh4 )
Longest 4522.890 ms (task 4 on host hostrh4 )
Average 4463.665 ms

------------------------------------------------------------
Host Summary:
Compute Host SI-PID Number of Tasks
hostrh4 23527 2
hostrh4 23530 2

------------------------------------------------------------
Configuration Summary:
Application: symping4.1 Session ID: 603

6, Since client has full access to the service host (hostrh4 in this case), he can gdb attach, force core dump, upgrade binaries as will.