Exploring virtualisation tools with a new virtualisation provisioning method to test dynamic grid environments for ALICE grid jobs over ARC grid middleware

The Nordic Tier-1 centre for LHC is distributed over several computing centres. It uses ARC as the internal computing grid middleware. ALICE uses its own grid middleware AliEn to distribute jobs and the necessary software application stack. To make use of most of the AliEn infrastructure and software deployment methods for running ALICE grid jobs on ARC, we are investigating different possible virtualisation technologies. For this a testbed and possible framework for bridging different middleware systems is under development. It allows us to test a variety of virtualisation methods and software deployment technologies in the form of different virtual machines.