COMPUTING AT DESY - CURRENT SETUP, TRENDS AND STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS

Since the HERA experiments H1 and ZEUS started data taking in '92, the computing environment at DESY has changed dramatically. Running a mai nframe centred computing for more than 20 years, DESY switched to a he terogeneous, fully distributed computing environment within only about two years in almost every corner where computing has its applications . The computing strategy was highly influenced by the needs of the use r community. The collaborations are usually limited by current technol ogy and their ever increasing demands is the driving force for central computing to always move close to the technology edge. While DESY's c entral computing has a multidecade experience in running Central Data Recording/Central Data Processing for HEP experiments, the most challe nging task today is to provide for clear and homogeneous concepts in t he desktop area. Given that lowest level commodity hardware draws more and more attention, combined with the financial constraints we are fa cing already today, we quickly need concepts for integrated support of a versatile device which has the potential to move into basically any computing area in HEP. Though commercial solutions, especially addres sing the PC management/support issues, are expected to come to market in the next 2-3 years, we need to provide for suitable solutions now. Buying PC's at DESY currently at a rate of about 30/month will otherwi se absorb any available manpower in central computing and still will l eave hundreds of unhappy people alone. Though certainly not the only r egion, the desktop issue is one of the most important one where we nee d HEP-wide collaboration to a large extent, and right now. Taking into account that there is traditionally no room for R&D at DESY, collabor ation, meaning sharing experience and development resources within the HEP community, is a predominant factor for us. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.