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== Waiting for slice and resources to become ready ==
  Once you allocate your resources, you are redirected to your slice specific page. GENI Desktop will periodically check on the status of your nodes and report back to you.

    [[Image(1.png)]]

  Nodes that are in the process of booting are displayed in '''Yellow'''.  Nodes that are read are '''Green'''.  Nodes that have failed to boot are displayed in '''Red'''.

    [[Image(2.png)]][[Image(3.png)]]


Once the nodes are ready, GENI Desktop will proceed to '''Initialize''' and then '''Instrumentize''' your slice. This process looks like the images below.

    [[Image(4.png)]][[Image(5.png)]]


=== What does Initialize mean? === 
  In order to use the basic functionality of the GENIDesktop, the GENIDesktop must install and configure the Global Node (GN) -- which you implicitly (i.e., automatically) added when you created the slice in the GENI Desktop.  In particular, it must:
    * Install and configure software on the GN  such as the apache webserver, a mysql server, a content management system, etc. 
    * Generate ssh keys dynamically on the Global Node, and then distribute the public key to the other nodes in the slice so that they can be controlled/monitored by the GN.
    * Install software called [https://code.google.com/p/shellinabox/ Shellinabox] on the Global Node which is used as a proxy to provide web-based ssh access to all other nodes in your slice.
    * Setup the necessary authentication/authorization in order to access the the above-mentioned services.

=== Why is Initialize Needed? ===
  The initializing process loads some basic software onto the experimental nodes that allows GENI Desktop a basic level of interaction with them.  Some basic functionality between GENI Desktop and the experimental nodes becomes available during this time including file copying and the ability to run remote commands.  Every slice accessed by GENI Desktop is initialized.

=== What does Instrumentize mean ? === 
  The instrumentization process adds monitoring software to the nodes in your slice.  The GENI Desktop does this automatically so that it can show traffic graphs and other measurement information about the slice.  The statistics are collected by passively probing the nodes. Passive measurements include monitoring the traffic flow on links/nodes, system statistics like CPU and RAM usage, monitoring of system processes, IP tables and routes. All data collected is representative of the activity being performed by you on your nodes. 

  Several well-known data collection and monitoring tools are installed during this process and installation can take a considerable amount of time depending on which disk image is loaded on your nodes. If using a GENI Desktop enabled Disk Image, this phase should complete within 10 minutes. If you use your own Disk Image on the nodes in your slice (assuming it is supported by GENI Desktop), this phase may take as much as 30 minutes. (Notes: If you did not select a Disk Image when using JACKS to create your slice, then you are using one of the GENI Desktop enabled Disk Images).

=== Why is Instrumentize Needed? ===
  Once instrumentized, you can use all the capabilities of the GENI Desktop. This includes viewing network and system graphs, tabular data collected from your nodes, and re-configuring the data you want collected and displayed. You can also archive your data to your Irods account created at the GENI Portal. Once instrumentized, there will be additional data collection routines and daemons running on your nodes. The additional system and memory load should be minimal though and should not affect the performance of your nodes. You should also be able to use features you had when you initialized your slice. All slices are automatically instrumentized when using the GENIDesktop.

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