Lustre User Guide - CV
The NAASC Cluster and Lustre filesystems
Etiquette and helpful hints
How to transfer files directly between the JAO clusters and the CV cluster
Lustre access
For access to the Lustre filesystem, please use a cluster node (cvpostNNN or zuul*), one of the visitor workstations, cvpost-master, or polaris.
We try to keep to a minimum the number of workstations that have Lustre access, because they will not have fast I/O to the filesystems in general, and will perform around an order of magnitude slower than the cluster nodes for I/O operations. If there is a system that definitely requires Lustre access and does not have it, please let us know by submitting a helpdesk ticket to helpdesk-cv.
Note that the Lustre system is intended to be used as scratch space. Disk space is monitored routinely on both CV and NAASC Lustre filesystems, with an honour system quota of 2TB per user. The long range plan involves enforcing quotas for the observers and projects areas, and continuing the honour system for other areas.
Cluster access
The cluster nodes are cvpost001-064.
ssh will work fine, but displaying across the internal network may be slow. A better solution is to use VNC; see the science website documentation for visitors for the basics. What appears below are additions to that core documentation.
Notes
1 ) The first time you use VNC you will need to enter a VNC password for your sessions, do this by typing:
cvpost042$ vncpasswd
and typing in a memorable phrase. DO NOT USE YOUR REGULAR (Unix or Windows) PASSWORD HERE!
2) some setups require an active ssh connection into the correct port from your machine [this doesn't seem to be the case with our machines any more, so this step is optional]:
ssh -L5901:localhost:5901 cvpost042.cv.nrao.edu
Note, depending on your vnc display number the above may change. For example, if you had a display of 1 (eg, New 'cvpost042:1 (pmurphy)' desktop is cvpost042:1 ), then you must use the number 5901 above. If you had a display of 2 (eg, New 'cvpost042:2 (pmurphy)' desktop is cvpost042:2 ), then you must use 5902. This of course goes on for 3, 4, 5 and so forth
On another terminal run the command
vncviewer localhost:5901
Instructions for Macs
The simplest way for NRAO mac systems on our internal network is to simply type this in a terminal window:
open vnc://cvpost042.cv.nrao.edu:5901
That will use the built-in "screen sharing" VNC client that comes with most newer versions of OSX.
There are VNC clients that work for Mac systems; "Chicken [of the VNC]" is popular in that it can automatically set up a ssh tunnel if needed, when outside the NRAO network; but it has been dormant for some years and seems not to have any active development or maintenance. TigerVNC is also available on NRAO Mac systems.
When Finished...
You should tidy up by killing the VNC server when you are done
....
cvpost042$ vncserver -kill :1
How to transfer files directly between the JAO clusters and the CV cluster
(or any machine behind a firewall)
You need to define a temporary ssh tunnel, as follows:
Create two terminal windows on the CV cluster.
Type this command on the first window on the CV cluster:
ssh -L 2122:casa08.sco.alma.cl:22 username@login.alma.cl
After entering your password for tatio, leave this window alone (it will be a shell on login.alma.cl).
Now, in the other window on the CV cluster:
If you need to pull the files from JAO:
cd to the location that you want to place the files
In the following command, replace username with your username and the paths accordingly, but do not change localhost:
rsync -vau -e 'ssh -p 2122' username@localhost:/mnt/jaosco/data/whatever /local/destination
If you need to push the files to JAO:
cd to the parent directory of the file or directory you need to push In the following command, replace username with your username, but do not change localhost
rsync -vau -e 'ssh -p 2122' myDirectory username@localhost:/mnt/jaosco/data/whatever/
Notes
In the ssh command, the password that you give is your password on login.alma.cl.
In the rsync command, the password that you give is your password on casa08.
If the rsync command gives you the dreaded "man-in-the-middle attack" error, then remove the entry for localhost in your ~/.ssh/known_hosts file.
If you need to pull multiple files or directories you can repeat the whole string "username@localhost:/mnt..." as many times as you want, ending with a " . ", and you will only need to give your password once!
Access to analysisUtils
The analysisUtils package contains functions necessary to calibrate ALMA data. It is stored in a CVS repository in Santiago. Checking out a personal copy requires a CVS account, which Todd and Stuartt have. You are welcome to use the copy in Todd's area (either in CV or SCO). Simply edit the file init.py in your ~/.casa directory to contain the following lines:
import sys
sys.path.append("/users/thunter/AIV/science/analysis_scripts/")
import analysisUtils as aU
How to set focus policy when you cannot access System menus from VNC:
gconftool-2 --type string --set /apps/metacity/general/focus_mode mouse
