Step 1: Log In

Once a new user has obtained an HPCVL username they will be able to login on the computer of their choice. Use the following hostname to login to each machine.

SunFire 6800	sfnode0.hpcvl.carleton.ca
Beowulf Cluster	thog.hpcvl.carleton.ca
M4000 Server	carlm4k.hpcvl.carleton.ca

In order for any HPCVL users to gain access to resources at Carleton, they must use Secure Shell (SSH). To create a SSH connection to one of the machines, a SSH client software is required. On Linux and Mac OS, a SSH client is usually installed by default.

To connect to one of the clusters,

• on Linux and Mac, run the following command and enter your password when prompted

   ssh username@hostname

• on Windows platform, use the following instruction

   Putty Secure Shell Client

For more information about Secure Shell please consult the HPCVL SSH FAQ [hpcvl.org].

Should you experience difficulties logging in, contact the HPCVL-Carleton System Administrator.

Step 2: File Transfer

In order to transfer files to/from one of the clusters from/to a local machine, HPCVL users should use either Secure Copy (SCP) or Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP).

To transfer files to one of the clusters, on Linux and Mac,

• scp ./mydata.dat username@hostname:myfile.dat

  will copy "mydata.dat" file from the current directory on your local machine to the home directory on the hostname machine.

• scp -r myfolder username@hostname:mydata/

  will copy directory "myfolder" recursively (i.e., the directory and all its contents) from your local machine into directory "mydata" in your home directory on the hostname machine.

• scp username@hostname:mydata.dat ./myfile.dat

  will copy file "mydata.dat" from the home directory on your local machine to your current working directory on the hostname machine.

• scp -r username@hostname:mydata ./myfolder

  will copy directory "mydata" recursively (i.e., the directory and all its contents) from the hostname machine into directory "myfolder" in your current working directory on your local machine.

To transfer files to/from one of the clusters, on Windows platform, use instructions on using WinSCP SFTP/SCP Client.

For more information about transferring files to/from the clusters please consult the HPCVL SSH FAQ [hpcvl.org].

Should you experience difficulties transferring your files to/from one of the clusters, contact the HPCVL-Carleton System Administrator.

Step 3: Submitting Jobs

In order to properly manage system resources and ensure that all HPCVL users have fair and equitable use of HPCVL computing facilities jobs should be submitted through a job scheduler.

To manage all of HPCVL Carleton's computing resources Sun Microsystem's Grid Engine is used.

These are instructions to help you get started with a sample GridEngine job on the HPCVL-Carleton cluster. Once this is working, you should be able to modify it for your own needs.

1. Create an MPI Program

   If you do not already have your own MPI program, you may use our sample MPI program in your own home directory. For example:

   Log into thog.hpcvl.carleton.ca using ssh

   Download the example program by running:
   wget http://people.scs.carleton.ca/~hpcvl/mpi_example.tar.gz

   Uncompress the example by running:
   tar zxvf mpi_example.tar.gz

   Comile the program by running:
   cd mpi_example
   make

2. Create an SGE Script

   In your mpi_example directory, there should already be an example.sge script.

3. Run SGE

   Submit the mpi_example job to GridEngine by running:
   qsub -pe mpi 8 example.sge

4. Check your job's status

   Check on unfinished jobs by running (your job will not be displayed after it is finished):
   qstat

5. View your job's output

   When your job has finished, the output should be in mpi_example/hello_output.txt

Users who are unfamiliar with the proper use of Grid Engine should consult the HPCVL Grid Engine FAQ [hpcvl.org].

Step 4: Set Up Your Environment

Once a new user is logged on to one of the systems the first thing they want to do is set up their user environment. Each user has their own preferences on which shell to use and how they would like to customize their system settings. Often users like to use different shells, command line editors, and development tools. By setting up their user environment a new user can work in an environment that is both familiar and easy to use.

For more information on setting up your user environment on any of HPCVL's machines, please consult the HPCVL Setup FAQ [hpcvl.org].

Step 5: Develop Your Program
It is the expectation that all new users to HPCVL should have some familiarity with developing program code. HPCVL users who are new to parallel program development can obtain more information at the HPCVL Parallel Programming FAQ [hpcvl.org].

Step 6: Save Your Data
As programs are running they sometimes use or generate large amounts of data. In conventional computing environments system resources can become quickly overwhelmed as some jobs start synthesizing data and storing results. Users of HPCVL Carleton's computing facilities are required to adhere to policies and procedures outlining the proper use and management of system storage and archive facilities. These policies have been put in place to ensure that all HPCVL users have access to adequate and reliable storage for all their research needs. All HPCVL Carleton users are required to adhere to these policies as they help protect the integrity of experiment data and research results.