2-Dec-2005 1

Offline ReportMatthias Schröder

Topics:Scientific Linux

Fatmen

Monte Carlo Production

2-Dec-2005 2

SLC3 & OPAL Environment

• In production since January– Lxplus on RH7.3 stopped end of August(?)

• Miminal efforts in providing tools and environment on SLC3– I just provided what I considered the bare minimum…

• …and waited that somebody asked for more

– Little complains from users

– We might still discover missing tools (or variables…)

– No serious certification of ROPE, OD and partners done

2-Dec-2005 3

SLC3 & The OPAL PCs

• All OPAL desktops migrated to SLC3– Most quattorised at the same time

– Systems with little memory VERY slow• Use different desktop/window manager?• Have a look at http://linux.web.cern.ch/linux/scientific3/docs/gnome-slow.shtml

• Ask your supervisor for a reasonable computer!

• Still lots of data living on local disks– Hopefully also archived

– I had to replace many failed disks on OPAL desktops recently

2-Dec-2005 4

SLC4,5,…

• The next versions will come for sure– The only question is when

• Depends on release dates and LHC schedule

– SLC4 might be skipped if SLC5 comes early enough (for LHC)

• Can expect significant problems with completely different fortran compiler– 2 bugs in OPAL code detected already

– Many problems with SAVEing of variables• Might be solved by fixing compiler

• Hope to be able to keep existing compilers as add-on– Certification of OS and compilers have been decoupled

– LHC experiments still need fortran• If you develop for LHC don’t forget to sneak in a few fortran routines here and there ;)

• Trouble to bootstrap patchy– And the old version does not run on SLC4

– And GPHIGS????

2-Dec-2005 5

Fatmen Issues

• IT continues to migrate (re-pack) our tapes– If registered in fatmen by tape, data becomes inaccessible

• Fortunately they keep the data available under special castor names

• I have to – rename files to match our naming convention

– update fatmen entries, use only castor name

• Some MC files have been produced and catalog several times– Have to make sure I convert the correct (best?) entry

– I destroy all info about ‘duplicates’

62-Dec-2005

Fatmen’s Future

2-Dec-2005 7

Fatmen’s Future

• IT will stop fatmen service in 2006– Since NA48 still needs fatmen, the deadline in end 2006 now

• All data access will have to be done via CASTOR

• A file catalog would be useful to ensure completeness– But no time to migrate fatmen entries & rewrite ROPE

– Migrate fatmen data to keep meta data available?• Investigating the options we have

• MC production system makes heavy use of fatmen for control!

• Trying to change existing system to decouple it from fatmen not realistic

• Abandon MC production system and ‘do it by hand’– But still centrally to avoid complete mess with code, geometry, run numbers and data access

– How to arrange for that?

2-Dec-2005 8

Computer Time Allocation

• The OPAL allocation is a tiny fraction of total capacity– And a very small fraction of what we used to get

• Usually ok with the little amount of computing we do

• If you have to run many jobs, please let me know– If urgent I can push them through

• Don’t run LHC, ILC, CLIC or XXX jobs under your OPAL account– You would use up OPAL quota

– Because our allocation is so small, the jobs would wait forever

2-Dec-2005 9

Accounts

• CERN is getting more active with respect to accounts– Accounts get blocked automatically when people leave CERN / are not registered anymore

• …and deleted soon after

• Did a massive exercise of deleting accounts in September– List checked by Pippa and me

– We have been rather conservative

• Unfortunately also deleted accounts we wanted to keep– These have been recreated, also creating some confusion

• Do we have important files on accounts likely to be deleted?– Make sure that important files are kept

• OPAL project space is safer than individual accounts

2-Dec-2005 10

Near Future

• The computer center will be without UPS cover 5th-16th December– No issue as long as there are no power cuts…

• Two interventions planned during week of December 12th– Provide redundant power for an important router

– Will effect AFS, tape access,…

– LXBATCH queues will be stopped for these interventions