Builder Quick Start Guide
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
This document provides a brief summary of information that you'll to know to quickly get started working on Builder. For more detailed information, see the Builder User Guide.
2. Get a Kerberos Ticket
For security purposes, you must have a current Kerberos ticket on your computer before attempting to connect to Builder. A Kerberos client kit must be installed on your desktop to enable you to get a Kerberos ticket. Information about installing Kerberos clients on your Windows desktop can be found at HPC Centers: Kerberos & Authentication.
3. Connect to Builder
builder can be accessed via Kerberized ssh as follows:
% ssh user@builder.mhpcc.hpc.mil
4. Home, Working, and Center-wide Directories
Each user has file space in the $HOME, $WORKDIR and $CENTER directories. The $HOME, $WORKDIR and $CENTER environment variables are predefined for you and point to the appropriate locations in the file systems. You are strongly encouraged to use these variables in your scripts.
NOTE: $WORKDIR is a "scratch" file system, and $CENTER is a center-wide file system that is accessible to all center production machines, including the Utility Server. Neither of these file systems is backed up. You are responsible for managing files in your $WORKDIR and $CENTER directories by backing up files to the archive system and deleting unneeded files. Currently, $WORKDIR files older than 15 days and $CENTER files older than 30 days are subject to being purged.
5. Transfer Files and Data to Builder
File transfers to DSRC systems must be performed using Kerberized versions of the following tools: scp, ftp, sftp, and mpscp. For example, the command below uses secure copy (scp) to copy a local file into a destination directory on an Builder login node.
% scp local_file user@builder.mhpcc.hpc.mil:/target_dirFor additional information on file transfers to and from Builder, see the File Transfers section of the Builder User Guide.
6. Submit Jobs to the Batch Queue
The Builder node is shared by all users and does not employ a batch scheduler. Long running processes and containers tests (over 12 hours) may be terminated to allow fair access to all users. Users may execute their containers with small data sets for under 3 hours on the Builder system as long as the node resources (CPU, GPU, RAM, etc.) are available. Users are expected to avoid excessive use of Builder resources running/testing containers to ensure everyone has equal access to the system.
7. Batch Queues
N/A
8. Monitoring Your Job
You can monitor your jobs on Builder using the ps command.
9. Saving Your Work
When your job is finished, you should archive any important data to prevent automatic deletion by the purge scripts.
Copy one or more files to the archive system
archive put [-C path ] [-D] [-s] file1 [file2 ...]
Copy one or more files from the archive system
archive get [-C path ] [-s] file1 [file2 ...]
For more information on archiving your files, see the Archive Guide.
10. Modules
Software modules are a very convenient way to set needed environment variables and include necessary directories in your path so that commands for particular applications can be found. Builder uses "modules" to initialize your environment with COTS application software, system commands and libraries, compiler suites, environment variables, and PBS batch system commands.
A number of modules are loaded automatically as soon as you log in. To see the modules that are currently loaded, run "module list". To see the entire list of available modules, run "module avail". You can modify the configuration of your environment by loading and unloading modules. For complete information on how to do this, see the Modules User Guide.
11. Available Software
A list of software on Builder is available on the software page.