Specific directions on accessing and using the Collum-Loring-Abruna-Widom ( CLAW ) cluster
See also
Nodes on shared cluster are NOT shared between groups, by default
By default, each group can only use their group's compute nodes.
- This is enforced technically.
- Command-line: Applies to all groups
- WebMO (GUI access): Currently applies only to the Collum group (as of 11/4/16).
- Q: Can WebMO be used by any other group to access only their group's nodes?
- Faculty members may create social agreements to permit cross-group access of nodes.
- This increases group member's responsibility not to abuse any nodes they are guests to.
- Chemistry IT staff are hopeful that the default restrictions can be modified to enable desired degree of sharing.
Exceptions to isolated nodes
The following groups are sharing nodes:
Widom's nodes are available to the Collum group.
Widom and Loring share each other's nodes. To clarify:
- Collum group may not use Loring's nodes.
- And Loring's group may not use Collum's nodes.
Table of information, by group
| Group | Group's nodes And software licensed. | Access to other groups' nodes (assume access to own group's nodes, naturally) | WebMO data (GB) | Current users' data (GB) | Inactive users' data (GB) | Back-up? (EZ-Backup) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collum | 8 compute nodes Maybe 1 more (former head node) Has paid for WebMO | Widom (Collum group paid to add hard drives to all 7 of Widom's compute nodes. 12TB (= 6TB * 2) hard drive space now available on each of Widom's nodes.) | (To get from Lulu) | (To get from Lulu) | (To get from Lulu) | Yes |
| Abruna | 10 compute nodes
Maybe 1 more (former head node) | n/a | n/a | ~500 (11/11/16) | (To get from Lulu) | No |
| Loring | 5 compute nodes Oldest nodes on the cluster. | Widom | n/a | (To get from Lulu) | (To get from Lulu) | No |
| Widom | Widom contributing the current head node. 8 compute nodes
| Loring Special queue* | n/a | (To get from Lulu) | (To get from Lulu) | No |
| SLin | (SLin currently has no compute nodes) |
Widom | n/a | (To get from Lulu) | (To get from Lulu) | No |
*Special queue: Queue was created and for use by a single member of Widom's group to enable their research without consuming 100% of Widom's nodes.
- To be used only for single-core jobs, which is a social expectation and not technically enforceable.
- Allows for stacking of many, many single-core jobs, and is limited to consuming up to 6 of Widom's 7 compute nodes.
Questions and known issues
Q: Enable WebMO for groups other than Collum? If so, add column with nodes enabled.
Q: Enable Back-in-Time, for versioning? If so, how provision and who pays what?
- Does CAC have better options, if cluster is hosted there?
Q: Where does storage occur? How provision and who pays for what?
- Does CAC have better options, if cluster is hosted there?
Q: Backing up user accounts and other research data? If beyond Collum's group, how provision and who pays what?
- Does CAC have better options, if cluster is hosted there?
Know issues:
Q: How do we prevent individual from bringing shared head node to its needs by running an application directly on the head node, instead of using queues? (Does CAC have suggestions?)