1. 2-Dec-20051 Offline Report Matthias Schröder Topics: Scientific Linux Fatmen Monte Carlo Production

2. 2-Dec-20052 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

3. 2-Dec-20053 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 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

4. 2-Dec-20054 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????

5. 2-Dec-20055 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’

6. 2-Dec-20056 Fatmen’s Future

7. 2-Dec-20057 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?

8. 2-Dec-20058 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

9. 2-Dec-20059 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

10. 2-Dec-200510 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