Workstation Migration

by Cristian V. Diaconu

Summary of changes

NOTES (after migration):

1. Please do not delete your files from the old server yet.
2. You may have to do work using the old filesystem (e.g., on janeway) for a while.
3. I recommend that you separate the files that you've migrated from the old server to the new server from the future work. For example, I did this on merope:

   merope: ~ $ mkdir oldserver
   merope: ~ $ mv * oldserver/
   

   You do not need to do that with the configuration files (~/.*).
4. After the migration is complete, the old file server will no longer be backed up. When you use it, please copy your files to the new server.

Considerations

It is not a difficult task to move your files from the old server to the new server, but it is a little involved to do it in an orderly and problem-free way. If many people start to move their files at the same time, it will be a slow process and the other users may experience disruption in the networked file system. So, please be patient, and we are all going to be happier.

Also, some of the old debian configuration files (~/.*) do not work with the new OS and may cause problems, as some of you have already noticed on your own. So we will not put these directly in your new home directory. Also, this is a good time to clean up your ~/.[t]cshrc files (see below).

During Hurricane Ike we backed up all the files on the old server onto the new server. We would to try to recycle these before moving them again from the old server.

The way I am presenting here is not the only way to do it, but with everyone's cooperation, we will be able to avoid painful experiences, and limit the disruption to the other group members.

After installing RHEL5 on your workstation, you will find a directory ~/oldserver in your new home directory that contains your home directory from the old server, as of December 17, 2008. First, you update its contents. Then we move the files that are safe to move in ~/, but leave the configuration files in ~/oldserver. Then, at your convenience, you can gradually try to move the .* files for the applications that you know from ~/oldserver into your new ~/.

Migration Steps

NOTE: In the examples below, I used my desktop pulaski. I include the host names in the commands so you can see on which computer I perform each operation.

ATTENTION: If you do not understand how to do these instructions, please email me and I will help with it. It is important not to mess up, as — although recoverable — it will be slow and painful to recover.

1. log into your workstation with the user name and password for gw.guscus.rice.edu.
2. ssh into alcycone or merope, and use rsync your old home to gw.guscus.rice.edu:oldserver/. For example, I would do:

   pulaski: ~ $ ssh alcycone
   alcycone: ~ $ rsync -aHvhu $HOME/ cvd1@gw.guscus.rice.edu:oldserver/
   

3. It is now safe to move non-config files from ~/oldserver to ~/. In my case:

   pulaski: ~ $ cd oldserver/
   pulaski: ~/oldserver $ mv * ../
   

Environment

NOTE: Do not copy your old .login, .logout, .tcshrc or .cshrc in your new home directory.

1. Create new ~/.login, ~/.logout and ~/.[t]cshrc files, and copy from the corresponing files in ~/oldserver/ only the setting that you need.
2. Do not set/source any Gaussian environment in .login, .logout or .[t]cshrc. Make aliases or scripts that you can call as you need.
3. Instructions how to run Gaussian and GaussView on your workstations, and how to compile Gaussian for your workstation will follow shortly (Using RHEL5 Workstations on the help page).

For the impatient: use /projects/guscus/software/util/rungj (see /projects/guscus/software/util/rungj -h for usage).

This page was last updated on October 1, 2009 by Cristian V. Diaconu