Transcript Overview of PP computing

Induction Week
Overview of Physics Computing
Ian McArthur - Physics IT Manager
5th October 2015
Organisation of Physics IT support
Most of IT support is centralised, i.e. shared across the whole
department.
Central covers general client support (windows, Mac OSX, Linux),
network, databases, web site etc – things that can be effectively
shared across the department.
Some sub-departmental support is focussed on computational work,
(Linux based). Some sub-departments such as PP have their own
Linux support staff supporting their own computing clusters and
subject specific applications.
Particle Physics IT strategy
Desktops as general purpose clients (mainly MS windows some Linux), also
Windows or OSX laptops
Access to centralised compute and data servers – clients use X-windows,
SSH or RDP to connect to interactive sessions on the servers.
Provides access to the widest range of applications – familiar desktop
interface.
Some desktop systems are provided in the Oxford offices at CERN.
Oxford PP provides a windows or linux desktop as standard but starting this
year, PP students have the option to upgrade to a laptop which can become
their property at the end of the studentship.
Provide local compute farms for final-stage analyses, rapid turn around and
interactive work (known as the local cluster, or tier-3) – large runs are done
on the grid.
Most of LHC reconstruction and Monte Carlo should be grid based.
Currently about 624 cores and 600TB in local cluster
Oxford PP runs a tier-2 grid centre with 1768 cores and 1300TB.
We make all necessary services available remotely, ssh, x rdp to compute
servers and desktops when required, remote file access etc.
PP Training and Support
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There is help for new Particle Physics students at
http://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/research/particle-physics/particle-physicscomputer-support
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Local PP courses (See lecture timetable)
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Two Lectures in week 1 and 2. These attempt to get you using the local
facilities effectively and as quickly as possible. We try to concentrate on
the specifics of the Oxford systems and Python/Root.
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Two lectures on Introduction to Programming in C/C++ in weeks 1 and 2.
Please sign up with [email protected] if interested)
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More advanced object-orientated programming workshops in week 7/8.
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We will circulate information on other courses at IT services, RAL etc whenever we
hear of them.
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Use generic email addresses to ask for help with PP Linux systems
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[email protected] (Linux)
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Library of computing books (Room 661)
General Training and Support
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Courses at the University IT services(apply early)
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Use support information on the web. Please check FAQs before going to IT support staff – it’ll
make you popular!
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We want to improve the web pages – please tell us what you’d like to see there. (start at
http://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/it)
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Use generic email addresses to ask for help
[email protected]
[email protected] (network specific queries)
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OU IT services offer a number of computing courses suitable for various levels. You can browse
these at http://www.it.ox.ac.uk/courses/. Log-in requires your campus SSO account, (user name
of the format abcd1234), which should have been provided to you by your college. None of you
are signed up to any of these automatically.
For those of you that are quite new to Linux, we recommend that you sign up to one or more of their
introduction to Linux courses.
Who does what in IT ?
Central
Or PP
Main tasks
Ian McArthur
C
IT Manager
Pete Gronbech
P
GridPP UK project manager
Ewan MacMahon
P
GridPP admin
Kashif Mohammad
P
PP & Grid Support
Sean Brisbane
P
PP system Admin and PP user support
Stig Topp-Jorgensen
P
PP data acquisition systems
John Harris
C
Windows System administration
Richard Smith
C
IT Support – Mainly OSX some Windows
Russell Allcock
C
IT Support – windows desktops, printing, user support etc
Chris Hunter
C
Network Manager and Anti-Virus
David Newton
C
Network support
Russell Jones
C
IT Support - General
John Macallister
C
IT Support (Clarendon)
Greg Agacinski
C
Web development
Martin Carter
C
IT Support (Astrophysics)
Mark Munro
C
Physics Linux system admin (Till Nov 2015)
Bernard West
C
Database and Web applications
Man-Suen Chan
C
AOPP IT system administrator
John Harris
Richard Smith
Russell Allcock
Chris Hunter
David Newton
General IT Support, Desktops,
Printing, laptops etc
Network Support
Room 667
Room 663
Pete Gronbech
Kashif Mohammad
Stig Topp-Jorgensen
Ewan Macmahon
Sean Brisbane
Particle Physics Linux, Grid etc
Data Acquisition
Room 661
Room 662
Physics IT Services (SLD)
IT Shop
Client hardware support (standard systems)
Client Software Support (standardised installs using self-service)
Client Application Support (common applications)
Network Provision
Anti-virus
Home folder storage
Shared services/applications (printing, code repositories, remote access servers,
Wikis, Ticket tracking etc)
Cost Recovered Services (Virtual machines, web servers, storage and compute
servers)
User support related to the above services
Web applications and databases
Hardware support for Project based computing (advice on standard hardware)
Software support for Project based computing (compilers etc)
Software Licensing – some can be used at home. Always check conditions with IT
support staff if you are unsure.
Media Services Unit
Poster printing
Bulk printing
Photography
Meeting Room/Lecture Theatre support
Videoconferencing systems (room and desktop/laptop
based)
Desktop and Laptop image loading
Steve Lee
Darren Wallace
Duncan Vivian
Accounts
Physics Network account (aka Active Directory Account). This usually just
your surname but may have some initials on the end.
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Login to most central physics services (all operating systems)
MS Windows , Apple OSX and Linux desktops
VPN (remote tunnelling into our network)
web pages that require authentication or for editing
Connection to the department’s wireless network (physics_s)
Etc etc
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Login in PP compute servers (Linux)
Grid certificate
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To allow you access to grid resources worldwide (and local)
University Single Sign On (SSO) (this is in the form abcd1234 where abcd is
a short form of your college or department name).
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University mail system (nexus)
Various campus wide services (e.g. VPN, WebLearn, HFS backups, wireless
services etc)
Never share account details with anyone, including us!!
Security
Personal – don’t leave your valuables about – insurance never covers the
cost of laptops because of excesses. Make sure all your personally owned
items are insured.
Network – Never reveal your passwords to anyone.
Client Security
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Centralisation of management wherever possible
Reduces manpower required
Ensures minimum acceptable patch levels
Un-trusted machines (e.g. laptops) are typically placed on a separate network so
that they can be given similar access rights to systems anywhere on the internet.
Backups (data security)
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Windows H:\ and UNIX /home folders are backed up weekday nights
Data disks are often too large to be backed up. So keep your data in the right
place to take advantage of this valuable service.
Don’t be tempted to keep your files on local system disks or laptops.
If you aren’t sure, please ask, don’t wait for a disaster.
You are responsible for organising backups of all your mobile devices, whether
provided by the department or not. Consider the University HFS service, cloud
storage providers, detachable disk drives etc. If you’re not sure, please ask.
Information Security
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Assume all your mobile devices contain sensitive or confidential data and switch
on encryption.
Email
The Department has its own Exchange system but this is running
down over the next few years in favour of the campus system
NEXUS. All new mailboxes after Sep 2014 (including yours !) will be
on NEXUS.
You will probably have been given a college email address and you
will also have an @physics.ox.ac.uk address which we set to
forward to the same mailbox on NEXUS.
Nonetheless, please be careful to make sure you’re reading all your
mailboxes, or forwarding all to one place.
Please assume that your physics.ox.ac.uk will always be forwarded
to NEXUS. If you want to forward onto some external provider such
as gmail, hotmail etc, then this can be done on NEXUS.
Login into the self registration pages for the campus IT systems,
start at http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/life/it/email. Check the nexus
`preferred email address` you should be able to choose either a
college or a physics address. We recommend you choose the
physics one.
Mobile Devices and BYOD
Bringing in your own device is fine but support is limited to general
help connecting to the network/services etc. Connect to Eduroam
(wide coverage) or Physics_S if you need printing or some other
internal services.
If you use a departmental laptop it will have been configured so that
you shouldn’t need to make major changes to it. Support is limited if
too much is changed although we can offer a reload of the system.
Managed systems all include some sort of `self-service` software
installation service to allow you to load common applications
yourself (can include OS upgrades etc). Use this to ensure your
system is setup in a standard way and easily supportable.
You are responsible for backups.
Be aware that not all software packages we use allow for use on
privately owned systems so please check.
If you have opted into the new PP scheme for grad students laptops,
you need to pay the deposit to Sue Geddes who will then instruct IT
support that the system can be handed over.
Do’s and Don’ts
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Get to know the IT support staff. They are here to help you to do your work more
effectively. Feedback is very important, tell us how support could be improved !
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Always contact IT support staff if you need
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More network connections
A system moved
A system fixed or upgraded
New software installed (if its not in self-service we can add it if its on general use)
Make IT related purchases (software or hardware)
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Never attempt to connect any system to the wired network without permission of IT
support staff who will register the machine on the network and provide the necessary
configuration details.
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Use the web pages (FAQs) to try to solve problems. Try
http:///www.physics.ox.ac.uk/it OR
http://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/research/particle-physics/particle-physics-computer-support
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Check licensing terms and conditions before running any software on your privately
owned systems
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Be aware of all the rules and policies in place. You should already have signed the
`Student Contract` and have therefore agreed to abide by the University Rules and
Regulations.
Misuse
Unacceptable behaviour includes but isn’t limited to
attempting to gain unauthorised access to a facility;
making offensive material available over the Web;
generating, sending or downloading/viewing pornographic material;
using someone else's username and/or password;
disregarding the privacy of other people's files;
giving your username or password to someone else, or being otherwise careless with
them;
generating messages which appear to originate with someone else, or otherwise
attempting to impersonate someone else;
sending messages which are abusive or a nuisance or otherwise distressing;
displaying offensive material in a public place;
introducing programs with malicious intent;
trying to interfere with someone else's use of the facilities;
disregard for "computer etiquette";
sending chain email;
being wasteful of resources;
software piracy (including infringement of software licences or copyright provisions)
never download copyrighted material, it could end up with you being sent down and
you will be fined!)
using the facilities for commercial gain without explicit authorisation;
physically damaging or otherwise interfering with facilities.
IT Policies
All University policies are on the web at
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/lso/statutes/
See
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Computer Usage Rules and Etiquette
Data Protection: University Policy
Freedom of Information Policy
Information Security Policy
Information Technology: Regulations Relating to the Use of Information Technology
Facilities
These refer to legal requirements and other external policies such as use of
the academic network (JANET) and software licensing agreements.
Physics Department policy adopts the above and adds a few internal
policies. Please see
http://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/it-services/it-strategy
Checklist
Done ?
Task
Check your Physics and SSO credentials, activate SSO, change passwords.
Check Email to all accounts, forward where necessary. Check and set nexus preferred email address
Understand University and Department policies concerning use of IT.
Learn how to use the web site.
http://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/it-new/central-physics-website/newcomers-guide-to-the-web
Update profile on web site (login to your pages on www.physics.ox.ac.uk).
Update personal details/contact information
https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/administration/login/
Read through new user and getting started web sites
Oxford Wide
http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/life/it
Physics
http://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/it/newusers.htm
Particle Physics
http://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/research/particle-physics/particle-physics-computer-support
Any Questions
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