Words and Their Meanings
- CAPO Profile: this is an environment variable or command line parameter that specifies the configuration profile to use. The CAPO Profiles we have right now include dsoc-prod, dsoc-test, dsoc-dev, naasc-prod, naasc-test, naasc-dev, vlass.prod, vlass.test and vlass.dev.
- PIMS: a per-image measurement set, this is a calibrated measurement set that has been split into a smaller size to speed up imaging.
- PIMSCache: a system for managing a cache of PIMS, also the name of the command line tool for doing the same (pimscache).
- workflows: each CAPO Profile has a corresponding software installation area, collectively these are called the workflows and live in the vlapipe account, in the workflows subdirectory. By 'setting up the workflows' you prepare your environment to activate and use a specific CAPO Profile's workflow.
- virtualenv (virtual environment): each workflow's installation area is a virtualenv, or virtual environment. This is a way to install Python software so that its required modules are independent of any system installed Python modules.
Requirements for Using PIMSCache
- The user must be logged into an NRAO workstation, server or (ideally) a cluster node at the DSOC (any of which can see the /lustre/aoc and /users/vlapipe directories).
- The user must be in the vlapipe user's group
- To see if you are, type `groups`, this should list all of the user groups your account is in: if `vlapipe` isn't in that list, contact the helpdesk. Below, I've logged into a cluster node that I reserved, nmpost023, and run the `groups` command, which shows I'm in the `vlapipe` user's group.
PIMSCache Commands
Setup for BASH Users
Step One: log into an NRAO workstation, server or reserved cluster node
Step Two: setup the workflows
source ~vlapipe/workflows/setup_workflows.sh
Step Three: activate your chosen workflow'ss profile
activate_profile vlass.test
At this point the pimscache command should be available to your account, test that with:
which pimscache
If it says no such command or produces an error, something is wrong, seek help. If not, when you are done, either deactivate_profile or just log out.
Setup for TCSH/CSH Users
Step One: Log into an NRAO workstation, server or reserved cluster node
Here I also switched over to tcsh, but a user whose chosen shell is tcsh would not have to do this step: