Remote License Services at NERSC

NERSC provides the capability to run certain visualization applications on desktop platforms. This can greatly improve performance by eliminating the need to transfer X11 protocol and/or image data through encrypted SSH login sessions. Currently, IDL, AVS/Express, and EnSight are supported. Please note that remote license checkout for CEI's EnSight software is restricted to NERSC users located in the U.S. and Canada, due to the terms of CEI's license agreement with NERSC.

• Download and install software.
• Download and install license file.
• Request license authorization.
• Run application.
• Cancel license authorization.

Download and Install Software

IDL

http://www.rsinc.com/download/chooseplatform.asp?urlProductCode=10

EnSight

http://www.ceintl.com/products/trialcopy.html

Download and Install License File

IDL

To locate the permanent license file on Seaborg, load the IDL module:

seaborg% module load idl 

The full pathname of the permanent license file is given by the environment variable IDL_LMGRD_LICENSE_FILE:

seaborg% echo $IDL_LMGRD_LICENSE_FILE 
/usr/common/graphics/idl/license/license.dat.61
seaborg%

The above file must be copied to the user's desktop machine. Assuming that the user's machine is called "mymachine.biglab.gov", the following command will copy the license file to the user's home directory on that machine:

seaborg% scp $IDL_LMGRD_LICENSE_FILE mymachine.biglab.gov: 

Then, on the desktop machine, move the license file into it's permanent location and set IDL_LMGRD_LICENSE_FILE appropriately:

mymachine% mv license.dat.61 $IDL_DIR/../license/license.dat.61 
mymachine% setenv IDL_LMGRD_LICENSE_FILE $IDL_DIR/../license/license.dat.61 

EnSight

To locate the permanent license file on Seaborg, load the EnSight module:

seaborg% module load ensight 

The license file must be copied to the user's desktop machine. Assuming that the user's machine is called "mymachine.biglab.gov", the following command will copy the license file to the user's home directory on that machine:

seaborg% scp $CEI_HOME/license8/slim8.key mymachine.biglab.gov: 

Then, on the desktop machine, move the license file into it's permanent location:

mymachine% mv slim8.key $CEI_HOME/license8/slim8.key 

Request License Authorization

In order to use the applications and licenses that have been installed on the user's desktop system, it is necessary to request a license authorization. The username/password pair used to request the authorization is the same as the user's NIM username/password. The user will receive an "authorization id", which will be needed to cancel the authorization when the user no longer needs it. It will also be useful to assist NERSC personnel diagnosing any problems with remote license services.

Run Application

After acquiring a license authorization, the applications can be run on the user's desktop system for a period of 8 hours. Information on IDL and EnSight is provided by LBL's Visualization Group.

Cancel License Authorization

The "authorization id" that is created when a user requests a license authorization can be used to cancel the authorization before the 8-hour period concludes. There are two situations where a user should cancel an existing license authorization:

1. The user has completed their desktop processing, and no longer needs the authorization.
2. The user's desktop machine has rebooted, and the current authorization no longer functions correctly. This can happen if the user's desktop machine acquires its IP address via DHCP. The authorization is only valid for the IP address that requested it; in order to acqire a new authorization, the user must first cancel the previous (no longer functional) authorization.