Home Migration
ICER is migrating to a new HPCC home file system ffs24, an all flash system that will enable fast access to files in your home spaces, and a significantly better working environment overall. Along with the migration, we are increasing the default home space size from 50 GB to 100 GB which will be a hard limit going forward to ensure that usage of home spaces is aligned with their intended purpose. To help accommodate these changes, we are increasing the maximum free research space per principal investigator from 1TB to 3TB. This move toward more research space storage will also enhance collaboration amongst your team.
On this page, we have compiled a list of tips and questions that you may encounter throughout the transition.
New file system tips
Snapshots
Snapshots of your home directory will be taken periodically, and you now have the capability to restore your own files. To see all available snapshots of a directory, change to the .snapshots directory within any directory with the command
1 | |
Note that this directory will not show up using ls, and does not count against your quota. You can copy any file from a given snapshot wherever you would like.
Compression differences
The old and new home file system manage automatic compression differently. On the old file system, the quota command reports the compressed size of files in your home directory. On the new file system, you will see the uncompressed size of files in your home directory. Research space quota reporting is not changed.
If the uncompressed file sizes exceed your home directory quota, please move files to research spaces.
Known issues
Drive mapping with Samba not available
Mapping HPC drives with Samba is not currently available on the new home file system. ICER is working with the vendor to resolve this issue as soon as possible.
Problems with RStudio Server starting
For some users, the home file system migration causes issues with RStudio Server's temporary files. This can result in RStudio Server not loading with the error message
Could not connect to the R session on RStudio Server.
Unable to connect to service (1)
This can be resolved by moving RStudio's configuration files to a backup using the command line. Please log into a development node on the command line and run
1 | |
For more information, see our documentation about resolving similar errors with RStudio Server.
Permission issues using conda with local Miniforge3 installation
If you have a local Miniforge3 installation in your home directory, after migrating, you may receive an error like
1 | |
This is because during the original Miniforge installation, it set some paths as hardcoded to the old home directory system. These paths are read-only after the migration, so conda will not run.
To fix this, we recommend using the system Miniforge3 installation by using module load Miniforge3 instead of module load Conda/3. You can use the same environments you currently have installed.
As an alternative, you can change the line at the top of the script giving permission errors to the full path of your migrated home directory.
Migration specifics
Timeline
- Week of January 20th: we will begin migrating users with less than 100 GB of home directory usage to the new
ffs24storage. Users will be notified before and after the migration. - Later this semester: we will reach out to users above 100 GB with further tools and processes to help migrate. These users will receive a usage report showing their home directory usage. PIs will also receive team and research group usage.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my access to the HPCC disabled during migration?
Your home directory is being migrated to a completely new storage. We need to be absolutely sure no new files are created during this process.
How long will my access be disabled during migration?
Your access will be disabled early morning on your given time slot. Your home directory will be 1 of many being migrated. We will batch the migrations all at once. While we expect that final sync to take only a few hours, it could take most of the day. We will do our best to keep the time frame short and you will receive a confirmation email when your home directory migration is complete.
Do I need to do anything to migrate?
If you are currently using less than 100GB in your home directory, you will not need to do anything, and the transition should appear seamless to you. If you are using more than 100GB, you will need to reduce your usage to be moved to the new ffs24 system. We will reach out with further tools and processes later this semester to assist with the transition.
Will the path to my home directory change?
No, you will still be able to reach your home directory using ~ or /mnt/home/$USER.
The only exception is if you are using the exact path (which is extremely rare). In this case, you would need to change /gpfs/home/home-xxx/$USER to /mnt/home/ffs24/$USER.
I think I am missing files.
We are taking every precaution possible to prevent this. While this is extremely unlikely, it is possible an error was made. Create a ticket and we can look deeper.
I need to use the HPCC on the day I was selected to migrate.
That is fine. Respond to the automated message and we will move you down the list for a different day or you can select one.
Why do I need to lower my quota?
The new ffs24 system is more performant, but does not have as much space as the current home system. To accommodate reduced quota in home directories, we are encouraging users to move excess files to research spaces which will have the maximum free space per PI raised from 1TB to 3TB.