Monitoring R1 e-transfers

R1 and R4 are the IVS “Rapid” experiments meaning their turnaroud time (from observation to the ready product) should be less than 15 days. They supply fast EOP results. R1 data are correlated in Bonn, Germany, and it is sent there by e-transfer. More about rapids can be found here: http://ivscc.gsfc.nasa.gov/program/descrip2011.html#r1

AuScope normally observes R1's on Tuesdays. The data from the remote stations is sent down to Hobart to be transferred. Shipment of the modules may take up to 5 working days, meaning the Ke and Yg modules arrive next week. Thus, in order to facilitate the timely delivery of the data to the correlator, we have to act as fast as we can with those modules, that's where we need help of the observers.

Data transfer consists of two stages: 1) module-RAID and 2) RAID-correlator. Observers monitor the longest and most wulnerable second stage. Data on th RAID is stored as it was recorded, in a form of separate files each containing one scan. The tsunami UDP transfer protocol is used to send the files to the RAIDS at Bonn correlator. Tsunami server breaks data into 32kb numbered blocks and sends them consequtively, communicating with the remote host over TCP about the reception of each block. Based on the hosts report, blocks can be resend. It uses pre-set data rate. More about tsunami can be found here: http://tsunami-udp.cvs.sourceforge.net/viewvc/tsunami-udp/docs/howTsunamiWorks.txt

How to monitor e-transfers:

If on top of the page of Handover Notes you see the following text:

Achtung! R1 TRANSFER IN PROGRESS! MONITORING REQUIRED!

R1 monitoring instructions: operations:monitoring.ivs.etransfer

There are two options: either have the transfer window running somewhere on the screen during all the time of your shift, or check it roughly every two hours together with the check lists. In any case, the procedure is the following:

  1. Open terminal on ops1, ops2 or ops4
  2. Start the VNC session with the Vortex machine where the transfers happen: 
     vncviewer vortex:1

    (if for some reason you observe from your desktop or the home machine, you will need show the full path to vortex: 

     vncviewer vortex.phys.utas.edu.au:1
  3. Go to the Workspace 3 where the IVS transfers happen (NOTE: do not interfere with Workspace 1 and 2!)
  4. Look at the two top windows: top left is a remote host, top right is a server.
    • Is the transfer running?
    • If it is static, what is the report? Did is complete, or did it break?
  5. Do not interfere with the transfers!
  6. Depending on the outcomes of the inspection, do one of the the following:
  7. If it looks broken, please call Liza 7am-midnight or send SMS at other times (NOTE: if it is transfer of Ke or Yg data, or Liza is on call, call her any time!)
  8. If it is completed, you can update Bonn transfers page so that some one else can use the rate available:
    • Note the experiment name that was transferred (“pwd” in the server window, note name of the directory)
    • Go to Workspace 4
    • Refresh the webpage. You can see the transfers “Sent from” the server starting with “hb” then followed by a server address. Find one that has the correct “Experiment name” (as several transfers can run at the same time from differen servers in Hobart)
    • With the mouse, copy the content of the “Serial number” cell of this transfer
    • In the lefr upper terminal window, type the following string: 
       ./ncBonn.sh [Serial number of transfer]_[server name from "Sent from"]_stop  [Enter]

      (Alternatively, you can call the previous instances of this command with the up arrow and edit)

    • Refresh the webpage several times to make sure that the table has updated and the information of the finished transfer disappeared.
    • Close the VNC window. No need to check for the transfers anymore.
    • Remove the R1 monitoring warning from the Handover page.
  9. Close the VNC window.