HPC/Support

Request Suppport

For questions regarding the Carbon HPC system, first consult Frequently Asked Questions to find most answers.

If your question is not answered in the FAQ, send your support request to the NST IT help desk:

[email protected].

Information to include

Before you hit "Send", check the following aspects of your message:

• Choose an appropriate subject line.

  Do not merely hit "Reply" on a previous unrelated message - doing so might cause the request to get lost or ignored.

• Be as specific as possible in the body of your message. Include the following:
  • The command you were trying to run or the menu item you chose.
  • The exact error message you get. Copy & Paste the message text, or take a screenshot and attach it to your mail.
  • The path and file name of files you were working on, if applicable.

    It is generally not necessary to include in your message copies of files that already reside on Carbon.

• For PBS jobs, include:
  • The job number.
  • The working directory of the job.
  • We may ask you to prepare a test directory on Carbon, usually at the same directory level as your troubled runs.

    Ideally, errors are reproducible. To diagnose subtle errors (where your application runs but does not fail outright), we will need a test directory which contains only files required by PBS or the application:

    • the PBS job file,
    • input files,
    • any local data files,
    • if available, a file with the expected (correct) output, with a name differnt from the one generated by the job, e.g. a file with an added extension .ref.
• For remote access issues, include the following:
  • The hostname you ran the command on (generally shown in the command prompt).
  • The hostname you're trying to reach.
  • The username you use to connect.
  • The software name and version you use to connect (e.g. SSH, VNC, or a browser).
  • Your operating system and version.
• Review your subject line before you submit the message.

Receiving support

When you get our support response:

• Carefully read it.
• Follow all instructions and answer all questions.
• For account- and password-related issues: it may take several hours for changes to take effect. If your initial attempt fails, wait at least that long before retrying.

Additional considerations

To help us diagnose a problem:

• Read How to Report Bugs Effectively, by Simon Tatham, programmer.
• For deeper reading, consider How To Ask Questions The Smart Way, by Eric S. Raymond, open source pioneer.