HPC/Support

Request Suppport

Consult Frequently Asked Questions first to find most answers. If your question is not answered there, 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 relevant files. It is generally not necessary to include copies of files that reside on Carbon.
• For PBS jobs:
  • The job number.
  • The working directory of the job.
• 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.