How to access remote servers

Exercise #0 Install tools

SSH: Sending commands to a remote server (Secure SHell Protocol)

Install using Putty, a GUI (Graphical User Interface)

Install using Terminal

  • The ssh command is preinstalled on Linux and Mac

SSHFS: Accessing files on a remote server (Secure SHell FileSystem)

Install using an GUI (Graphical User Interface)

Install using Terminal : Linux and Mac only

  • Linux (from terminal)

    sudo apt-get install sshfs
    
  • Mac (from terminal with hombrew)

    brew install --cask osxfuse
    brew install sshfs 
    
  • Mac (alternative)

SSHFS
  • Install the .dmg files

Panoply: Visualizing netcdf files

EXERCISE #1 SSH :First login on Mistral (~5min)

Login into Mistral (local)

  • What you need

    • Your account number (“MyUser”)

    • Your password (“MyPASSWORD”)

  • Log into mistral using your user and password (platform dependent)

Now on MISTRAL (remote)

  • Write a note

    echo "My First Note" > note.txt
    cat note.txt
    
  • Copy a netcdf file to your home directory, and check

    cp /work/bb1224/userspace/b380602/ECHAM.climatology.2003_2012.nc ~/
    ls -la 
    

EXERCISE #2 SSHFS: First disk mount from Mistral (~5min)

On a new terminal (local)

  • In the terminal (Mac and Linux)

    MyUser=MyUser #replace right side with your user
    MyPass=MyPass #replace right side with your pass
    mkdir MISTRAL
    sshfs $MyUser@mistral.dkrz.de: ./MISTRAL -ovolname=NAME -o password_stdin <<< "$MyPass"
    
    • Read note

      cat MISTRAL/note.txt
      
    • Open netcdf file

      open MISTRAL/ECHAM.climatology.2003_2012.nc
      
  • With FileZilla:

    • Connect

      • File -> Site Manager -> New site

        • “General” Tab

          • Protocol: SFTP

          • Host: mistral.dkrz.de

          • User: MyUser (replace)

          • Password: MyPass (replace)

        • “Connect” -> yes

    • Read note

      • On Local site (left side of window):

        • Make and enter a directory (e.g, “MISTRAL”) where you will download remote files

      • On Remote site (right side of window):

        • Search “note.txt”

          • Double click -> Open from local site (left side of window)

          • or: Right click -> View/edit

    • Open netcdf file

      • On Remote site (right side of window):

        • Search “ECHAM.climatology.2003_2012.nc”

          • Double click -> Open from local site (left side of window)

          • or: Right click -> View/edit

EXERCISE #3 Panoply: Plot a netcdf file (~5 to 30min)

Find tutorials in https://www.giss.nasa.gov/tools/panoply/help/ (First 3 videos, 3 min each)

  • If you completed excercise 2, then “ECHAM.climatology.2003_2012.nc” is already open with panoply

  • Plot “aclcov” variable (total cloud cover)

    • Double click on variable

    • make a Lat-Lon map

    • make a zonal average plot

    • make a latitude-time contour plot (Hovmöller diagram)

Plot wind “u10” and “v10” variables

  • combine variables in the same plot

SSHFS
  • plot a map with the difference u10 - v10 (“arrays”)

  • plot a map with the vector magnitude (“arrays”)

SSHFS

image

EXERCISE #4 VIM: Change a text file (~5 to 60 min)

Learn vim if you haven’t, for example:

on MISTRAL

  • copy a template file to your current folder and open it

    cp /work/bb1224/userspace/b380602/namelist.echam ./
    vi namelist.echam
    
  • now on vim, use the search function and search for

    nauto          = 2
    
  • and change it to

    nauto          = 1
    
  • save and check

EXERCISE #5 BASH: Learn the basic commands

https://www.educative.io/blog/bash-shell-command-cheat-sheet