Remote Visualisation at LRZ with GSISSH-Term

GSISSH-Term contains 4 tools, SFTP Session, Terminal Session, VNC Session and Secure Tunneling, in addition to its basic GSISSH terminal functionality. To perform remote visualisation at LRZ, the VNC Session tool can be easily used. Thus, users do not have to install TurboVNC (and TurboJPEG) and can begin their visualisation conveniently on various OS machines.

Precondition

It is assumed that GSISSH-Term is already set up and you can successfully connect to LRZ's resources (or DEISA resources for DEISA users). If not, please refer to section Setting up GSISSH-Term for more information.

Remote Visualisation Guide

There are 3 remote visualisation systems, 2 for Linux Cluster users and 1 for HLRB2 users, at LRZ.

HLRB2 and DEISA users: rvs1.hlrb2.lrz-muenchen.de (or rvs1-deisa.hlrb2.lrz-muenchen.de)
Linux Cluster and DGrid users: gvs1.lrz-muenchen.de or gvs2.lrz-muenchen.de

Note: rvs1.hlrb2.lrz-muenchen.de is behind a firewall. LRZ Users who want to access rvs1.hlrb2.lrz-muenchen.de directly can send their static IP to grid-admin@lists.lrz.de. DEISA users can send their static IPs to deisa-support@lrz.de. DEISA users can alternatively login to their homesite or one of the gsissh DEISA doornodes, SARA, CINECA and RZG , that is without firewall and gsissh from there to rvs1.hlrb2.lrz-muenchen.de or rvs1-deisa.hlrb2.lrz-muenchen.de. Please note that rvs1-deisa.hlrb2.lrz-muenchen.de is only accessible from DEISA machines. By logging in to rvs1-deisa.hlrb2.lrz-muenchen.de, you will be using DEISA's dedicated 10 Gb/s network.

Step 1: Connect to the Remote Visualisation System

Gsissh to the remote visualisation machine via GSISSH-Term.

HLRB2 and DEISA users: rvs1.hlrb2.lrz-muenchen.de (or rvs1-deisa.hlrb2.lrz-muenchen.de)
Linux Cluster and DGrid users: gvs1.lrz-muenchen.de or gvs2.lrz-muenchen.de

Step 2: Setting/Changing VNC password

For first time users, you have to set your VNC password on the respective remote visualisation system with the following command.
vncpasswd
If you have forgotten your VNC password, you can reset it with the same command. While setting or resetting your VNC password, you will be prompted with the following question:
Would you like to enter a view-only password (y/n)?
If you answer yes ("y"), you will be asked for another VNC password. This 2nd password can be given to your fellow colleagues or project members to log in to your VNC session. They will have only read access to your session.

Step 3: Reserving a VNC session

The easiest way to reserve a VNC session is to use the following command:
rvnc
It will take 1-2 minutes for the reservation to be completed. You will see the following text being printed on the console:
#######################################################################
You can now connect to your vncserver
running on display rvs1.hlrb2.lrz-muenchen.de:52
#######################################################################
The number 52 is the port number for this particular VNC session. On RVS1, the port number can range from 51-54. On GVS1 and GVS2, you would have to prepend 59 to the actual port number (e.g. 5952). This will help you reserved a one hour VNC session. The following image is an example of the typical console output you will see.

For advanced users who would like to reserve a longer VNC session (> 1 hour), please read on. For users who would like to begin their visualisation, please proceed to Step 4.

To reserve a VNC session, the following command should be used:

On RVS1: rvrun -d {hours:minutes} tvncserver -v GEOMETRY=1280x1024
On GVS1 and GVS2: rvrun -d {hours:minutes:seconds} -v GEOMETRY=1280x1024 tvncserver

This -v GEOMETRY=1280x1024 option can be omitted if you are satisfied with the default 1024x768 pixel desktop.
An example: To reserve a 2 hours and 15 minutes session on RVS1 with a 1028x1024 desktop, the command used is:
rvrun -d 2:15 tvncserver -v GEOMETRY=1280x1024

More information about reservation can be found here.

Step 4: Connect to the Remote Desktop via GSISSH-Term

On your GSISSH-Term menu, select "Tools->VNC Session". The following window will be shown.

You only have to change value in the text field "Host" and "Display".

For HLRB2 and DEISA users
Host: rvs1.hlrb2.lrz-muenchen.de (or rvs1-deisa.hlrb2.lrz-muenchen.de)
Display: 51-54 {this is the port number you get when you reserve for a VNC session }

For Linux Cluser and DGrid users
Host: gvs1.lrz-muenchen.de or gvs2.lrz-muenchen.de
Display: 59xx {xx is the port number you get when you reserve for a VNC session }

Now, click on the "OK" button. Two new windows as shown below will be initiated.

Enter the VNC password that you have set/reset in Step 2 in the "VNC Authentication" window. Click on the OK button. The Remote VNC Desktop should now be shown.

You are now ready to begin your remote visualisation. LRZ provides support for many visualisation applications like, Amira, AVS/Express and MathLab. For more information, please refer to this url.

If you face any problems, please contact grid-admin@lists.lrz.de.