l l l SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING DIVISIONi< - NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH

INSIDE

" IBM 4381RETIREMENTDELAYED

" VIDEO LAB OPENS

" CHAMMPWORKSHOP HELD

" CRAY USERS MEET

" NEW FIT ROUTINESAVAILABLE

About the cover

The image of the globe on the front cover was rendered byBill Boyd (NCAR's Mesoscale Microscale MeteorologyDivision) using PolyPaint software with topographic datafrom SCD. Polygons were generated from the 2-D data andmapped onto a sphere. These polygons were rendered usingone light source to shade the polygons with color represent-ing altitude. The rendering was produced interactively on aworkstation, and a transparency of the image was producedusing SCD's color Dicomed.

SCD's Visualization Lab uses imagery from visualizationtools such as PolyPaint to produce animated videos. (See "Atour of the new interactive video lab" in this issue.)

SCD Computing News welcomes cover graphic submissions. Pleasesend your graphic, along with a description including SCD facilitiesor software used, to Christine Guzy, Mesa Lab; or send e-mail toguzy @ncar.ucar.edu; or call Christine at (303) 497-1826.

2 SCD Director's Column

3 IBM 4381 retirement rescheduledComputer to go offline next spring

5 A tour of the new interactive video labAnimation provides important scientific tool

9 The growing importance of video animationNew technology: The marriage of computer and video

10 2nd CHAMMP Workshop revolves on spherical modelsInvestigators discuss fluid flow and parallel algorithms

14 Cray users gather at conferenceParticipants trade info on Cray supercomputers and software

16 January 8 deadline for "large" computing resourceapplicationsRequests for more than 100 GAUs go to SCD Advisory Panel

17 Good passwords minimize chances of account vandalismAre your files secure?

19 IBM TAPE DUMP users: Re-store your data fromtapes now AUse BACKUP EXEC utility to re-store data on MSS

21 Fortran 90 moves into compiling systems ACF77 compiling system supports features of new Fortran standard

23 Temperton FFT routines SETGPFA and GPFA installedon shavano AReplace older routines CFTFAX and CFFT99

25 Hints from the SCD ConsultantsThe secret of QSTAT status codes

27 MSS NewsMSS purge program now runs on Sunday

27 Networking and Data Communications NewsProblems with 1-800 Connect Account? Call SCD

28 Graphics NewsColor film processing schedule update

28 Training NewsGet down to basics: Learn UNIX * UNICOS class: Tools forsupercomputing * Register early!

29 DocumentationOSF/Motif user guide available * How to access the SCD Daily Bulletin* Obtain SCD documentation via anonymous FTP

NOVEMBER 1991

- IP I

by Bill Buzbee

While SCD's recent efforts to retire the IBM 4381 front-end computerhave been delayed, we believe we're back on track toward a March 31date. See "IBM 4381 retirement rescheduled" for an update. Key toretiring the 4381 is the successful integration of the new network fileserver, called "crestone." This server represents a cost-effective source ofdisk storage, and will enable us to free one of our UNIX servers to serveas a front end for users. When the switch to a UNIX front-end computeris complete, SCD will be an all-UNIX shop. You will have the advantageof learning only one operating system, and SCD will have the advantageof having to maintain, consult on, and document only one operatingsystem. SCD will be moving most IBM users' files to crestone or theMass Storage System, and is working to provide all the services and toolsyou will need to feel comfortable converting from CMS to UNIX. (If youused TAPE DUMP to store data, you must re-store your data before the4381 is decommissioned; see "IBM TAPE DUMP users: Re-store yourdata from tapes now.")

Over the past year, SCD's Scientific Visualization Group has developed astate-of-the-art facility for making presentation-quality videos at the MesaLaboratory in Boulder, and an identical facility is planned for theFoothills Laboratory next spring. You're invited to take "A tour of thenew interactive video lab" in this issue.

Within the next two years, we expect that massively parallel systems willoffer a tenfold increase over the capability of the CRAY Y-MP8/864,NCAR's present production supercomputer. As a participant in theDepartment of Energy-sponsored Computer Hardware, AdvancedMathematics, and Model Physics (CHAMMP) initiative, NCAR isproviding leadership in exploring how complex models such as theCommunity Climate Model can be ported to various architectures. TheCHAMMP initiative also includes a research component to developoptimal computation and communication algorithms on massively parallelprocessors. See "2nd CHAMMP Workshop revolves on sphericalmodels" for a progress report.

Once again, we've had attempts-so far unsuccessful-to break intoNCAR computers via the networks. The article "Good passwordsminimize chances of account vandalism" describes how you can enhancethe security of your files by regularly changing your passwords.

Two articles in this issue discuss software improvements from CrayResearch. "Cray users gather at conference" discusses some upcomingsoftware product releases, and "Fortran 90 moves into compilingsystems" discusses features of Fortran 90 that have been included in theCF77 compiling system.

NOVEMBER 1991

IBM 4381 retirement rescheduled

by Nancy Dawson

If you were planning a retirement party for the IBM4381 computer in December, hold off on ordering thecake. We're encountering problems integrating thenew central file server into the NCAR computingenvironment, which means that the computerdesignated to become the SCD UNIX front end is stillbusy serving SCD staff needs. As of press time, thenew date for retiring the IBM is March 31, 1992. Weexpect to start moving users to the UNIX front end inDecember.

Traffic jam created by the new centralfile server

The central file server, an Auspex NS 5000 named"crestone" after one of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks,was installed September 1. Since then, SCD staff havebeen working to integrate it into the computing andnetworking environment at NCAR. The main problemis that the Auspex is so fast that it can fill the networkwith data beyond both the speed limit and capacityvery quickly. Distributed Services Group Head CraigRuff likens the situation to a busy highway: "TheAuspex is so fast that it's like completely filling ahighway with cars-bumper-to-bumper traffic. Certainintersections can't handle traffic at such a heavyvolume. So we need to experiment with differentroutes." Craig reports that the tests are going well andthat staff are making progress.

SCD moves toward buying a bigger UNIXfront end

Meanwhile, SCD is moving ahead on purchasing abigger UNIX front-end computer for the usercommunity. The request for proposals (RFP) fromvendors has been sent to the NCAR Contracts Office.When SCD installs the larger front-end computer, itwill provide expanded functions over what has beenavailable on the IBM 4381. For example, the largerfront end may have X Window terminal support,NCAR Graphics for small jobs (including metafilegeneration), and additional software applications. Itwould also provide room for growth.

Both the first SCD UNIX front end and its largersuccessor will be named meeker.ucar.edu, with an IPnumber of 128.117.64.25.

What you should do to prepare for the move

1. The good news is that you don't have to doanything to convert files that are on yourpermanent IBM disks to UNIX. SCD will convertall your CMS files to UNIX format and move

Crestone Peak (14,294 feet high) is in the Sangre deCristo Range in southern Colorado. The new SCDcentral file server is named after it. (Photo by GerryRoach, from his soon-to-be-published book, "Colorado'sFourteeners: From Hikes to Climbs.")

NOVEMBER1991

them to either the Auspex or the Mass StorageSystem (MSS), whichever you requested inresponse to the questionnaire we sent all IBMusers last August.

If SCD doesn't receive this information from you,your IBM files will be converted to UNIX formatand stored on the MSS with a retention period ofone year. No login on the SCD UNIX front endwill be set up for you unless you request it. If youneed another copy of the questionnaire, contactGeorge Fuentes. For CMS users, his e-mailaddress is fuentes at ncar.ucar.edu; for Internetusers, his address is fuentes@ncar.ucar.edu. Hisphone number is (303) 497-1290.

2. If you used the TAPE DUMP command fromVM/CMS on the IBM 4381 to store data on tapesin the past, you need to bring those data off tapesand back onto your IBM disks before the IBM isretired. Once your TAPE DUMP data are back onthe IBM, you should store them on the MSS.When the IBM is unplugged, the TAPE facilitywill no longer be available. See "IBM TAPEDUMP users: Re-store your data from tapes now"in this issue for details.

No login on the SCD UNIXfront end will be set upunless you request it.

Notice of your moving day

SCD will send you e-mail two weeks before we intendto move you. A copy of the CMS-UNIX ConversionGuide and SCD Basic UNIX Usage Guide will bemailed to you at that time. On the day of your move,your old CMS or AIX login will be disabled. If youfind there is some reason you can't be moved asscheduled (you haven't finished re-storing your TAPEDUMP data, for example), respond to the e-mailimmediately and we will try to work out a better datefor you.

Nancy Dawson is a writer/editor in the DocumentationGroup within the SCD User Services Section.

NOVEMBER 1991

A tour of the new interactive video lab

by Lynda Lester

The SCD Visualization Lab is a place where gigabytesof data start to make sense and figures take onmeaning. In this electronic alcove, researcherscombine graphic images into time-sequenceanimations. Here videos are made for use in climatemodeling, oceanography, solar physics, atmosphericchemistry, and mesoscale meteorology.

The facility has been under development and availableon a friendly-user basis at NCAR's Mesa Lab foralmost a year. Recently it was moved from Room141A (on the main floor near the cafeteria) to Room19G-a more expansive, air-conditioned home in thefirst basement, just down the hall from the SCD UserArea. In its new location it is open for business toanyone with an active SCD account.

Don Middleton-Link, animation systems projectleader, often gives NCAR users the tour. Passingthrough double wooden doors, he shows them a softdarkness lit by luminous color. Atone end of the room, a 27" TVdisplays swirling ocean currents insparkling reds, blues, and yellows;at the other end, four consolesdisplay a revolving earth.Phosphorescent letters glow oncomputer screens. Tape decks,VCRs, and optical disk recordersrise toward the ceiling, dialsflickering; a Sun SPARCstationand HYPERchannel connectionboxes hum in the corner. In thisdigitized realm of light andelectricity, special effects are notmagic; yet a sense of mysterylingers.

In the following interview, Donhighlights some features of the

new lab. Don Middleton-Holland, and Ti

SCD Computing News: Why a Division, who aVisualization Lab ? (Photo by Bob I

Don Middleton-Link: Animation is an important partof scientific exploration, and video is a workingmedium for checking your results. Our system isoptimized to provide high-performance animation ofimagery produced by a wide variety of visualizationtools.

And the purpose of the lab is ... ?

Production; to actually get useful work done. Whatpeople use the lab for most is to make polishedinformational videos aimed at scientific conferences,poster sessions, and the like. On the other hand,people can make videos that might not win at theAcademy Awards, but are well suited tocommunication with colleagues.

Scientists also use the lab to understand their datathrough animation, to figure out what's going on withtheir models. They can make animations they don't

Link (standing left) advises Frank Bryan (seated left), Billm Scheitlin of NCAR's Climate and Global Dynamicsre using the Visualization Lab to study an ocean model.Bumpas.)

NOVEMBER 1991 5

intend to keep, for instance, and use the processsimply for analysis. They might decide a sequence hasbogus information, or that the data should bevisualized in some other way. In other words, thesystem is an exploratory tool.

So that's the lab's first purpose-making videos. Asecond purpose of the lab is to help SCD learn whatsort of animation scientists want to do on a routinebasis, and become familiar with the technologicalaspects required to support that work. We want toprovide service to more people and make the lab moreaccessible and easy to use. For example, we'recurrently integrating a video system on TAGS [theText and Graphics System]; we expect to have videooutput next year. This is one outgrowth of the workhere.

Third, the lab is an R&D environment for SCD toexperiment with new visualization technology. Forinstance, we'll be researching high-speed imagecompression and HDTV [high-definition television] inthe next few years. (Don picks up a manual titled"HDTV and the Quest for Virtual Reality. ") This is aninteresting publication, as a matter of fact.

We will have video output onTAGS next year.

Who are those groups of people that always seem tobe congregating in here?

The lab's a good place to give interactive-access videopresentations. Last week we had scientists in herefrom Mexico, Canada, and Germany-the normalgamut of SCD visitors. Most are interested invisualization, and this is where we can show themwhat we're doing.

How does the system work?

Images are the token of exchange in this process. Atyour workstation, you can create a picture of a cloudwith PolyPaint, an XY graph with NCAR Graphics, an

ocean with OceanView; you can use IDL, PV-Wave,AVS, PlotPlus. Then you can come down here to thelab, take these images and combine them-mix andmatch, so to speak-to produce your animation. Oursystem works with all the popular visualization toolsused at NCAR.

That's the production part of the process-using ourcustom animation software to record images onto anoptical disk using the LVR [laser videodisk recorder].

Post production is where you've got the videosequence recorded on the optical disk; now you'reready to edit. You can take a segment and view itforward, backward, at different speeds, and quicklychange colors-which is important, because color onvideo doesn't look like color on your workstation orslides. Video is an extremely low-information-contentmedium-particularly VHS, which has 1/10th theresolution of a standard workstation color monitor.

You can iterate the process, change thingsinteractively, step by step, and view the results. Youcan add titles, text, narration, and credits; in short, youcan piece together a relatively sophisticatedpresentation.

How about a demonstration?

Over here (Don moves to the far end of the room) wehave an LVR and a Sun workstation with specialvideo hardware and software. These two togethercomprise the heart of the animation facility.

The Sun has a high-speed connection to other NCARsystems via a HYPERchannel interface. This allows usto move large volumes of imagery from the MSS[Mass Storage System], the CRAY Y-MP8/864, orany other computer on the network. The LVR allowsus to record high-quality animation quickly fromdigital material on the Sun onto an optical disk. (Donflips some switches. The Sun monitor brings up anarray of MSS filenames.)

Each one of these MSS files is at least a megabyte;animation sequences are huge, you know. On theaverage, it takes 21 megabytes of imagery for onesecond of digital video. And one second isn't much. Ifyou're making a one-hour video, you're talking about

NOVEMBER 1991

L

Figure 1. Mesa Lab interactive video animation system

Mainframe and Server Network (MASnet)

Animationmastering

Sony LVR-5000laser videodisk

recorder

U-matic videotaperecorder (VTR)

VHS/SVHS VTR

U-matic SP VTR

gigabytes of information. (Don selects a file and typesin a command.)

So-now we've recorded and animated some imagesfrom a parallel ocean model. And now that we've gotthe sequence on the optical disk, we can transfer it toa U-matic videotape and do some editing. (Don slips atape in the VCR and sits down before a control panel.The panel has large black dials and buttons that saySTOP, FF, REW, AUTO, EDIT, and CUE.)

VHS/SVHS VTR

We press a button-here-and position ourselves towhere we want to be on the U-matic tape; now we canbring over our ocean model sequence. (Don playsback the animation. Onscreen before him, sapphireocean currents sweep past golden coasts.) Maybe wethink that looks too fast, we don't want it to run at 30frames per second; we want to run it at 10 frames persecond. (Don keys in a command.)

NOVEMBER 1991 7

There. So we've just recorded this sequence, and let'ssay we need a title. What we use is an Amigacomputer with a Video Toaster on it. That's anexcellent low-cost platform for doing video on apersonal computer; we use it as a character generator.(Don turns on the Amiga monitor. A title,"Visualization and Supercomputing at NCAR,"appears onscreen.) We'll use this stock title for ourlittle experiment... (He records the title to theU-matic tape.)

So now we have a finished tape; we decide we wantto run some credits, put in a copyright, and fade toblack... (Don moves a fader throttle on a controlpanel.)

We just made a movie! This is real, this is how peopleuse the system-taking data from the MSS onto theSun, animating onto optical disk, editing to tape,adding text and credits. You can do this in just a fewminutes-although a real production usually involvesa lot of data, several animations, and a fair bit of postproduction. Most projects are allocated time in half-day increments, although it's not uncommon forpeople to come in and experiment for only an hour.

What's that apparatus over there?

A videocamera and a light table. Sometimes peoplehave imagery from observational systems or bring instill frames, photos ... You can put your printedmaterial there on the table, digitize it into a computer,put it into the video system, and enhance it.

So what's the difference in functionality between thislab and TAGS?

TAGS is a batch resource. You send a collection ofimages over the network to TAGS and get them backthe next day-slides, microfiche, or film. Next yearvideo capability will also be available.

On TAGS, if you've done an animation and it's notrunning right-say you don't like the speed-yourework it and send it in again. Each change takesanother run, another overnight process; 12 changeswould take 12 days. Whereas if you did itinteractively, here in the lab, you could easily make 12changes in less than a half hour.

The lab lets you experiment-you can get the speed,color, and resolution correct for your video to producea more sophisticated presentation. Once you've got ascheme you're happy with, TAGS will allow you toproduce simple animations on a routine basis. Sothey're complementary systems.

What are your plans for NCAR's FoothillsLaboratory?

We're working on an interactive animation facility atFoothills also. A dedicated space is reserved, andwe're hoping for a grand opening next spring.

Lynda Lester is a writer/editor in the Documentation Groupwithin the SCD User Services Section.

NOVEMBER 1991

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NOVEMBER 1991 9

2nd CHAMMP Workshop revolves on spherical models

by Juli Rew

It could have been called "As the World Turns."About 70 investigators from the U.S., Australia,Canada, and the United Kingdom gathered in Boulderin October for the Second CHAMMP Workshop,where they examined the latest developments innumerical solutions of fluid flow in sphericalgeometry. CHAMMP (the Computer Hardware,Advanced Mathematics, and Model Physics program)is sponsored by the Department of Energy and isaimed at overcoming the computational shortcomingsof today's atmospheric general circulation models.

In addition to discussions on improving numericalmethods for models, CHAMMP researchers met todiscuss algorithms that will be applicable to themassively parallel computers envisioned in the future.

The organizing committee for the workshop consistedof Paul Swarztrauber (NCAR Scientific ComputingDivision-SCD), David Williamson (NCAR Climateand Global Dynamics Division-CGD), Jim Hack(CGD), and Dick Sato (SCD).

CHAMMP workshop participants take a break outside the Mesa Lab's MainSeminar Room. (Photo by Ginger Hein.)

Researchers addressed theproblems unique to sphericalgeometry.

The workshop emphasized several areas:

* Development of new methods for and application ofpromising existing methods to address the problemsunique to spherical geometry. Prominent examplesincluded applications to the shallow-water equationsand to complete baroclinic models.

* Performance of current and new methods onmassively parallel computers. Implementation detailsfor single instruction multiple datastream (SIMD)architectures such as the Connection Machine andfor multiple instruction multiple datastream (MIMD)architectures such as the Intel Delta.

* Characteristics of massivelyparallel computers that mayaffect computational algorithms.In particular, future designaspects such as interconnectionnetworks were considered asthey might affect implementationof algorithms.

Table 1 contains a list of speakersand topics presented at theworkshop.

Highlights of topics

Workshop organizer DavidWilliamson reports that severalpapers described recentdevelopments in a semi-Lagrangian technique (in which

NOVEMBER 199110

Table 1. CHAMMP Workshop speakers

Speaker Affiliation Topic

Dale Allen

John Anderson

Ray Bates

John BaumgardnerJohn DukowiczM. HendersonFrederick Vitart

William Bourke

John Boyd

David BrownJerry SaltzmanKristi Brislawn

Bill Buzbee

John Drake

Ian Foster

Paul Frederickson

Jim Hack

Rudy Jakob

John McGregor

Michael NaughtonWilliam BourkeGerald Browning

Andrew Priestley

Applied Research Corporation

Space Science and Engineering,University of Wisconsin-Madison

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Los Alamos National Laboratory

Bureau of Meteorology ResearchCentre, Australia

Rutgers University

Los Alamos National Laboratory

NCAR

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Argonne National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory/Cray Research

NCAR

NCAR

Commonwealth Scientific andIndustrial Research OrganizationDivision of Atmospheric Research,Australia

Bureau of Meteorology ResearchCentre, AustraliaNCAR

University of Reading, Great Britain

The impact of vanLeer's and Prather'stransport algorithms on 3-D chemistry andtransport calculations

Application of the local spectral formalismto high-resolution climate models

Integration of a global multilevel modelusing a vector semi-Lagrangian finitedifference scheme

Finite-difference formulation of thespherical shallow water equations with auniform triangular mesh

Some aspects of normal mode initialization

Applications of sum-acceleration methods

Solution of the shallow water equations onadaptive composite overlapping grids

High-performance computing at NCAR

Parallel semi-Lagrangian transport forMIMD architectures

Parallel scalability of numerical methodsfor solving partial differential equations onthe sphere

Shallow water equations via piecewisepolynomial reconstruction

Test case solutions with the spectraltransform method on a reduced mesh

Test case solutions with the spectraltransform method

An economical procedure for determiningdeparture points on the sphere

Comparison of space and time errors inspectral numerical solutions of the globalshallow water equations

Finite elements for the shallow waterequations on the sphere: The Taylor-Galerkin method

NOVEMBER 1991

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Table 1. CHAMMP Workshop speakers (continued)

Speaker Affiliation Topic

Philip Rasch

Hal Ritchie

Andre Robert

Dick Sato

Frederick Semazzi

Adrian Simmons

Richard SmithJohn DukowiczBob Malone

Piotr Smolarkiewicz

Paul SwarztrauberJohn DrakeDave Williamson

David Walker

Dave Williamson

Samuel Yee

Yong Qian

Steve Zalesak

NCAR

Recherche en Prevision Numdrique,(RPN), Canada

Universit6 du Qu6bec

NCAR

North Carolina State University

European Centre for Medium-RangeWeather Forecasts (ECMWF),United Kingdom

Los Alamos National Laboratory

NCAR

NCAROak Ridge National LaboratoryNCAR

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

NCAR

Air Force Geophysics Laboratory

University of Maryland

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Shock capturing methods on a reduced gridon the sphere

Recent global modeling developments atRPN

Bubble convection experiments with asemi-implicit formulation of the Eulerequations

Implementation of a global climate modelon the CM-2

An evaluation of the performance of aglobal semi-Lagrangian gridpoint shallowwater model

Development of a high-resolution semi-Lagrangian version of the ECMWFspectral model

Massively parallel global ocean model:New numerical methods and ConnectionMachine implementation

A class of semi-Lagrangian approximationsfor fluids on the sphere

Cartesian method for the shallow waterequations

The design of an efficient fast Fouriertransform for MIMD distributed memorycomputers

Proposed test cases for numericalapproximations to the shallow waterequations in spherical geometry

Finite Fourier series on equidistantspherical grids

Comparison of the interaction coefficientand transform methods applied to thespectral barotropic vorticity equation on aCM-2

A review and comparison of modemnumerical methods for treating sharptransitions in fluid flow

NOVEMBER 1991

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a

12

CHAMMP speakers included John Drake, Oak Ridge National Laboratory;Adrian Simmons, European Centre for Medium-Range Forecasts; and BobMalone, Los Alamos National Laboratory. (Photo by Ginger Hein.)

the position of the atmospheric air mass is tracked)that permits the use of large time steps in theintegration of the fluid equations. This might representa "shortcut" leading to large speedups in climatemodels without substantial losses in accuracy.

Other speakers described the application of massivelyparallel computers to climate/weather predictionmodels and discussed the prospects for computingresources in the next three or four years. Besidesspherical methods for geophysical modeling, workshopco-organizer Paul Swarztrauber adds, investigatorstook a look at other methods and coordinate systemsin the context of the emerging technology ofmultiprocessing, including finite-element, Cartesian,spectral, and finite-difference formulations on geodesicgrids.

Normal mode initialization (the adjustment ofobserved data prior to the start of the calculations tofilter out obvious sampling errors that might throw offthe model) was a hot topic, and participants discussedhow its use could affect the relative size of space andtemporal errors in models.

Benchmark set available

Participants also described a standard test and bench-mark set. A description of the test set is available fromDavid Williamson (wmson@ncar.ucar.edu; phone 303-

497-1372) and Paul Swarztrauber (pauls@ncar.ucar.edu;phone 303-497-1220) of NCAR.

Juli Rew is head of the Documentation Group within theSCD User Services Section.

NOVEMBER 1991

le~ - - I r -- I Ils 1 -I--- r -- ~g - ~ r I c-

13

Cray users gather at conference

by Juli Rew

The Cray Users Group (CUG) meeting in Santa FeSeptember 23-27 gave users a chance to hear first-hand about Cray Research's future plans andstrategies. It also provided a forum for users tocommunicate their questions and desires to Cray.Users in turn gave presentations about their workusing Cray supercomputers and software. SCD staffcontributed to several of the conference sessions.

Charting Cray's software future

Bob Ewald, Cray's Executive Vice President ofDevelopment, gave the "Cray Software Report." In hispresentation, he discussed the current Cray ResearchSoftware Division organization, activities, andsoftware product plans. He discussed steps Cray istaking to enhance the quality of its products, gave anupdate on Cray's support of standards, and recappedrecent and upcoming software product releases. LearyGates, Cray's Project Leader for Product Strategy,reported that Cray is adapting several softwarepackages originally developed for Craysupercomputers to run on non-Cray platforms, in orderto advance the effective use of Crays in today'sincreasingly distributed environment. Cray is workingwith other vendors to integrate these solutions.

Docview is a big advance.

Cray has announced several new workstation-basedversions of applications, including the MultipurposeGraphic System (MPGS) for engineering graphics,UniChem (for quantum mechanical modeling andsimulation), and Turbo Kiva (for analyzing engineaerodynamics and combustion). It has also committedto the Performance Toolset (for optimizing Fortran),the Applications Interface Toolset (for binary transferof data), and porting RQS (a remote queueing networkbatch client) to more platforms. Other future productsmay include a network monitor, network toolkit,

distributed mathematics and science libraries,application development tools, and a file manager.

MIGs, BOFs, and SICs

Mutual interest groups (MIGs), birds-of-a-feather(BOF) sessions, and special interest committees (SICs)are where the action is at CUG. MIGs and SICs onmanagement, operations, mass storage, graphics,communications, software, user services, aerospace,and applications and algorithms are convened at eachCUG meeting, held every six months.

New Environmental Science Mutual InterestGroup (EMIG) under way

Gary Jensen (SCD) is chairman of a newly formedEnvironmental Science MIG. Gary, along with GeerdHoffman (European Centre for Medium-range WeatherForecasts) and David Blaskovich (Cray) originallysolicited interest in this area with a birds-of-a-feathermeeting at the Toronto CUG (spring 1990). At theAustin CUG (fall 1990), Gary and David again foundthis BOF was well received and attended. At thatpoint, Gary asked the CUG board of directors forrecognition as a MIG and was given preliminaryapproval to proceed at the London CUG (spring1991). After it was again well attended and received inLondon, the CUG board gave final approval to theEMIG. At the Santa Fe CUG, Gary was elected aschairman.

The attendees also defined EMIG's mission: "An openforum for unique uses of high-performance computingincluding real-time applications, high-resolutionsimulations, and massive data requirements."

The group also decided that the MIG's activity at thenext CUG meeting (spring '92) in Berlin will be apanel consisting of European scientists and dataspecialists to discuss the question "How willmeteorology sites meet their data needs, now and inthe future?"

NOVEMBER 199114

Operations Special Interest Committee(OPSIC) meets Cray reps

Gary also chaired all ten of the meetings of theOperations special interest group. The first featured apresentation by several Cray staff, including DonWhiting, Vice President of Support. Don isresponsible for hardware and software maintenanceperformed at customer sites, worldwide. He explainedhis organization and some of their near- and long-termgoals, including cutting down preventive maintenance(PM) time and using concurrent diagnostics. Attendeeshad a chance to tell who they were and what theirproblems and concerns were. Cray people respondedand took a lot of notes. Steve Johnson of CrayResearch announced new developments in Crayhardware.

"The first meeting on the Monday of CUG week is aninteractive exchange of information and tops almosteverything that goes on for the rest of the week," Garysays. "Cray people take ownership of questions orproblems and sometimes need the rest of the week toget responses from other Cray people back at thefactory. It works well as a process for insertingquestions into the organization and getting answersback. Cray Research is very responsive andcooperative."

Gary also is a member of the CUG Advisory Counciland attended two of those meetings.

Docview BOF elicits interest

Jean Shuler (Lawrence Livermore NationalLaboratory) chairs the User Services MIG andorganized a BOF on Docview, a new onlinedocumentation system available under UNICOS 6.0and later operating systems, which proved to be ofinterest to many attendees concerned with userservices. Docview is based loosely on theDOCUMENT program, which was designed at LLNLfor the Cray Time Sharing System (CTSS). Docviewwas designed and written under a joint project byconsultants at the National Center for SupercomputingApplications and Cray Research.

While Docview is a big advance in that it offersseveral Cray manuals online, Juli Rew of NCAR and

Marion Cohen of Los Alamos National Laboratorynoted several items were still on their "online wishlist" for Docview. This includes an automatickeywording facility, strategies for batch retrieval ofinformation, a usage statistics package, an X Windowinterface (which is planned for a future UNICOSrelease), and the ability to run the application on non-Cray platforms. Leary Gates agreed to takeparticipants' comments back to Cray and examine thepossibilities for further software development.

Barbara Brunzell, Director of Software InformationServices for Cray, described efforts to make Craydocumentation products conform to current standards,such as Postscript and the Standard GeneralizedMarkup Language (SGML). A new (and possiblyemulatable) online product with the potential to save a

Cray has announced severalnew workstation-basedversions of applications.

lot of trees is the Sun Answerbook, which contains afull set of Sun manuals on a compact disk, completewith hypertext links and sophisticated browsing tools.Sun is reportedly a few months away from making theinterfaces public so that other developers can put theirdocumentation in Answerbook form as well.

Juli Rew and Marion Cohen also solicited interest inorganizing a Second Workshop on OnlineDocumentation in the Supercomputing Environment,where Docview and other avenues for improvingonline documentation could be explored.

NCAR users report on new software tools

Two NCAR/SCD consultants gave presentations aboutnew software tools they are using.

Peter Morreale described a new application he hasdeveloped called "xconslog." This X Window system-based tool is now being used to log the SCDconsultants' contacts with users. By maintaining

NOVEMBER 1991

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contacts online, Pete reported, the consultants caneasily generate statistical reports, isolate problems, andidentify trends that will prove useful in futureplanning. Once a user has been identified, a consultantcan use xconslog to automatically fill in informationsupplied from the user database, thus saving a greatdeal of tedious "bookkeeping." The tool also makes itsimple for a consultant to see at a glance the status ofuser questions that may need followup.

Tom Parker reported on the FORTRAN-lint packagedeveloped by Information Processing Techniques.Called flint, this tool analyzes Fortran source code anddetects a wide range of potential problems.FORTRAN-lint begins by analyzing each source

module separately, just as a compiler would, onlymuch more thoroughly, Tom said. Then FORTRAN-lint goes on to do what few compilers can do-itchecks for potential errors between modules. It isparticularly useful for finding errors such as incorrectarguments and common block problems. SCD hasbeen encouraging its users to use FORTRAN-lint onall of the Fortran programs being run on the CRAYY-MPs at NCAR. (For more information onFORTRAN-lint, see "Powerful new Fortran sourcecode analyzer available" in the March 1991 issue ofSCD Computing News.)

Juli Rew is head of the Documentation Group within theSCD User Services Section.

January 8 deadline for "large" computing resourcesapplications

by John C. Adams

Requests that total more than 100 General AccountingUnits (GAUs) on the CRAY Y-MP8/864 (shavano)must be considered by the SCD Advisory Panel,which will meet March 26-27, 1992. Also, extensionrequests that result in a project's total resourceexceeding 100 GAUs must be reviewed by the panel.University users should submit large requests to JohnAdams of the Scientific Computing Division by theJanuary 8, 1992 deadline. Ten weeks are needed forthe preliminary review of requests and for thepreparation, printing, and distribution of panel

materials. Please note that requests for 100 GAUs orless can be processed at any time. Applicants shoulduse the new computing resources request form. Thisform is available from JoAn Knudson, who can becontacted by e-mail at knudson@ncar.ucar.edu or byphone at (303) 497-1207.

John C. Adams is an associate scientist in the SCDComputational Support Section. He also administers theallocation of university computing resources.

NOVEMBER 1991

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Good passwords minimize chances of account vandalism

by Jeff Smith

Editor's note: SCD recommends you change yourpasswords at least twice a year and use a differentpassword on each system you use. Choose yourpasswords carefully; the following article explainswhy this is so important.

This article was originally written for UNIX users andappeared in the September 1990 issue of PurdueUniversity Computing Center's PUCC Newsletter. Itwas modified for UNICOS users by the NationalCenter for Supercomputing Applications, where itappeared in the November-December 1990 NCSAdata link. Reprinted and adapted for NCAR bypermission from NCSA and PUCC.

If someone else guesses your password, steals it, ordeciphers it in some other way, he or she can log onto your account and enjoy the same privileges youhave-including, for instance, the privilege ofremoving all your files! You can avoid being a victimof account vandalism by choosing a good password,keeping it a secret from others, and changing it tosomething new approximately once a month.

Normally it is difficult to break a well-chosenpassword. However, a poor password can make it easyfor someone to break into your account. Password-breaking programs usually first try a number of simplemethods to break poorly chosen passwords. Then, ifthose methods do not work, they try the "brute-force"method, which takes much longer and stands a goodchance of being detected before it succeeds. Therefore,if you choose a good password, you can minimize thechance of having your account broken into.

Even well-chosen passwords can be broken if a brute-force method has enough time to do its dirty work, sochanging your password frequently is anotherimportant security measure. You should immediatelychange the assigned password that comes with a newaccount, and you should change your password aboutonce a month thereafter.

If you realize that your password is not a good one orif some time has elapsed since you last revised yourpassword, change it by entering:

passwd

Choosing a good password

The UNICOS password requirements at NCAR helpyou select a safe password by enforcing some of thefollowing suggestions. Even so, some of these tipsmay make you think about password selection in anew light.

* DO use a password at least six characters long andpreferably seven or eight.

UNICOS passwords must be at least 6 characterslong. Up to 32 characters are allowed, although onlythe first 8 characters are significant. No spaces areallowed.

* DO make your password "interesting" by includingat least one case change (upper- or lowercase),number (0-9), or special character.

UNICOS passwords must include at least onenumber or special character. All of the following

NOVEMBER 1991 17

special characters are allowed in UNICOSpasswords:

! @ #$ % ^ & * ; :.,< >() I/?'"\I ' -

Including a number, change of case, or specialcharacter makes your password much more difficultto break.

* DO NOT use proper names, including your own firstor last name, your friend's name, or the name ofyour pet iguana. In other words, do not choose apassword that someone can guess because theyknow something about you, especially if it isinformation they can obtain from a public sourcesuch as a telephone book or by using the fingercommand. This includes any rearrangement of yourlogon or proper name-password-breaking programscommonly try these permutations.

Even though UNICOS passwords must include atleast one number or special character, a permutationof a proper name should not be used.

* DO NOT use your street address. Even though itmight appear to be a good UNICOS passwordbecause it includes numbers, it is easy to get from apublic source such as a telephone book and it isclosely associated with you.

* DO NOT use a password that can be found in adictionary, including words from other languages.Both English and foreign language dictionaries areavailable in electronic form, and these onlinedictionaries provide one of the easier ways to breakpasswords. Do not use reversed dictionary wordseither because password-breaking programscommonly try them.

Since UNICOS passwords must include a number orspecial character, they are normally protected frompassword breakers who run dictionaries.

Additional tips

The following guidelines hold true for all operatingsystems.

* DO NOT allow other people to see you typing inyour password.

* DO choose a password that is easy to type. Thefaster you can enter it, the harder it is for someoneto steal it by watching you.

* DO NOT write your password down where someoneelse can find it. It is much better to pick one thatyou can easily remember.

* DO NOT tell other people your password no matterhow much you trust them.

You may be wondering, "If I follow all these rules,how will I choose a password I can remember?" Oneway is to link together two (or preferably more) shortwords and throw in a case change, number, or specialcharacter (required for a UNICOS password) to makeit hard to crack. For instance, the password iamlsaidis a good UNICOS password. Easy to rememberbecause it is derived from the simple phrase, "I am Isaid," it is also eight characters long and includes anumber, so it would be hard to break via a brute forceapproach. Still, someone might guess a password likethis if it is a common phrase or one that is associatedwith you in some way. For example, PnkFl*yd maybe a good choice based on the guidelines above, but itcould be guessed by someone who knows you are abig fan of the rock group Pink Floyd.

A better method is to use the first letters of a phrasefor your password. For instance, the phrase "to be ornot to be?" could yield tbontb? for a password. Sinceit includes a special character, this would be a goodchoice for either a UNICOS or UNIX password.

Again, pick a phrase that someone who knows youwould not guess easily. And do not use any of thepasswords mentioned in this article, even if they mightotherwise seem reasonably secure. The ingenuity ofpassword breakers would astonish you.

Jeff Smith is a UNIX systems administrator at the PurdueUniversity Computing Center in Lafayette, Indiana.

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SOFTWARE NEWS

IBM TAPE DUMP users: Re-store your data fromtapes now A

by Nancy Dawson

If you used the TAPE DUMP command from theVM/CMS operating systems on the IBM 4381 to storedata on tapes in the past, you need to bring those dataoff tapes and back onto your IBM disks before theIBM is decommissioned March 31, 1992. Once yourtape data are back on the IBM, you should store themon the Mass Storage System (MSS) by using theTAPECOPY EXEC. When the IBM is unplugged, theTAPE facility will no longer be available.

Steps to re-storing your data

Do steps 1-6 on CMS:

1. Use GETTAPE to mount the tape.

2. Get a temporary disk by using the TDISKcommand.

3. Use the TAPE LOAD command to copy yourdata from tape to disk.

4. Use the TAPECOPY command to store your dataon the MSS. (Notice that TAPECOPY is typed asone word.) Type

TAPECOPY x

where x is the CMS disk. This will create an MSS

file named

IUSERIDICMS/TAPECOPY/mmddyy/hh:mm:ss

where USERID is your CMS user id, mmddyy isthe month, day, and year you did the tape copy,and hh:mm:ss is the hour, minute, and second youdid the tape copy. A one-year retention period is

Example 1. Re-storing TAPE DUMP data to the MSS

These CMS commands will copy a TAPE DUMP tape to the MSS:

GETTAPE V00000

TDISK 10

TAPE LOAD * * x

TAPECOPY x

RELEASE x (DET

DETACH 181

(Mount the tape. V00000 would be your tape number.)

(Get a temp disk. This one will be 10 cylinders.)

(Read the tape to the temp disk x.)

(Copy the temp disk to the MSS.)

(Free up the temp disk.)

(Free up the tape drive.)

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SO T A E N W

Example 2. Reading your data on the UNIX front end

automatically set on the MSS file. To change theretention period, use the MSCHANGE commandon CMS or the mschg command on UNIX.

5. Use RELEASE to release the temporary disk.

6. Use DETACH to release the tape drive.

See Example 1 for a sample of steps 1-6.

Do steps 7-9 on the SCD UNIX front-end computer:

7. The first six steps are all you need to do beforethe IBM retires. When you later need to read thedata on the SCD UNIX front end, use msread toread the file in from the MSS.

8. Use cmsconvert to convert the CMSTAPECOPY files into UNIX files. This willconvert the files and place them in your currentworking directory in a subdirectory called CMS.Each converted file will have a name composed ofthe CMS filename and filetype in the formatFILENAME.FILETYPE. The cmsconvert utilityis available on the SCD UNIX front end; it is notavailable on the CRAY Y-MP8/864 (shavano).

9. You can then use the files on the SCD UNIX frontend or send them from the SCD front end toanother computer (for example, by using FTP).

See Example 2 for a sample of steps 7-8.

If you need help

For help using any of the CMS commands mentionedin this article, type:

HELP COMMAND_NAME

when you are logged onto the IBM. For moreinformation on the local UNIX commands msread,mschg, and cmsconvert, type:

man command _name

when you are logged onto the SCD UNIX front end. Ifyou have problems recovering your IBM data fromtape, contact the SCD Consulting Office by sendinge-mail (consultl at ncar.ucar.edu for CMS users;consultl @ncar.ucar.edu for Internet users) or bycalling (303) 497-1278.

Nancy Dawson is a writer/editor in the DocumentationGroup within the SCD User Services Section.

NOVEMBER 1991

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SOFTWT'WAREE

SOFTWARE NE W S

Fortran 90 moves into compiling systems A

by Jeanne Adams

Fortran 90, the new international Fortran standard, isbeing incorporated by several vendors into theircompiling systems. One company that has alreadyreleased a Fortran 90 compiler is the NumericalAlgorithms Group (NAG). The NAG library has beencompiled on this software, and a number of releaseshave been sold. The compiler is UNIX-based.

Cray Research is at work developing a compilingsystem that complies fully with the new standard.Their goal is to provide a system that is efficient andfast, with both the upward-compatible features andperformance of CF77 (their current compiling system)and the new features of Fortran 90. No date has beenannounced for the release of this compiling system; itis not anticipated before the end of 1992.

In the meantime, Cray has incorporated a number ofFortran 90 features into CF77. In the Cray manualCF77 Compiling System, Volume I: Fortran ReferenceManual, Version 5.0 (SR-3071), these features aredescribed as extensions to FORTRAN 77. I ampresently testing these features and comparing themwith the function described in the Fortran 90 standard.Brief accounts of the results are planned for futureissues of SCD Computing News.

The following is a list of Fortran 90 features supportedin Cray's CF77 compiling system.

Control structures

* DO WHILE, END DO, nonlabeled DO. Someextensions to the FORTRAN 77 DO have beenadded, as well as the DO WHILE loopingconvention.

Subprograms

* RECURSIVE functions and subroutines. Both directand indirect recursion are indicated by prefixing thefunction or subroutine with the word RECURSIVE.

* MIL-SPEC bit intrinsics. The military specification(MIL-SPEC-1753) intrinsics for bit data are:BTEST, IAND, IBCLR, IBITS, IBSET, IEOR, IOR,ISHFT, ISHFTC, and NOT.

Data

* Hexadecimal (Z) and octal (0) constants. Both hexand octal constants may be represented.

* IMPLICIT NONE. IMPLICIT NONE declares thatall variables must be explicitly typed; this statementmust appear first before other type specificationstatements.

* Character and noncharacter data may be mixed inthe same COMMON block. The restriction has beenremoved that either character or noncharacter data,but not both, must appear in the same COMMONblock.

Arrays

* Automatic arrays.

* Subset of array syntax (a subset of the array syntax,including whole and partial array assignment andsubscript triplet notation). Cray Research currentlydoes not support nonsequence arrays as actual ordummy arguments, passing vector valuedsubscripted arrays, or allocatable arrays (that is,when memory is allocated for the array only whilethe array is being used). Note: Cray does, however,support allocatable arrays in subroutines, in thatwhen an array is declared solely in a subroutine, thatarray's needed memory is allocated only during thesubroutine's execution. You can also pass into asubroutine an argument declaring the array'smemory size at run time. In addition, you canallocate or deallocate memory by using the Cray-specific HPALLOC or HPDEALLOC calls.

NOVEMBER 1991 21

SOFTWARE

Input/output

* NAMELIST. A name may be given to a list, andsubsequently used in input/output statements insteadof the list.

* OPEN and INQUIRE specifiers. All OPEN andINQUIRE specifiers in Fortran 90 are included. (TheINQUIRE statement provides various kinds ofinformation about a file. It is documented in theCF77 Compiling System reference manual.)

Miscellaneous and formatting

Note: More flexibility has been provided with newalternatives for names, delimiters, and repeat counts.

* INCLUDE line. The INCLUDE directive enables afile containing source code in Fortran to be includedin a program where the INCLUDE line appears.

* Quotes, " ", as string delimiters.

* 31-character names plus underscore, upper/lowercase allowed. (Other normal Fortran rules fornaming still apply.)

* Exclamation mark for inline comments.

* Character string edit descriptor can be delimitedwith quotes.

NEWS

* Repeat count for slash editor (for example, 3/ means

Cray Research Fortran has pointers, but they differfrom the pointers defined in Fortran 90. Differenceswill be highlighted in future articles.

Documentation

Fortran 90 documentation will soon be available fromthe American National Standards Institute (ANSI), andis already available from the International StandardsOrganization (ISO) at the following address:

International Standards OrganizationPublications DepartmentCase postale 561211 Geneva 20Switzerland

Telephone: 011-41-22-734-1240Fax: 011-41-22-733-3430

Jeanne Adams is chair of the ANSI committee thatdeveloped Fortran 90, and is a past chair of theInternational Programming Languages Committee of theISO. She is a member of the Computational Support Groupof SCD and has recently coauthored the book Programmer'sGuide to Fortran 90 (New York: McGraw-Hill BookCompany, 1990).

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SOFTWARE NEWS

Temperton FFT routines SETGPFA and GPFA installedon shavano A

by Dick Valent

The SCD Math Libraries Support Group requested andreceived the complex Temperton fast Fouriertransform (FFT) routines SETGPFA and GPFA fromauthor Clive Temperton (European Centre forMedium-range Weather Forecasts) in October. Thenew routines, intended as replacements for olderroutines CFTFAX and CFFT99, have been installed onthe CRAY Y-MP8/864 (shavano).

For transform lengths between 50 and 160, the newGPFA routine runs an average of 43% faster than theold CFFT99 routine. However, for transform lengthsthat are multiples of 32 (for example, 64, 96, and128), GPFA runs measurably slower than CFFT99 dueto memory bank conflicts; therefore, you should avoidthese transform lengths if possible, especially if yourjob involves many transforms. (Note: SCD would liketo thank Cray analyst Diane Kennedy for suggestinguse of the Cray hardware performance monitor utilityhpm to track the problem, and users Dale Durran andDavid Newman for their interest. Jeff Kuehn of SCDhelped interpret the hpm results.)

TRIGS is an array of twiddlefactors.

You may access the routines SETGPFA and GPFA onshavano by using a segldr statement that loads thegpfa library. For example:

segldr -L/lib,/usr/lib,/usr/local/lib -lgpfa job.o

The document in Figure 1, which may be obtained byexecuting the command news gpfa I more on theCRAY Y-MP8/864 (shavano), explains in detail howto call and access routines SETGPFA and GPFA.

Please address questions or problems to Dick Valentby sending e-mail to valent@ncar.ucar.edu or calling(303) 497-1302 (e-mail preferred).

Dick Valent is head of the Math Libraries Support Groupwithin the SCD User Services Section.

Figure 1. Information on the SETGPFA and GPFA routines

SUBROUTINE SETGPFA (TRIGS,N)SUBROUTINE GPFA (A,B,TRIGS, INC,JUMP,N, LOT, ISIGN)

Author/revision

Purpose

Clive Temperton, 1990. Received at NCAR inOctober 1991.

Routine GPFA (generalized prime factor algorithm)is a self-sorting, in-place, generalized primefactor complex FFT. The transform is defined byX(J)=SUM(K=0, ..., N-1) (C(K)*EXP(ISIGN*2*I*J*K*PI/N))

Routine SETGPFA is a setup (initialization) routine forthe GPFA routine.

NOVEMBER 1991 23

SOFTWARE NEWS

Figure 1. Information on the SETGPFA and GPFA routines (continued)

Dimensionand typeof arguments

REAL A(N*LOT), B(N*LOT), TRIGS(2*IPQR)where N is of form (2**IP) * (3**IQ) * (5**IR)and IPQR = (2**IP) + (3**IQ) + (5**IR)

INTEGER INC, JUMP, N, LOT

Usage CALL SETGPFA (TRIGS,N)CALL GPFA(A,B,TRIGS, INC, JUMP,N, LOT, ISIGN)

Note: Routine SETGPFA must be called priorto the first call to routine GPFA, andwhenever the transform length N changes.

Arguments on input(see "Dimension andtype," above)

A

B

A real array, corresponding to thereal part of the complex vector.

A real array, corresponding to theimaginary part of the complex vector.

TRIGS A real array of twiddle factors,precalculated by subroutine SETGPFA.

INC

JUMP

N

LOT

The increment within each data vector.

The increment between data vectors.

The length of the transforms:(2**IP) * (3**IQ) * (5**IR)

The number of transforms.

ISIGN = +1 for forward transform= -1 for inverse transform

Arguments on output

B

References

A real array, corresponding to thereal part of the complex vector.

A real array, corresponding to theimaginary part of the complex vector.

Clive Temperton, "A Generalized Prime FactorFFT Algorithm for any N = (2**P) (3**Q) (5**R),"SIAM Journal of Scientific and StatisticalComputing, forthcoming.

Clive Temperton, "Self-Sorting In-PlaceFast Fourier Transforms," SIAM Journal ofScientific and Statistical Computing, July 1991

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The secret of QSTAT statuscodes

by Tom Parker

Ever wonder what those "ST" status codes are inthe last column of a qstat or qustat report? Theyare actually explained deep within the man pagefor qstat, but for your convenience they have beensummarized here.

The qstat or qustat report displays the status ofNetwork Queueing System (NQS) jobs running orqueued on the CRAY Y-MP8/864 (shavano); asample output is shown in Example 1. If you usethe qstat command you will obtain a display ofonly your own jobs, whereas qustat will displayjobs of all users. The column labeled "ST" in thereport indicates the status of your job (or"request," as it is called in the man page). Thecapital letter indicates major status, while thesmall letters indicate minor status. Here is a list ofthe possible major and minor status codes:

Major status

A ARRIVING-A request being enqueuedfrom a remote host.

C CHECKPOINTED-A batch request thathas been checkpointed and is no longerrunning.

D DEPARTING-A pipe request having leftone queue prior to its arrival at adestination queue.

E EXITING-A batch request havingcompleted running, currently leaving thesystem.

H HELD-A request prevented fromentering another state by operator action.

Q QUEUED-A request that is eligible forrouting or running.

R ROUTING-A pipe request that is beingrouted to another queue; no minor status isassociated with this status.

R RUNNING--A batch request that iscurrently being processed.

S SUSPENDED-A running batch requestthat is currently ineligible for execution.

U UNKNOWN-Undetermined state.

W WAITING-A request prevented fromproceeding by a date/time constraintimposed at the time of submission.

Minor status

<#> Number of processes that are currentlyactive.

cg Request has reached complex group runlimit.

cm Request has reached complex memorylimit.

cq Request has reached complex quickfile(Secondary Data Segmentation, or SDS)limit.

Type man qstat onshavano for moreinformation about theqstat command and itsoptions.

NOVEMBER 1991 25

Example 1. A sample qustat report

cr Request has reached complex run limit.

ct Request has reached complex tape drivelimit.

cu Request has reached complex user runlimit.

gg Request has reached global group runlimit.

gm Request has reached global memory limit.

gq Request has reached global quickfile(SDS) limit.

gr Request has reached global run limit.

gt Request has reached global tape drivelimit.

gu Request has reached global user run limit.

op Operator action.

qg Request has reached queue group runlimit.

qm Request has reached queue memory limit.

qq Request has reached queue quickfile limit.

qr Request has reached queue run limit.

qs Queue stopped.

qt Request has reached queue tape drivelimit.

qu Request has reached queue user run limit.

sh System shutdown.

us User action.

?? Unknown.

Example 1 shows an excerpt from the outputobtained using a qustat command with the -aoption to show a summary of all running orqueued jobs of all users. The report shows fourdifferent ST codes. The Qqs means the job isqueued and the queue is stopped (probablybecause it's larger than six megawords and won'trun prime shift). The R03 means the job isrunning with three active processes. The R04means the job is running with four activeprocesses. Finally, the W means the job is waiting(probably because the user specified the starttime).

Tom Parker is a consultant in the SCD User ServicesSection.

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MSS purge program now runson Sunday

On November 3, SCD began running the programthat purges expired files on the Mass StorageSystem (MSS) on Sunday instead of Monday. Theprogram now runs each Sunday from 04:00 until itcompletes. (Note: If you have a file about toexpire, you will automatically receive notificationbefore the purge date.)

The purge program takes a long time to executebecause the MSS has grown; in addition, the MSShas a heavy load on Monday handling productionwork for SCD users. This is why the schedule waschanged. If you have questions, contact GeneHarano by sending e-mail to snow@ncar.ucar.eduor calling (303) 497-1203.

SNETWORKING AND DATACOMMUNICATIONS NEWS

Problems with 1-800 Connect

Account? Call SCD

by Marla Meehl

On October 1, asynchronous service via SprintNet(formerly called Telenet) was disconnected andreplaced by the 1-800 Connect Account system.Some users have reported problems using the newsystem; if you have trouble, please let us know.We are confident we can solve any difficulties youmight run into, and we appreciate your patience inworking with us.

The following are two problems users havereported.

Graphics display problem

Some users have been getting random graphicsnoise. From what we can tell, this problem occursonly at 1200 and 2400 bits per second (bps) and iscaused by improper flow control and errorcorrection. All modems at NCAR have beenreprogrammed to do XON/XOFF flow control,which has greatly improved, if not removed, thegraphics problem for users who dial in. If you stillhave problems, however, you must turn on errorcorrection on your local modem.

In short, all users (including those with 9600 bpsmodems) should:

* Turn on XON/XOFF flow control on their localmodem as well as on the PC emulator software.

* Turn on error correction on their local modem ifproblems continue once flow control is turnedon.

Procomm to IBM

If you are using the Procomm PC emulation toconnect to evans.ucar.edu or scd4381.ucar.edu,once you are logged on, you should clear yourscreen and make sure that the Procomm softwarehas LINE WRAP off. This setting may changewhen you log in and may need to be reset.

Also, your delete key will give you an invalidcontrol sequence error message. To perform aforward character delete, press <control-d>.

For further assistance

If you run into problems with the 1-800 ConnectAccount, please contact the SCD consultant onduty by sending e-mail to consultl @ncar.ucar.eduor calling (303) 497-1278.

Marla Meehl is a telecommunications specialist in theNetworking and Data Communications Group withinthe SCD High Performance Systems and NetworkingSection.

NOVEMBER 1991 27

Color film processing scheduleupdate

Color film is processed in the SCD Film Roomthree times daily Monday through Friday; it is notprocessed on weekends. The Film Room observesthe following schedule:

* Film is removed from the camera at 10:00Mountain Time for the first pull, and is on thepickup shelf outside the SCD Computer Roomby noon.

* Film is removed from the camera at 14:00 forthe next pull, and is on the pickup shelf outsidethe Computer Room by 16:00.

* Film is removed from the camera at 20:00 forthe last pull, and is on the pickup shelf outsidethe Computer Room by midnight.

Occasionally this schedule is altered due to anunusually heavy workload or by staff illness orvacation. If you have a deadline to meet, pleasecheck first with SCD personnel. Call the FilmRoom at (303) 497-1242, or alternatively, theComputer Room at (303) 497-1200. If you havecolor film questions, contact Andy Robertson bysending e-mail to andy@ncar.ucar.edu or calling(303) 497-1241.

Get down to basics: Learn UNIX

The popular UNIX Basics Class will be held from09:00-15:00 in the Director's Conference Room atthe NCAR Mesa Lab on Tuesday and Wednesday,

January 14-15. This free, two-day class introducesyou to the basics of UNIX and covers thefollowing topics:

* Basic UNIX commands: Is, cat, more, rm,mkdir, rmdir, cd, pwd, cp, my, and so forth

* UNIX file permissions, chmod, and I/Oredirection

* The vi editor

* How to use ftp and rcp

* Basic C shell features: history, aliasing, simplescripts, and shell files (.cshrc, .login)

* E-mail

Because class members actually log on to acomputer to learn UNIX, class size is limited toten participants (two to a terminal).

UNICOS class: Tools forsupercomputing

The UNICOS Orientation Class is offered everyother month from September through May. Thenext class will be held from 08:30-16:30 onTuesday, January 21, in the Director's ConferenceRoom at the NCAR Mesa Lab.

This free, one-day class introduces you to UNIX/UNICOS programming tools and the NCARcomputing environment. You should already havea basic knowledge of UNIX. The class covers thefollowing topics:

* How to use make and makefiles* NCAR hardware and access methods* Mass Storage System (MSS) commands* The CFT77 and CF77 compiling systems* Library and segldr considerations* Using fmgen (with make)

NOVEMBER 199128

* The NQS batch system* Job accounting* Graphics facilities* Debugging with cdbx

Register early!

Please register in advance for User Servicesclasses; SCD reserves the right to cancel a class ifnot enough people show interest. Send e-mail toscdinfo@ncar.ucar.edu, or call the SCD courseenrollment line at (303) 497-1225.

Note: No classes will be held in December.

This department lists recently released SCDdocuments, which you can order by phone orelectronic mail. Instructions for obtaining printedcopies of SCD documents appear under "SCDDocumentation Orders" on the back cover of thisnewsletter. Instructions for obtaining copies ofonline documents appear at the end of thisdepartment.

OSF/Motif user guide available

The reprint of the OSF/Motif User's Guide,Version 1.1, October 1991 (57 pages) is nowavailable from SCD. The guide describesOSF/Motif (a user environment based on theX Window System) and includes information oncreating and manipulating windows on yourscreen, using application programs written for theMotif environment, and personalizing your Motifenvironment.

How to access the SCD DailyBulletin

The Daily Bulletin is an online daily status reportof all SCD computing systems. It is the mostcurrent source of news about computing at NCAR,giving information about hardware, software,documentation, communication links, andscheduled and unscheduled computer downtime.

The Daily Bulletin is prepared weekdays by theSCD Consulting Office between 08:45 and 09:00Mountain Time and again at 16:00, if necessary.

Interactive access

If you log on to the CRAY Y-MP8/864 (shavario),IBM 4381 (IO) front-end computer, or one of theNCAR divisional computers, type

dailyb

IRJE access

If you use the Internet Remote Job Entry System(IRJE), use File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to accessftp.ucar.edu. Once you have logged on to youraccount, type

get .dailyb newfilename

where newfilename is the name you assign to thefile on your computer.

Stay informed! Watch theDaily Bulletin to keep currentwith new developments inthe Scientific ComputingDivision.

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MIGS access

If you use the MASnet/Internet Gateway Server

(MIGS) from your local computer, type

nrnet dailyb filename

wherefilename is the name of the local file intowhich the Daily Bulletin will be returned.

The Daily Bulletin is currently not available viaanonymous FTP. If you have questions, pleasecontact the User Services consultant on duty bysending e-mail to consultl @ncar.ucar.edu orcalling (303) 497-1278.

Obtain SCD documentation viaanonymous FTP

A growing number of SCD documents areavailable via anonymous FTP on the computernamed ftp.ucar.edu. The SCD User DocumentationCatalog, which includes UNICOS documentation,and the SCD Computing News yearly indexes arealso available online. The complete list of onlinedocuments is in the README file in the doessubdirectory.

To obtain copies of online documents, follow thesteps below. Press RETURN after typing eachline.

1. From your local computer connected to theInternet, type:

ftp ftp.ucar.edu

or

ftp 128.117.64.4

2. When prompted for a logon name, type:

anonymous

Note: If your local computer is a DigitalEquipment VAX running VMS, you may needto type:

"anonymous"

3. Enter your logon id at the password promptand wait for the ftp> prompt.

If you're examining does for the first time,you may obtain a README file with a list ofthe documentation categories (subdirectories)currently available by typing:

cd doesget READMEquit

You can read the README file using yourown system tools.

If you already know the subdirectory youwant, you can use the dir (or Is) commandwithin directories to list the contents.

4. To transfer a file to your present workingdirectory on your local computer, changedirectories to the desired subdirectory of doesand use the get command. For example:

cd crayget filename

wherefilename is the name of the file youwant to transfer. If your local computeralready has a file with a name identical to theone you want to transfer, your existing filewill be replaced with the new file. To give afile a new name on your local computer, type:

get filename newfilename

5. To terminate the anonymous FTP session,type:

quit

0 NOVEMBER1991 91° 3 iNOVEMBER 199130

The Foothills Laboratory, NCAR's newest site, will eventually house about half of NCAR's staff. Severalfacilities have been consolidated at the Foothills location for better interaction between divisions. (Photo byBob Bumpas.)

NOVEMBER 1991 31

Trademarks: CRAY, SSD, CRAY Y-MP, and UNICOS are registered trademarks of CrayResearch, Inc. * CFT, CFT77, COS, SEGLDR, Autotasking, and CRAY X-MP are trademarks ofCray Research, Inc. * IBM and RISC System/6000 are registered trademarks of InternationalBusiness Machines Corp. * AIX is a trademark of International Business Machines Corp. * DEC,VAX, VMS, and DECstation are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corp. * EXABYTE is aregistered trademark of Exabyte Corp. * Macintosh is a trademark of Macintosh Laboratories,Inc. * X Window System is a trademark of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology * PostScriptis a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc. * UNIX is a registered trademark of UNIXSystem Laboratories, Inc. * Sun Workstation is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.* Sun, SunOS, Sun-3, Sun-4, SPARC, and SPARCstation are trademarks of Sun Microsystems,Inc. * ANSI is a trademark of American National Standards Institute, Inc. * HP is a registeredtrademark of Hewlett-Packard Co. * Motif is a trademark of Open Software Foundation *FORTRAN-lint is a registered trademark of IPT Corp. * Connection Machine is a registeredtrademark of Thinking Machines Corporation * CM-2 is a trademark of Thinking MachinesCorporation * Auspex and NS 5000 are trademarks of Auspex Systems, Inc. * HYPERchannel isa trademark of Network Systems Corp. Copyrights: NCAR Graphics is copyrighted software ofthe University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.Reference to a company or product name does not imply approval or recommendation of thatcompany or product to the exclusion of others.

Change of address form

L Add to mailing list L Delete from mailing list [] Change existing entry

Name:

New address:

User number Phone number

Send to: User Information, Scientific Computing Division, NCAR, P.O. Box 3000,Boulder, CO 80307-3000. Or include the above information in e-mail addressed tosylvia@ncar.ucar.edu on the Internet.

SCD SERVICES DIRECTORYPHONE

CONTACT (303) E-MAILGeneral InformationSCD Consulting Office Consultant on Duty 497-1278 consultlSCD Visitor/User Information 497-1225 scdinfoSCD Course Enrollment 497-1225 scdinfoGraphics Software Purchase Information 497-1201 scdinfoData Communications/Networking Marla Meehl 497-1301 marlaResearch Data Archive Access Data Support 497-1219 datahelpProject & User Number Assignment Rosemary Mitchell 497-1235 rosemaryComputing Resource Applications JoAn Knudson 497-1207 knudsonSCD Computing News Editor Lynda Lester 497-1285 lesterNCAR Switchboard 497-1000

Operations InformationComputer Operations Bob Niffenegger 497-1240 niffMachine Room Operations Supervisor 497-1200 opiGraphics Operations Andy Robertson 497-1241/42 andyTape Librarian Sue Jensen 497-1245 sueOutput Mailing Mary Buck 497-1232 docorder

DocumentationSCD Documentation Information 497-1225 scdinfoSCD Documentation Orders Mary Buck 497-1232 docorder

SENDING ELECTRONIC MAILTO NCAR STAFF: Using the address names listed in the e-mail column above, -

please consult the appropriate information given below based on the network you are using:" Internet address: name@ncar.ucar.edu (IP node 128.117.64.4)

Examples:SCD IBM 4381 (CMS): note consultl at ncar.ucar.eduUNIX: mail consultl @ncar.ucar.edu

" BITNET users: To send e-mail to NCAR staff, use the Internet address given above. Pleaseconsult your system administrator for the exact syntax.

" SPAN address: NSFGW::"name@ncar.ucar.edu" (DECNET node 9580 or 9.364)" Telemail/OMNET address: name@ncar.ucar.edu (for the Internet address)

For further information on e-mail, please see the UserDoc "Using the NCAR E-mail System."

SCD COMPUTING NEWSScientific Computing DivisionNational Center for Atmospheric ResearchP. O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-9986

Nonprofit OrgnizationU.S. POSTAGE PAIDBoulder! Colorado

I enr No. 558

MARY CHAVEZ 1

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MESA LAB

NCAR

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