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Interactive Session Management with mxqi Tool Overview High-Performance Computing with mxqsub Introducing mxqi Features of mxqi Usage Policies Feedback
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Interactive Session Management with mxqi Tool

Overview

Users have reported several issues with the shared public compute servers, primarily due to the erratic use of resources such as memory, processors, and scratch disk space, which can be depleted by other users. To address these issues, we are introducing a new tool called mxqi.

This tool is designed to provide a more controlled environment for interactive sessions while ensuring access to guaranteed resources.

High-Performance Computing with mxqsub

The computer cluster, accessible via the mxqsub command 1, offers high-performance and reliable resources. However, there are scenarios where interactive usage is preferred, such as for experimentation or one-shot computations, where developing a non-interactive pipeline isn't justified.

Introducing mxqi

With mxqi, you can request an interactive session with guaranteed resources, such as memory, processors, and fast scratch disk space ($TMPDIR), along with a defined runtime. Although GPU requests are implemented, GPU server usage via mxqi is currently not available.

Features of mxqi

  • Guaranteed Resources: Limited but assured memory, processors, and scratch disk space.
  • Interactive Sessions: Ideal for experimentation and development with X11 forwarding enabled.
  • Strict Session Management: Your session will be terminated if memory or runtime limits are exceeded. Be prepared for a "hard kill" if you surpass the requested memory or runtime limits. On the other hand, scratch directory size and the number of processors are just limited and will not cause session termination.

To start an interactive session, simply run the mxqi command. For more advanced usage information, use mxqi --help.

Usage Policies

To ensure fair and efficient use of resources, please adhere to the following policies:

  1. Exit Sessions Promptly: Leave the session as soon as you no longer need it.
  2. Request Resources Judiciously: Only ask for additional memory or processors if absolutely necessary.
  3. Avoid Persistent Sessions: Do not use screen or tmux to keep mxqi sessions open while unattended.
  4. Single Session Management: Avoid running mxqi multiple times. If you need multiple windows, open new ones from within a single mxqi session using commands like xfce4-terminal &.

Feedback

The mxqi tool is currently in the experimental phase and may be discontinued or expanded based on user feedback. We highly encourage users to provide feedback to help us improve the tool.

Footnotes

  1. https://intranet.molgen.mpg.de/en/service/scientific-service/it/infos/cluster/ ↩