How to start WHEEL

Advance Preparation

Use Docker to launch WHEEL. Install the latest Docker. A typical configuration pattern is shown below. Consider the optimal configuration based on the number of users, available machines, and other factors.

Configuration Pattern 1: Building a WHEEL Environment for Each User

This pattern installs Docker on each of the user’s work PCs. Then, expand and launch the WHEEL container image.

Configuration Pattern 2: Aggregating and building the WHEEL environment on the server

This pattern installs Docker on a single server. Then, unpack the WHEEL container image for the number of users using WHEEL and launch it on the server. To separate the WHEEL used for each user, you need to control by port number.

How to start

The method for starting the WHEEL is as follows. This section assumes that the Configuration Pattern 1 is followed.

1. Create a directory in any location. (From now on, this directory is CONFIG_DIR.)

2. Store the server certificate and key files for HTTPS communication in CONFIG_DIR under the names server.crt and server.key, respectively. Refer to the documentation at the following URL when using self-certificates:

   https://letsencrypt.org/docs/certificates-for-localhost/

   If you use WHEEL for HTTP communication, you do not need to store the server certificate and key file in CONFIG_DIR. Skip this step.

3. Start Terminal and enter the following command:

    > docker run -d -v ${HOME}:/root -v CONFIG_DIR:/usr/src/server/app/config -p 8089:8089 tmkawanabe/wheel:latest
   

   where CONFIG_DIR must be the absolute path on the host machine.

   In the above command:

   • Mapping the project location (/root) in the container to ${HOME} on the host. Projects created on WHEEL are stored in ${HOME}. Therefore, ${HOME} needs write permission because it writes files from WHEEL.
   • The location of the configuration file in the container (/usr/src/server/app/config) is mapped to CONFIG_DIR on the host. CONFIG_DIR must have write permission because it is also written from WHEEL.
     Also, refer to and edit the following files as necessary.
     • wheel.log : WHEEL log file.
     • jobScheduler.json : Batch system settings. For more information, see Configuring the Batch System.
     • server.crt/server.key : Server certificate/key file
   • WHHEL port number is specified as 8089.
4. When the WHEEL server starts, open a web browser on the host machine and access http(s)://localhost:8089.

How to Use HTTP Communication
If you want to use HTTP instead of HTTPS communication, add the following options when you run docker run in step 3.

-e WHEEL_USE_HTTP=1

HTTP communication should be used only in environments where there are no security issues, such as a trial in a local network.

Remote Host Settings

WHEEL can perform tasks on the compute server where you logged in via ssh. In this section, you configure the remote host settings for connecting to the compute server from the WHEEL.

There are two patterns of remote host configuration. Specify settings according to the calculation server to be used.

• Without a batch system
  Perform this procedure if the compute server does not have a batch system, or if the compute server has a batch system but you do not want to use it.
• Additional settings if you have a batch system
  If you are using a batch system on a compute server, perform this step in addition to the steps in Without a batch system.

Without a batch system

First, go to WHEEL and click the hamburger menu at the top right of the screen.

Click Remotehost editor in the menu that appears. The Remote Host Settings window appears in a separate tab.

Click the NEW REMOTE HOST SETTING button at the top of the screen. The New Host Configuration dialog appears.

In the form, enter the following values:

label

Any string

Hostname

Host name or IP address to connect to

Port number

Port number to connect to

User ID

User ID on the destination host

Host work dir

Directory path used within the remote host

For example, if you create a configuration named example for the foo.example.com host that connects as user bar and executes tasks under the /home/users/bar/baz directory, the input would be as follows:

label is a case-sensitive string that allows WHEEL to distinguish the destination host.

Hostname and User ID are the host name (or IP address) and user ID of the connection destination. These fields can also have values set in ~/.ssh/config.

For Host work dir, specify the absolute path of the working directory on the connection-target host. When WHEEL executes a program on a remote host, it transfers the file under the directory specified here before executing it.

Normally you would specify the home directory of the host you are connecting to, but on some systems it may be better to use a different area because of space limitations or I/O performance. Select an appropriate directory by referring to the connection destination system usage guide, etc.

Using public key authentication to connect to a remote host
Enable the use public key authentication switch when you use public key authentication to connect to remote hosts. At the bottom, a field for specifying the private key appears, enter the path of the private key or click the BROWSE button to select the file.

For other detailed settings, refer to the Reference Manual.

Additional settings if you have a batch system

This section describes the additional remote host configuration required if the compute server has a batch system. Before performing this procedure, perform the procedure described in Without a batch system .

Start the Remote Host Editor. When the remote host that you registered under Without a batch system is displayed, click the pencil icon on the far right to display the Edit Host Information dialog.

Select the type of batch system used by the remote host from the job scheduler field (1). The following six values are currently available.

• PBSPro
• PBSProWithoutHistory
• SLURM
• Fugaku
• TCS (Technical Computing Suite)
• UGE (Univa Grid Engine)

About PBSProWithoutHistory
Some PBSPros do not store information about jobs that have finished running in the batch system settings. In this case, use PBSProWithoutHistory instead of PBSPro.

About Fugaku
At Fugaku, TCS is used, but some of the behavior is different from other sites, so we have a special setting (Fugaku) for Fugaku. If you use Fugaku, choose Fugaku instead of TCS (Technical Computing Suite).

About Setting Up a Batch System
To add or remove batch system types or change settings, refer to Configuring the batch system.

Then enter the available queue names in the available queues column (2), separated by commas. On a system with a default queue, you can leave this blank if you want to use only the default queue.

Finally, enter the max number of jobs field (3) if you want to limit the number of concurrent jobs.

For example, in a system where the number of concurrently input jobs is limited to 10, if you try to input the 11 th job, an error occurs and job input cannot be accepted. This error can be suppressed by restricting the WHEEL side. However, the number of jobs submitted without using WHEEL is not counted. Therefore, if the number of concurrent jobs in a group is limited, the limit may be violated.

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