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File transfer using rsync

Learning outcomes

  • Practice using the documentation of your favorite HPC cluster
  • Can transfer files using rsync
For teachers

Teaching goals are:

  • Learners have practiced using the documentation of their favorite HPC cluster
  • Learners have transferred files using rsync

Lesson plan:

Prior questions:

  • How can one do a file transfer from the terminal?
  • Can you name some programs that can do file transfer from the terminal?
  • Who has heard of rsync?
  • Who has already used rsync?

Notes:

  • Bianca users will have the most complex procedure by far

Why?

Fairly sure you'll want to upload or download files to your favorite HPC cluster. Here we do so.

We use a free and open-source command-line tool to do this, called rsync. It works under Linux, Mac and Windows.

Exercises

Need a video?

HPC Cluster Link to documentation
Alvis here
Berzelius .
Bianca here
COSMOS .
Dardel here
Kebnekaise .
LUMI .
Rackham here
Tetralith here
Vera .

Exercise 1: transfer a file

Use the documentation of your HPC cluster.

  • Search for how to transfer files to/from your HPC cluster using rsync. Which URL is it described? Tip: not all HPC centers have documented this, so you should give up searching after a while.
Where is that documentation?

HPC Cluster Link to documentation
Alvis Closest is here. For now, use here
Berzelius Here
Bianca Here
COSMOS None. Closest is here
Dardel Closest is here
Kebnekaise Here
LUMI here
Rackham Here
Tetralith Here
Vera Here

If the center maintaining you HPC cluster has not documented how to use rsync, follow the Rackham documentation.

  • Copy a file from your local computer to your Rackham home folder. Verify this worked.
  • Copy a file from your Rackham home folder to your local computer. Verify this worked.