Graphical Login (VNC)

Graphical Login (VNC) only with JURECA login possible.

Remote visualization, either implemented within visualization applications themselves or through server software, eliminates the need for off-site file transfers and allows HPC users to run a broad range of visualization tools in-place on the supercomputer where the data resides and more compute resources are available. A graphical login using Virtual Network Computing (VNC) simplifies the access to remote visualization. A broad variety of Linux applications with graphical user interface and/or need for OpenGL can be used directly on the supercomputers via VNC.

VNC provides a complete graphical and remote desktop by

• transmitting the keyboard and mouse events from your computer to the remote machine and
  
• relaying the graphical screen updates back in the other direction.

VNC is

• platform-independent (VNC viewers are available for almost any operating system)
• application-independent (no need for remote visualization support inside the application)
• multiple clients may connect to a VNC server at the same time sharing the same session (support, presentation, group discussions)

VNC software used at the JSC:

Option A)

Strudel (Scientific Remote Desktop Launcher) cross-platform application for Linux, MacOS and Windows Strudel should be used to access remote graphical desktop on JURECA developed by the Multi-modal Australien ScienceS Imaging and Visualization Environment (​MASSIVE) team under the NeCTAR-funded ​Characterisation Virtual Laboratory ...................................................................................................................................................................................

Option B)

	vncserver/ssh/vncviewer (manual connection) manual start of VNC server on JURECA manual tunnel for VNC data manual start of VNC viewer on local machine ...................................................................................................................................................................................

Use hardware acceleration in your VNC session

Any OpenGL application running in your VNC session should be started with vglrun to use the hardware acceleration provided by the visualization nodes.

e.g. ParaView

Open a terminal in your VNC session and:

# What versions of ParaView are available?
module spider ParaView

# load ParaView dependency
module load intel-para

# load ParaView
module load ParaView

# start ParaView Server and GUI using VirtualGL for hardware acceleration
srun -n 24 vglrun pvserver
vglrun ParaView

Connect to the pvservers on localhost:11111

e.g. VisIt

Open a terminal in your VNC session and:

# change Stage
module use /usr/local/software/jureca/OtherStages
module load Stages/.Stage1

# What versions of VisIt are available?
module spider VisIt

# load VisIt dependency
module load intel-para/2015.07

# load VisIt
module load VisIt/2.10.0

# start VisIt using VirtualGL for hardware acceleration
vglrun visit -hw-accel

Hints

• press F8 to enter VNC-Viewer Options (example: toggle to full screen)

• sync clipboard between client and server
  Error: Failed to load processor ShellExample

  No macro or processor named 'ShellExample' found

• To reset your VNC-password delete ~/.vnc/passwd

---

any feedback welcomed - h.zilken@…, j.goebbert@…