Switch to a new operating system

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As part of the update of our Linux cluster, a large number of the computer nodes were migrated to the new Rocky Linux 9 operating system. Some of the nodes are still running CentOS 7. The two parts of the cluster are currently managed by separate Slurm controllers:


  • You can still reach the old part (CentOS 7) via its-cs10.its.uni-kassel.de.
  • You can reach the already converted part (Rocky Linux 9) via its-cs1.its.uni-kassel.de.

Please note that you will have to adapt to the new operating system over time. During the transition phase, it will still be possible to access the nodes with CentOS 7 via its-cs10. As soon as all nodes have been migrated, the cluster will only be available under Rocky Linux 9 and its-cs10 will be switched off.

What is changing

Gradually, more and more nodes are being migrated to Rocky Linux 9. As soon as the migration is completeits-cs10 can no longer be used to submit jobs.
Some of the centrally provided software modules, which you can retrieve via the module avail command, have already been installed for Rocky Linux 9. Therefore, please check in good time whether the software you need for your work is already available on its-cs1.

Your tasks

  1. Software test: Log in to its-cs1.its.uni-kassl.de and test your applications and workflows. Your own programs will probably have to be reinstalled. Especially programs that use MPI internally must be recompiled in order to run under the currently installed version.
  2. Provide feedback: If you notice that something is missing or not working as expected, please get in touch. For queries or to request additional software, please write to ttsclust[at]uni-kassel[dot]de.

We ask for your help to make the transition as smooth as possible. Thank you for your support and understanding!

Script query Operating system

If you have scripts that are to perform different actions under both operating systems, you can use this to query which type of node you are on:

if grep -q rocky /etc/os-release; then
os=rocky
elif grep -q centos /etc/os-release; then
os=centos
else
echo "ERROR: No OS discovert"
exit 1
fi

Module system

Due to the changeover to Rocky Linux 9, many software packages have been installed in newer versions. Slurm scripts must therefore be adapted to the new module names, which you can view with module avail.

Please note: Previous adjustments to the shell environment that were necessary under CentOS 7 (e.g. to make modules visible) are no longer required under Rocky Linux 9. Therefore, remove old workarounds or modifications in your login environment. The new module system works directly and without additional tricks.