Changes to JASMIN cron, transfer and NX services

Posted on October 24, 2024 • 3 min read • 427 words

Please note the following JASMIN announcements for your attention:

1. Changes to cron (and all transfers using xfer3)
2. Changes to NoMachine NX service (nx-login servers)

1. Changes to cron and transfer services  

The old servers enabling task scheduling with cron, namely cron.jasmin.ac.uk (aka cron1.ceda.ac.uk) and xfer3.jasmin.ac.uk, are due to be retired, as replacements are already available as part of our migration to the Rocky Linux 9 operating system.

If you use cron, please take action now to move your scheduled tasks to the relevant new server:

• General tasks, including submission to LOTUS

  • OLD server = cron.jasmin.ac.uk (aka cron1.ceda.ac.uk)
  • NEW server = cron-01.jasmin.ac.uk

• Scheduled or other transfers using xfer3

  • OLD server = xfer3.jasmin.ac.uk
  • NEW server = xfer-vm-03.jasmin.ac.uk

The OLD servers will be removed on Thursday 21 November 2024, at which point, the new cron server will take over the alias cron.jasmin.ac.uk, but responsibility for moving each cron jobs lies with the job owner.

Users of xfer3 may have previously needed to use specifically that server due to network access rules. The new Rocky 9 xfer servers no longer have this restriction, as all 3 servers xfer-vm-0[123] are identical in this respect and allow connections from anywhere. As a result, the xfer-sp access role is now redundant so will be retired on/around this date. However users needing to schedule transfers should move their cron jobs to xfer-vm-03, or use Globus timers  .

2. Changes to NoMachine NX service (nx-login servers)  

We previously announced that servers nx-login[123] would be retired on the recent scheduled maintenance day (15 October), however this work was not completed. Retirement of these servers will now happen on Thursday 31 October (1 week today). New Rocky 9 NX servers are available as nx[123].jasmin.ac.uk, with no network restriction, so all are available to all users.

For a limited time, we will maintain one old server nx-login4 (aka nx4), to provide continuity for those users who have not yet migrated. Old connection profiles pointing to nx-login[123] should now be replaced with one pointing to a new server, one of nx[123].

Windows users in particular should note the updated instructions  : you may not be able to make an onward connection to other machines unless you change to the recommended method.

One old server will remain for a limited period, for users who experience difficulty moving to the new servers. An existing connection profile can be edited to point to nx-login4, accessible from anywhere, but this will remain for a limited period only (tbc).

See here  for further information about the migration to Rocky Linux 9.

JASMIN Team