PDSF Home

Getting Help on PDSF

Before filing a ticket asking about status of PDSF or HPSS, please check our home page. It might contain the answer you are looking for.

There are several forms of help available on PDSF. These include:

A web-based list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Look here for answers to questions that other PDSF users have asked.

Project's PDSF Assistance pages

These pages are provided by different groups to help their users use the PDSF cluster.

Help from NERSC support staff

If you do not find answers there do not hesitate to file a request for help. Here are the ways to do it:

• A web-based Support Request Form Use this form to report problems with PDSF, to request specific services, or to ask questions which are not answered in the FAQ.
  
  • When asked for password and user name, provide your PDSF pair.
  • Select PDSF as a platform - that will speed up the processing. repository mentioned on that page is in your case your primary unix group.

• The NERSC 800 number (800 66NERSC, 800.666.3772 - menu option 2 or 510.486.8611) during business hours Pacific Time. Identify yourself clearly as a PDSF user.
• Send e-mail to consult@nersc.gov. Make sure that you specify PDSF in the subject of your e-mail.

In all cases put as many details as you can gather:

• time
• location of files
• exact text of error messages
• group you belong to
• system version you are working under (RedHat, Scientific Linux)
• way to reproduce your problem.
• host you are on
• job ID (if applicable)

You should receive an automatic confirmation - if you do not get it within 30 min, please call the number listed above. Then within 4 business hours of PDT you should receive an e-mail from a person, but it can be as little as "We received your request for help and forwarded for further processing". You can always see status of your tickets on the web.(click on the Questions)

Since there is just one consultant serving the whole PDSF community, it is always worth checking with your group members. They might be able to help you sooner.