Paraview¶

Running Paraview interactively via GUI on a `visual` node.¶

1. Open remote connection to the visual node

Detailed discussion about visualization nodes can be found here.

a. Connect to DelftBlue and start a "desktop" job:

$ module load 2022r2
$ module load desktop
$ vnc_desktop 2h -- --cpus-per-task=8 --mem=16G --account=research-faculty-department

As a result, you should get a message along these lines:

Reserving a GPU node (partition "visual")

SLURM job ID is 912918
Waiting for job to start running on a node
We got assigned node visual01, waiting for output...
Waiting until VNC server is ready for connection...

VNC server visual01:1 ready for use!

Check which "port number" the system allocated to you, here "visual01:1", i.e. port "1".

b. Open a tunnel to the port above

Open a separate terminal window and open a tunnel to the corresponding port:

ssh -L 5901:visual01:5901 <netid>@login.delftblue.tudelft.nl

c. Connect your VNC client to the local port corresponding to the open tunnel

vncviewer localhost:1

or graphically:

VNC client window

You should be now prompted with your VNC password (not your NetID password!):

VNC password

Finally, we have our remote desktop up and running:

VNC open

2. Load necessary modules and run Workbench GUI

Inside of the remote desktop, open a terminal and type the following:

module load 2022r2
module load visual
module load virtualgl
module load paraview
vglrun +v paraview

You should see the following:

VNC ansys running

You are good to go now.

Running Paraview on your own PC, connected to pvserver on DelftBlue.¶

In order to make use of Paraview rendering on DelftBlue, the following setup must be used:

A pvserver is running on one of the login nodes of DelftBlue.
A Paraview client is open on a user's local computer, being connected to the running instance of pvserver on DelftBlue.

Below, you will find a step-by-step guide on how to facilitate this setup.

Linux users¶

1. Create an SSH connection to DelftBlue.

The SSH connection should specifically provide a) X-server forwarding, and b) port forwarding. For example:

ssh -X <NetID>@login.delftblue.tudelft.nl -L 3333:localhost:12345

The command above does two things: a) it enables the X-forwarding (by using the -X flag), and b) it tunnels the port "12345" on DelftBlue into the port "3333" on your local machine (by using the -L flag with [local-port]:localhost:[remote-port]).

Note: for your local port, you can use any number you like, as long as you do not tunnel this port for any other purposes. For your DelftBlue port, try to use a random five-digit number: this prevents clashes with other users trying to do the same on your login node.

2. Load the paraview module.

module load paraview

3. Start the pvserver, utilizing the DelftBlue port you are forwarding.

pvserver -sp=12345

You should see the following output:

[<NetID>@login01 ~]$ pvserver -sp=12345

Waiting for client...
Connection URL: cs://login01:12345
Accepting connection(s): login01:12345

4. Start and connect a local instance of Paraview.

Start a local instance of Paraview. Important: your local Paraview should be the same version as the one installed on DelftBlue (currently, 5.9.1; can be downloaded from here).

Then go to File -> Connect -> Add server to configure your tunneling settings. There, give your server a descriptive name, use server type "Client/Server", use "localhost" as Host, and your local forwarding port as "Port", e.g.:

paraview_configure

Click "Configure", select startup type "Manual", click "Save". Now click "Connect".

In your DelftBlue terminal, you should see "Client connected":

[<NetID>@login01 ~]$ pvserver -sp=12345

Waiting for client...
Connection URL: cs://login01:12345
Accepting connection(s): login01:12345
Client connected.

And in your local instance of Paraview you should see the correct server in "Pipeline Browser":

paraview_connected

In the File -> Open menu you should now be able to navigate your DelftBlue home directory:

paraview_open

Windows users¶

The Windows instructions below rely on using the Bitvise SSH Client.

1. Enable X-forwarding

In order for Bitvise SSH client to be able to display graphics, you need the following:

Have an X-server program installed and running on your Windows laptop. For example, Xming:

Xing

Configure Bitvise SSH client to allow X11 Forwarding (open the tab called "Terminal", and check the "Enable" box under the section "X11 Forwarding"):

Bitvise_X_DB

2. Enable port-forwarding

We have to "tunnel" a port (here, "12345") on DelftBlue into a port (here, "3333") on your local machine.

Note: for your local port, you can use any number you like, as long as you do not tunnel this port for any other purposes. For your DelftBlue port, try to use a random five-digit number: this prevents clashes with other users trying to do the same on your login node.

Open the tab called "C2S" ("client-to-server") and enter the following:

Listen interface: 127.0.0.1 (equivalent to "localhost").
Listen Port: 3333 (local port).
Destination Host: login.delftblue.tudelft.nl (DelftBlue address).
Destination Port: 12345 (DelftBlue port we are forwarding).

delftblue_paraview_tunneling

What this does, is opening the 127.0.0.1:3333 (localhost:3333) as a new pseudo-address for a DelftBlue port 12345. While the "tunnel" is open, you can directly connect your local Paraview instance to localhost:3333, and the connection will be referred to DeftBlue.

3. Connect to DelftBlue

DB_XL_connected

4. Load the paraview module.

module load paraview

5. Start the pvserver, utilizing the DelftBlue port you are forwarding.

pvserver -sp=12345