Configuring the Grid Plug-in

You can determine if you want to use the grid plug-in and set preferences for the grid plug-in. By default, the grid plug-in is not available.

The SSH Grid plug-in supports the following protocols:

  • Ssh and scp (Open SSH). Select these protocols to dispatch the OS Command from a local Linux system to a remote Linux system, whenever security has to be maintained (e.g., when crossing a firewall). Secure Shell (Ssh) is a remote login protocol that uses public-key encryption to authenticate users and to secure their login sessions. Secure Copy (scp) is the corresponding file-transfer protocol. Open SSH is a commonly-used open-source implementation of these protocols.

  • SSH and scp (PuTTY). Select these protocols to dispatch the OS Command from a local Windows system to a remote Linux system, whenever security has to be maintained (e.g., when crossing a firewall). PuTTY is a commonly-used open-source implementation of the ssh/scp protocols made specifically for Windows.

  • Rsh and rcp. Select these protocols to dispatch the OS Command from a local Linux system to a remote Linux system, whenever security is not a concern (e.g., when both are behind the same firewall). Remote Shell (Rsh) and Remote Copy (rcp) are standard remote login and file-copy protocols that are available on all Linux systems (except where deliberately removed or replaced). These protocols are fast, but they are not secure.

  1. From the Isight Design Gateway Edit menu, select Preferences.

    The Preferences dialog box appears.

  2. Expand the Components folder on the left side of the dialog box, and select OS Command.
  3. Click the Grid tab.
  4. Click Enable use of the Grid Plug-in.

    If you select this option, you can configure how to run the command on a compute grid from the OS Command (and Simcode) editors.

  5. In the Source for SSH-Grid Commands, select a source.

    Selecting a source resets the options to show the commands, if any, defined in the selected source. Once you click OK, the defined commands are written to the selected source, overriding the prior definitions.

    When an SSH grid plug-in executes, it first finds the remote login and file-copy commands for the selected SSH type from one of three sources. These sources are read in a fixed order, using the commands from the first source that defines them (if none are found, execution fails).

    The sources are, as prioritized:

    OptionDescription
    Custom Configuration File If the local Runtime Gateway (or the SIMULIA Execution Engine station) was launched with the Java System property fiper.grid.ssh.configfile defined, commands are read from the file it names (if the file exists).
    User Preferences File You can define SSH commands and store them in your personal SIMULIA Execution Engine preferences. If no custom configuration file is specified, commands are read from preferences.
    Warning: On a SIMULIA Execution Engine station, this is the preferences of the user that launched the station, unless the Run As feature is enabled.
    System Configuration File If no commands are found in a custom configuration file or in your user preferences, commands are read from the file named grid_ssh_config.txt in the <Isight_install_directory>/<operating_system>/reffiles/SMAFIPconfig/ directory (if present).
    Warning: Selecting the source for SSH-Grid commands does not indicate to the grid plug-in which source to use. Selecting the source only controls which source is displayed for editing.
  6. In the Run Command text box, enter the tool name used to perform remote login and run the OS Command under the given working directory on the named remote host.

    You can click Browse to locate the tool. Specify the Run Command and Copy Command for each protocol type.

    You can enter command-line arguments after each tool name.

  7. In the Copy Command text box, enter the tool name used to copy input and output files between the current local working directory and the given working directory on the named remote host. You can click Browse to locate the tool.

    You can enter command-line arguments after each tool name. For example, the Copy command requires a flag to preserve a copied file’s mode and permissions.

  8. Click OK to save your changes and to close the dialog box.