August 30, 2024

Transition from PCDS to S3DF for offline data storage and processing

Dear LCLS Users,

We are planning to retire the old PCDS offline data systems by September 30th.  All experiments from LCLS Run 22 onwards are using the SLAC Shared Science Data Facility (S3DF) for data storage and processing.  Older experiments can be restored to the S3DF on user request (email pcds-datamgt-l@slac.stanford.edu). You can find more information on this transition here:

https://confluence.slac.stanford.edu/display/PCDS/Retiring+PCDS+offline+data+system

To maintain uninterrupted access to LCLS data and computing systems for analysis, users should get S3DF accounts before September 30th, 2024:

https://s3df.slac.stanford.edu/public/doc/#/accounts-and-access

After that date the old pslogin and NoMachine services will be retired. Users should use the following instead:

  1. s3dflogin.slac.stanford.edu (for direct ssh access)
  2. s3dfnx.slac.stanford.edu

https://s3df.slac.stanford.edu/public/doc/#/reference?id=nomachine

If you have useful files on the old PCDS systems, you can selectively copy them to s3df using the linux “scp” command (using the old “pslogin” host) or using code management utilities such as “git”.  This copying should be done before the systems are retired.

Additionally, most LCLS users do not use SLAC central IT bastion hosts, but many of those are also being retired.  For the few LCLS users that do use those systems, you can find more information here:

https://confluence.slac.stanford.edu/display/PCDS/Retirement+Of+SLAC+Bastion+Hosts

Thank you,

The Data Management Team