Scientific Computing and Data / High Performance Computing / Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I access someone else’s archived data?
Q: I am a Mount Sinai employee and I lost my password. How do I reset it?
Q: I am an external collaborator on Minerva and I lost my password. How do I reset it?
Q: I lost my token, replaced or lost my cell phone! What do I do?
Q: My account is locked. What do I do?
Q: Can I set up my own module system?
Q: The package I need isn’t available! Will you install and maintain it?
Q: When I load a module, it gives me an error. What do I do?
Q: I get errors using java when I submit a job, but not when testing locally.
Q: I don’t like web- or e-mail-only communication. What can I do?
Q: How to submit job to himem node (1.5 TB of RAM)?
Q: How do I access someone else’s archived data?
A: Please find the directions for recovering this data here.
Q: I am a Mount Sinai employee and I lost my password. I need to reset it.
A: The password you use to log into Minerva is your Mount Sinai password. We do not reset passwords. If you have forgotten your Sinai password, reset it here.
Note that employees from SLR, BI, and NYEE cannot use this link — they must call their respective IT Help Desks.
Q: I am an external collaborator on Minerva and I lost my password. I need to reset it.
A: If you are an external collaborator, you will need to email us at hpchelp@hpc.mssm.edu to reset your password.
Q: I lost my token, replaced or lost my cell phone! What do I do?
A: Contact the ASCIT help desk, HPC Help does not have the privileges to make necessary changes.
Q: My account is locked. What do I do?
A: The most common reason for failure to log in is a locked two-factor authentication token. This usually happens after successive failed attempts to use the token. Please remember that you can only use a two-factor token output one time. If your password does not work, you will need to wait 30 seconds for the next two-factor token output. We can check if your token is locked, and unlock them. Just send us a message to hpchelp@hpc.mssm.edu.
Q: Can I set up my own module system?
A: Yes! Many of our more advanced users maintain their own packages while in active development, or if they are frequently making changes. Please reference our MODULES documentation, which can be found on this website, for information about setting up your own modules.
Q: The package I need isn’t available! Will you install and maintain it?
A: Probably. We do our best to meet the module needs of all of our users, and the vast majority of packages will be supported if they are useful to more than just an individual user, and have achieved a certain level of maturity. For example, a perl script you wrote yesterday for your own downstream analysis will not be supported, but any community software will be. This is true of top-level packages, as well as R or python packages, for example.
Q: When I load a module, it gives me an error. What do I do?
A: Most of the time this happens it is because of conflicts with already loaded modules. For example, most of the packages we build depend on gcc 4.8.2, our default compiler. If you’ve loaded another compiler toolchain for your own work, and then load a package that depends on a conflicting compiler toolchain, the module system will complain to you. Starting fresh by issuing a “module purge” command will typically fix any problems you have. If you continue to see errors, or need two conflicting packages to be loaded simultaneously, just send in a ticket and we’ll get it sorted out.
Q: I get errors using java when I submit a job, but not when testing locally.
A: Nodes have their own java versions which are local to the operating system installed on the node. Users should always load java using the modulefile system, which will ensure uniform behavior across the entire cluster. The java packages on Minerva are in the “common” module repository.
Q: I don’t like web- or e-mail-only communication. What can I do?
A: The HPC staff is always available to talk 1-on-1. You can come talk to us in person on the 3rd floor of Icahn – Greenland Rm. (1425 Madison Ave.), or send a message to arrange a meeting. The best way to contact the team, including reporting issues or asking questions, is to email hpchelp@hpc.mssm.edu
Q: The allocations process is cumbersome – it takes too long to get my work up and running. Can you help?
A: We’re working on a brand new allocations process for the next cycle which should significant streamline and simplify the procedure for obtaining an allocation.
Q: How to submit job to himem node (1.5 TB of RAM)?
A: You can submit job to any queue, except private and ask for himem resource “bsub -q expressalloc -R “himem” ….”