Configuring IBM Spectrum LSF Application Center to remotely start Linux applications

You can configure IBM Spectrum LSF Application Center so that your users can start remote Linux applications from within IBM Spectrum LSF Application Center.

1. Create a new template to define application settings.
   1. In IBM Spectrum LSF Application Center, select the Workload tab, Definitions > Templates.
   2. Select New > Template

      The New Template dialog is displayed.

   3. In Template Name, enter the name of the template so that you can recognize it later.
   4. Select This Template: Launches an application.
   5. Select Based on Template: GEDIT.
   6. In Application, enter the name of your application to identify it. You will need this name in further configurations.
   7. Click Create.

      The Modify Template window is displayed.

2. Configure your template in the Modify Template window.
   1. In General Settings, enter the required fields that have an asterisk (*) next to them.
      • Application Description: Enter a description for the application. This decription is visible to users as a tooltip in the Applications tab in IBM Spectrum LSF Application Center Desktop Client.
      • File Types: Specify the file extensions associated with your application. The correct extension types are important as the application will only be displayed as an option to Open with for files that have the specified extensions.
      • Running on: Select Linux.
      • Display Group: Used to categorize applications in IBM Spectrum LSF Application Center Desktop Client, Applications tab. Applications with the same category will be displayed together under that category name. Select the field and click Edit to add additional categories or change existing categories.
   2. In Linux Settings, enter information about your application in all fields.
      • Installed on the LSF Application Center Server: Click to deselect it. In production environments, you do not want applications installed on the IBM Spectrum LSF Application Center server as it can degrade performance.
      • Application Shell: Specify the Linux shell to use to start the application. Possible values are bash and csh.
      • Application Command: Specify the command to start your application with additional required parameters.
      • Application Command to open an input file: Specify the command to open a file. Ensure you specify "@FILE@" in the right place in your command. @FILE@ will be replaced with the actual file name when a file is selected.
   3. Click Save.
   4. Click Publish to publish your application.
3. Allow users to access the new application.
   1. Select System & Settings > Settings > User Roles & Permissions.
   2. In the Role Definition view, select the user role.
   3. In Permissions, select Application Templates.
   4. Find your application on the list and select the View & Control permission for that user role and click OK.
      User with that assigned role now have access to the application from:

      • The Data section of submission forms and can select the application from the Open menu to open input files for data processing before a job is submitted.
      • The Job Details page, in the Open with application menu.
      • The Jobs tab, Data page, in the Open with application menu.
      • In IBM Spectrum LSF Application Center Desktop Client, Applications tab. Users can launch the remote application for data processing before or after jobs are submitted.
      • In IBM Spectrum LSF Application Center Desktop Client, users can directly launch the application by clicking on the application icon.
4. Configure the application as a resource in LSF.
   1. As the LSF administrator, edit the $LSF_ENVDIR/lsf.shared file, and add a new resource for the application you just configured. Ensure the resource has the same name as your application, in the same case.

      For example, your application name is myAPP:

      Begin Resource
      RESOURCENAME  TYPE    INTERVAL INCREASING  DESCRIPTION        # Keywords
         myAPP       Boolean ()       ()          (myAPP application)
      ..
      
      End Resource
      

   2. Edit the $LSF_ENVDIR/lsf.cluster.cluster_name file, and add the resource to the LSF server hosts in your cluster that have the application installed.

      For example:

      Begin Host
      HOSTNAME  model type server r1m  mem  swp RESOURCES  #Keywords
      hostA     !     !    1      3.5  ()   ()  (myAPP)
      hostB     !     !    1      3.5  ()   ()  (myAPP)
      ...
      End Host

   3. Run the following commands in LSF to apply the configuration changes.

      lsadmin reconfig
      badmin mbdrestart