ALFALFA Remote Observing

ALFALFA L-band Wide Followup Remote Observing Checklist

Version Date: 15 Nov 2012

PLEASE NOTE: These assume you use VNC (Virtual Network Computing) (which you should!)

Note: These instructions are for the LBW followup program, but they are almost identical to the instructions for A2010/ALFA. The only things that are different relate to the different observing progam, the strategy, receiver etc. But, please be sure you've understand the differences!

Things needed before observing

laptop (for comfortable viewing of the AO status display) or other workstation.... with VNC installed and working
observing checklist
this checklist
coffee or Diet Pepsi(TM), prosciutto sandwich, wings, Doritos(TM)... your choice.

For Mac or Windows Users

Rose Finn's hints on running VNC on MacOS - also available in your brower here. But be sure you follow the basic steps here, especially in cleaning up. (Thanks, Rose!)
David Stark's hints on running VNC on Windows - But be sure you follow the basic steps here, especially in cleaning up. (Thanks, David!)

Basic protocol for VNC users

If you are practicing CIMA, heed the instructions on the observing checklist for which machines to use and not use, and to avoid running the data monitoring routines.
NEVER EVER reset the VNC password!
Clean up after yourself! See bottom of this file for instructions!

30 minutes before observing

Call the telescope operator at (+1) 787 878 2612, Ext. 211, and ask for the password for user "dtusr" at "Observer2". Give him/her the approximate Az, ZA of the first target. Ask also for the status of the LBW receiver and the telescope, i.e. is everything ok or is there something we should know about?....
ssh -X a2010@remote.naic.edu and enter the account password
ssh dataview and enter the account password once again. Note: if you are practicing, using "fusion00" or one of the other machines.
You are now logged into dataview. To facilitate using two screens on the Linux machines, it is best to startup two independent VNC server sessions. Enter the following at the command prompt TWICE:
vncserver -geometry 1200x900 (or 1250x950 or 1250x1000 depending on desktop)
You will get a messages detailing what your new X Desktop numbers are - NOTE THE NUMBER AT THE END (e.g., 1 or 5 or 11 or some other small number).
In another terminal window on YOUR local machine, issue this command to open your desktop:
vncviewer -shared -via a2010@remote.naic.edu dataview:N (N is the number of the X desktop noted above).
In yet another terminal window, again on YOUR local machine, issue the same command - just change N to the other server desktop number. In each instance, you will be prompted for two sequential passwords. The first is the normal a2010 account password. The second is the VNCserver password for the server desktops. In the case of using two VNC server sessions, two desktops should pop up. One session can be used to control CIMA, and the other can be used for the waterfall plots and any realtime IDL analysis.
In another virtual window on your local machine or an a laptop, login to AO using the a2010 account, and start the AO status display and the IF/LO andPointing Monitors:
ssh -X a2010@remote.naic.edu
aostatus
monpnt
rxview
These three items are not critical if they crash, therefore, they do not need to be run in the remote desktop. But, they are VERY useful so pay attention to them. They tell you what is **really** happening.
Note: See Phil's web page for how to access other telescope monitoring windows.
Keep an eye on the aostatus window, and have tonight's catalog file a2707_YYMMDD.cat (located in /share/obs4/usr/a2707) file open for editing in your text editor of choice (pico or vi work well over the network). You can get to this directory by typing "a2707obs" in any window. As soon as the previous observer is out, check the LST, and estimate and add the slew time (usually around 5 minutes). Check that the first source in the command file for the observing block will be visible; that is the first intended target.

Ready to go!

Call the telescope operator and wait for the ok. Only one session of CIMA can run on observer2 at a given time. If you told the telescope operator before where to position the telescope, don't start CIMA until the telescope is close to position (once you start CIMA, the telescope motion will halt).
Use a terminal in one remote desktop to connect to observer2:
ssh -X dtusr@observer2
and type in the password provided by the operator.
Startup CIMA with the command
cima --X
and invoke the version we are currently using: the "The Stable version (Default) (Ver 3.3.03 2012-11-14 17:53) (Version updated frequently - this version number current as of 2012Nov15; see the CIMA User's Log to see what has happened)
After typing in a2707 (NOTE: DIFFERENT FROM DRIFT SCAN OBSERVING!!) as the project name, your name as the observer name, and your phone number, you will be authorized by the operator.
Follow the instructions in the LBW observing checklist - go to Data Taking section, 'Start New CIMA Session' instructions.
If you have problems (e.g. CIMA does not start, you can't select the receiver, the telescope doesn't move...) contact the telescope operator.

While observing

Make sure the IF/LO is set up properly; check out the rxview display (which you started up at the beginning). Check that the bandwidths and center frequencies are correct (they depend on the observing mode, and thus whether the source velocities are cz < 2000 km/s = "low velocity mode" or cz > 2000 km/s = "high velocity mode".
Once data-taking has begun, keep an eye on aostatus to make sure the telescope is doing what you expect it to do.
On another terminal, you can start up an IDL session on one of the fast linux machines (e.g. fusion00,aolc1,2,3,4) so that you can take a look at each ON-OFF pair once they complete.
ssh -X a2010@remote.naic.edu
ssh -X a2010@fusion00 (or aolc1, etc)
lbwdata This alias puts you into the directory/share/a2010-2/lbwdata
idl
@corinit YEAH, YEAH, SO WE SERIOUSLY NEED TO UPDATE HERE
Watch the "CIMA Observation Log Display" window, where error and warning messages are displayed.
Maintain the log - see the ALFALFA LBW observing checklist.

Finishing Procedures, including VNC cleanup

Exit out of CIMA, followed by exiting out of the observer2 computer. It is important to do this as quickly as possible, so that the next observer can log in.
Exit out of any IDL sessions and CIMA utility programs
Kill both remote desktops (X in the upper right hand corner).
Be sure to do this! In the window connected to dataview on your local machine where you started the VNC server, issue the following command to kill the sessions (you MUST do this): vncserver -kill :N where N is the desktop number. If something goes wrong with this and you get a message indicating that you must kill the process manually, then follow the instructions on the troubleshooting page ("Problems terminating VNC job") which are summarized here:
- Check what jobs are running on "dataview" via "ps -ecf". If your VNC connection still appears to be running (note its PID=process ID), then you need to kill it using the linux command (while in a window connected to dataview) "kill -9 PID". Run "ps -ecf"; make sure your VNC has disappeared.
Exit out of dataview and remote.naic.edu
Carry on with post-observing procedures, summarized in list of tasks to do after each run and ALFALFA LBW observing checklist . Finish your soda and Doritos as necessary. Go get some sleep (but probably not until you get home!).

Useful links

This page maintained by members of the ALFALFA Observing Team.
Last modified: Thu Nov 15 10:00:28 EST 2012 by martha