2.4   Starting a parallel virtual machine

1. Use the pvm console
2. Use xpvm, a X-Window interface to the pvm console
3. Start the pvmd daemon

The pvm console

• Allows interactive adding and deleting of hosts to the virtual machine
• Allows interactive starting and killing of PVM processes
• Starts by the pvm command
  Prints the prompt pvm>

• Accepts the commands :

  help

  to get informations about the interactive commands

  conf

  lists the configuration of the virtual machine (host name, pvmd task ID, architecture type...)

  add <host-name-list>

  adds these hosts to the virtual machine

  delete <host-name-list>

  deletes these hosts. PVM processes still running on these hosts are lost

  farm4-giga% pvm
  pvm> conf
  1 host, 1 data format
                      HOST     DTID     ARCH   SPEED
                farm4-giga    40000    ALPHA    1000
  pvm> add farm5-giga
  1 successful
                      HOST     DTID
                farm5-giga    80000
  pvm> conf
  2 hosts, 1 data format
                      HOST     DTID     ARCH   SPEED
                farm4-giga    40000    ALPHA    1000
                farm5-giga    80000    ALPHA    1000
  pvm> delete farm5-giga
  1 successful
                      HOST  STATUS
                farm5-giga  deleted
  pvm> conf
  1 host, 1 data format
                      HOST     DTID     ARCH   SPEED
                farm4-giga    40000    ALPHA    1000
  

•  

  spawn

  starts a PVM application

  kill

  can be used to terminate any PVM process
  
  

  ps

  lists the processes currently on the virtual machine (location, task ID, parent's task ID)

  pstat

  shows status of a single PVM process

  pvm> spawn psdot
  1 successful
  tc0001
  pvm> ps
                      HOST      TID   FLAG 0x COMMAND
  pvm> ps -a
                      HOST      TID   FLAG 0x COMMAND
                farm5-giga    c0001     6/c,f psdot
  pvm> ps -al
        HOST      TID     PTID    PID   FLAG 0x COMMAND
  farm5-giga    c0001   (cons)  19331     6/c,f psdot
  pvm> pstat c0001
  t   c0001  run
  

• Spawn a PVM task:
  • If pvm3/bin/$PVM_ARCH/task exists
    • Spawn from the PVM console
    • Spawn from the shell

      pvm3/bin/$PVM_ARCH/task
      

  • From the shell:

    /where/the/binaries/are/task
    

•  

  
  
  reset

  kills all PVM processes except console and resets all the internal PVM tables and message queues

  quit

  exits console leaving daemons and PVM jobs running

  halt

  kills all PVM processes including console and then shut down PVM

  pvm> quit
  
  pvmd still running.
  farm4-giga% pvm
  pvmd already running.
  pvm> conf
  2 hosts, 1 data format
                      HOST     DTID     ARCH   SPEED
                farm4-giga    40000    ALPHA    1000
                farm5-giga    c0000    ALPHA    1000
  pvm> halt
  libpvm [t40003]: mxfer() EOF on pvmd sock        
  farm4-giga% 
  

• The console may be started and stopped multiple times on any of the hosts on which PVM is running