Dear Grunchfs file system users:

  On grunch.bccs.uib.no, we are in the process of changing underlying file system of grunchfs from GPFS to XFS. This is due to increasing maintenance cost of GPFS file system. Current usage of grunchfs is 221 TB. In the migration process we have to move the data from grunchfs to another temporary filesystem. We have created a temporary file system called grunchxfs and mounted it on grunch under /mnt/ro/grunchxfs. We have already done our first rsync between the two file systems. We plan to run two more rsync to finish whole process. 

 During the second rsync grunchfs will be still online, but during the last rsync we will take it offline. This necessary to assure filesystem consistency. This means, when we run last rsync, grunchfs will not be accessible for users for some period of time. We will have more accurate estimate of the downtime when we finish the second rsync. To make this downtime as short as possible (depends on the size of file system) we would kindly ask all grunch users to do the following:

• check and remove any duplicated files and folders,
• check and remove any unnecessary files and folders,
• we have observed that some users have huge number of small files (inodes), if this is the case and is possible please pack (tar) them up.

Thank you in advance and we appreciate your understanding. 

Please contact hpc-support@hpc.uib.no if you have any questions.

Update 10:30, 08-06-2016 :
  Second rsync is running, hopefully will finish late today. planning for lest offline rsync.

Update 10:40, 10-06-2016 : 
  
We postponed Grunch server  downtime to next Friday 17-06-2016, we will start from 09:00, all grunch users will have logoff from grunch server before 09:00.  We will run last offline rysnc, hopefully grunchfs will be online again by 10:00, Monday 20-06-2016. Please plan your work beforehand.

Update 11:00 20-06-2016

We will mount back temporary grunchfs  as soon as last rsync process finishes(around 13:00 today). Since this is temporary file system you experience performance withdraw on grunchfs.

Update 13:30 20-06-2016

The rsync processes did not finish as we planned,  therefor we can not open grunch server access.  We monitor the process closely will open access as soon as we can. 

Update 15:30 20-06-2016

The rsync process are still running, we are expecting process will finish later today.

Sorry for inconvenience. 

Update 10:30 21-06-2016

maintenance is finally finished, grunch server is back online. We will continue file system change and will keep you updated.

Update 12:00 28-06-2016 

We plan to have last downtime to finish the whole transformation process. Last downtime will start from 13:00 01-07-2016 and will end 13:00 04-07-2016. During this time we will run last offline rsync. Users are not allowed to access to the grunch server during this downtime.

We appreciate your understanding and  support.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further question. 


Update 10:36 04-07-2016

Due to unpredicted change and high usage of grunch files system, our rsync process is delayed. Therefor we have to extend our downtime until Wednesday 06-07-2016. By that time we plan to completely finalize  grunchfs move process. Downtime may finish earlier, we will open access as soon as last rsync finishes.

We appreciate your understanding and  support. 

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further question. 

Update 10:00 06-07-2016

We have finished all grunchfs filesystem transfer yesterday afternoon, now grunchfs is mounted back as xfs.