HP XC System Software User's Guide Version 3.2

Additional information on supported system interconnects is provided in the HP XC Hardware
Preparation Guide.
1.1.8 Network Address Translation (NAT)
The HP XC system uses Network Address Translation (NAT) to enable nodes in the HP XC
system that do not have direct external network connections to open outbound network
connections to external network resources.
1.2 Determining System Configuration Information
You can determine various system configuration parameters with a few commands:
cat /etc/hptc-release
Use the following command to display the version of the
HP XC System Software:
uname -rcat /proc/version
Use either of these commands to display the Kernel
version:
rpm -qa
Use the following command to display the RPMs:
free -m
Use the following command to display the amount of free
and used memory in megabytes:
cat /proc/partitions
Use the following command to display the disk partitions
and their sizes:
swapon -s
Use the following command to display the swap usage
summary by device:
cat /proc/pal/cpu0/cache_info
cat /proc/pal/cpu1/cache_info
Use the following commands to display the cache
information; this is not available on all systems.
1.3 User Environment
This section introduces some general information about logging in, configuring, and using the
HP XC environment.
1.3.1 LVS
The HP XC system uses the Linux Virtual Server (LVS) to present a single host name for user
logins. LVS is a highly scalable virtual server built on a system of real servers. By using LVS, the
architecture of the HP XC system is transparent to end users, and they see only a single virtual
server. This eliminates the need for users to know how the system is configured in order to
successfully log in and use the system. Any changes in the system configuration are transparent
to end users. LVS also provides load balancing across login nodes, which distributes login requests
to different servers.
1.3.2 Modules
The HP XC system provides the Modules Package (not to be confused with Linux kernel modules)
to configure and modify the user environment. The Modules Package enables dynamic
modification of a user’s environment by means of modulefiles. Modulefiles provide a convenient
means for users to tailor their working environment as necessary. One of the key features of
modules is to allow multiple versions of the same software to be used in a controlled manner.
A modulefile contains information to configure the shell for an application. Typically, a modulefile
contains instructions that alter or set shell environment variables, such as PATH and MANPATH,
to enable access to various installed software. Many users on a system can share modulefiles,
and users may have their own collection to supplement or replace the shared modulefiles.
1.2 Determining System Configuration Information 27