DIAL release 1.30: Getting started

David Adams
06oct05

The DIAL setup for release 1.30 is the same as that for 1.20.

Setup

The first step toward using DIAL is to run a setup script that defines a few environmental variables and aliases. Ask the dial installer where these scripts are located. Here we assume they are at $DIALSETDIR. The set up is one of the following (depending on your shell): 
  > . $DIALSETDIR/setup.sh
  > source $DIALSETDIR/setup.csh
This setup has a minimal effect on your environment and can safely be put in a user or system login file.

Here are some of the places these setup files may be found: 

   BNL: DIALSETDIR=/usatlas/ada_sw/dialbase/setup
  CERN: DIALSETDIR=/afs/cern.ch/atlas/maxidisk/d169/install/setup
Please note the that the locations have changed since release 1.2.0.

Command line interface

The easiest way to run any of the DIAL command-line tools is to open a DIAL shell, issue the command then exit back to the starting shell: 

  > dial
  dial: Starting DIAL version 1.30 with configuration atlas.

  Welcome to DIAL
  dial-1.30> uidtest
  ID connection is 
    WsClientUniqueIdGenerator:http://adial01.usatlas.bnl.gov:20001:true
  Next Test ID is 124-12
  dial-1.30> exit
  exit
  Leaving DIAL

  >
The DIAL version and configuration may be explictly specified on the command line: 
  > dial -v 1.30 -c atlas
A single command may be run directly: 
  > dial uidest
  ID connection is 
    WsClientUniqueIdGenerator:http://adial01.usatlas.bnl.gov:20001:true
  Next Test ID is 124-12
  dial-1.30> exit

ROOT interface

Most common is to start a root session with the command dialroot. This will start a DIAL shell (if needed) and then start root. At the root command line one can easily define, submit and monitor a job and examine its results. 
  > dialroot
  dialroot: Starting DIAL shell to run root.
  dial: Starting DIAL version 1.30 with configuration atlas.
  ...Many lines omitted...
  root[0]
If the flag -i is included on the command line, then any missing DIAL configuration, example or demo files will be copied into the local directory. These files must be present to load the DIAL dictionaries and access DIAL classes and services. Typical usage is to run with this flag in an empty directory before making use of the dialroot client.

Major versions of DIAL (1.20, 1.30, ...) are generally not compatible and one should not install DIAL from one release and run from another in the same directory.

From inside of root, one can browse the catalogs, extract objects (applications, tasks and and datasets), create new objects, define, submit and monitor jobs, and examine their results. Use the help() message to redisplay the list of useful commands that appears when your first start up dialroot.

As with the shell command, the DIAL version and configuration may be explicitly specified on the command line. The usual root options may may also be provided.

If you are in a DIAL shell and do not wish to fetch the configuration or demo files, you may start root in the usual manner: 

dial-1.30> root.exe

DIAL provides a rootlogon.C script to load dictionaries and define global variables. If you wish to provide you own startup commands, they may be placed in userlogon.C which is called from rootlogon.C.

Web interfaces

A list of DIAL services may be found on the DIAL service page. A page for each service provides a description including the URL needed to access the web service. The page for each analysis services includes a link to its primary job repository page which can be used to examine and monitor running and recently completed jobs. Links from that page can be used to get more details.

If a web page appears and responds to updates, then the associated service is likely also in good shape.

DIAL release 1.30: Introduction, updated 17oct05