Using PPPL unix services: AFS

• AFS (originally Andrew File System from CMU) is a distributed filesystem. Software was recently open sourced by IBM/Transarc (http://www.openafs.org).
• Built for WAN access, uses Kerberos for authentication, files are cached locally
• PPPL has an AFS cell (along with dozens of other institutions, like MIT, NERSC, NCSU, etc) - this is accessible at /afs/pppl.gov on the UNIX cluster (others at /afs/mit.edu/, etc.)
• What's there? Lots of great binaries like IDL, and compilers (depends on the platform of the client machine). You can also store files in the AFS filesystem (at /afs/pppl.gov/u/<user>). To use either of these, you need an AFS account at PPPL (see Lena).
• Access to these resources can be had from any machine with an AFS client. I use AFS primarily to provide a filesystem common to all the computers I use to do work - no need to transfer files using sftp/rsync.
• Binaries and source for OpenAFS are available from http://www.openafs.org for most UNIX platforms, as well as Windows 95/98/NT.