RSoft Installation Guide

RSoft Design Group, Inc.

400 Executive Blvd. Ste 100
Ossining, NY 10562 USA

ph: 1.914.923.2164
fax: 1.914.923.2169
info@rsoftdesign.com
www.rsoftdesign.com

Copyright © 1993-2010
All Rights Reserved.

REVISON A
Contents
Preface 1
System Requirements ................................................................................................................ 1
Notices ....................................................................................................................................... 1

Chapter 1: Windows Installation 3

1.A. Before Installing ................................................................................................................ 3
1.B. Installing the Software ....................................................................................................... 3
1.C. What Next? ........................................................................................................................ 4
1.C.1. Technical Support and Product Upgrades......................................................... 4
1.C.2. Location of Important Files .............................................................................. 5
1.D. Installing Upgrades ............................................................................................................ 5
1.E. Troubleshooting a Windows Installation............................................................................ 5
1.E.1. Setting up the PATH ......................................................................................... 6
1.E.2. Installing the License file .................................................................................. 6
1.E.3. Hardlock Key Drivers ....................................................................................... 6
1.E.4. License Manager & Network Key Settings....................................................... 6
1.E.5. MPI for Clustering ............................................................................................ 6

Chapter 2: Linux Installation 7

2.A. Before Installing ................................................................................................................ 7
2.B. Installing the Software ....................................................................................................... 7
2.C. What Next? ........................................................................................................................ 8
2.C.1. Technical Support and Product Upgrades......................................................... 8
2.C.2. Location of Important Files .............................................................................. 9
2.D. Installing Upgrades ............................................................................................................ 9
2.E. Troubleshooting a Linux Installation ................................................................................. 9
2.E.1. Configuring Login/Startup Scripts .................................................................... 9
2.E.2. Installing in a Different Directory................................................................... 10
2.E.3. Missing Shared Libraries ................................................................................ 10
2.E.4. DOS Format *.ind files ................................................................................... 10
2.E.5. Environment Variables.................................................................................... 10

Chapter 3: Configuring a Cluster Installation 13

3.A. Clustering Overview ........................................................................................................ 13
3.B. Configuring and Testing a Standalone Cluster................................................................. 13
3.B.1. Windows Standalone FullWAVE Clusters ..................................................... 13
3.B.2. Linux Standalone FullWAVE Clusters........................................................... 14
3.C. Configuring and Testing a Networked Cluster................................................................. 14
3.C.1. Ensuring Network Connectivity...................................................................... 14
3.C.2. Testing a Networked Cluster .......................................................................... 15

RSoft Installation Guide  iii

Chapter 4: Uninstalling the Package 17
4.A. Uninstalling the Package.................................................................................................. 17
4.B. Uninstalling Older Versions............................................................................................. 17

RSoft Installation Guide  iv

Preface

System Requirements
Most RSoft products have 32- and 64-bit versions for both Windows and Linux systems. Please check the 'System
Requirements' section of the relevant product on RSoft's website (www.rsoftdesign.com) for a list of the specific OS
versions we currently support.
Note that once a product has been successfully installed, it may not function correctly after changes such as OS updates
or other software/hardware modifications are made to the computer system. In such cases, RSoft will attempt to resolve
any issues for customers that have a current annual maintenance contract with RSoft, but does not guarantee success.

Notices
This section has a list of legal and other miscellaneous information pertaining to the software.

Limited Warranty
RSoft Design Group, Inc. warrants that under normal use, the physical media (diskette and documentation) will be free
of material defects for a period of thirty days from the date of purchase. Upon written notice, RSoft Design Group, Inc.
will replace any defective media. No other warranty of any sort, either expressed or implied, is provided with this
software. No liability for damage to equipment or data, or any other liability, is assumed by RSoft Design Group, Inc.

Copyright Notice
Copyright © 1990-2010 RSoft Design Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Copyright is claimed for both this manual and
the software described in it.

RSoft Design Group™ Trademarks

RSoft Design Group, RSoft Inc., RSoft, The RSoft CAD Environment, BeamPROP, FullWAVE, BandSOLVE,
GratingMOD, DiffractMOD, FemSIM, ModePROP, LaserMOD, OptSim, LinkSIM, EDFA for Vendors, ModeSYS,
Artifex, MetroWAND, SWAT, WinPLOT, and RPlot are trademarks of RSoft Design Group, Inc.

Acknowledgments
IBM is a registered trademark and IBM PC, PS/2, and OS/2 are trademarks of International Business Machines
Corporation. Intel is a trademark of Intel Corporation. Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows

RSoft Installation Guide  1

is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. UNIX and Motif are registered trademarks and X Windows is a trademark of
The Open Group. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Xfree86 is a registered trademark of the The
Xfree86 Project. All other product names referred to in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective manufacturers.

RSoft Installation Guide  2

Chapter 1: Windows Installation

This chapter describes the general installation procedure for all RSoft packages on a Windows computer system. These
packages include RSoft’s Passive Device Suite (RSoft CAD, BeamPROP, FullWAVE, BandSOLVE, GratingMOD,
DiffractMOD, FemSIM, ModePROP, LaserMOD, and/or MOST) and RSoft’s System Design Suite (OptSim, and/or
ModeSYS). Note that these suites include multiple products and options, not all of which will function unless
appropriately licensed. Please consult the appropriate product manual for any additional instructions.

1.A. Before Installing

This section is for first-time installations, upgrades are discussed in Section 1.D.

Before installing, have the following accessible before continuing with the installation:
 Installation Executable
RSoft’s Passive Device Suite, Active Device Suite, and System Design Suite all have separate setup programs and
can be found on the installation CD or downloaded from RSoft’s support page (www.rsoftdesign.com/support). The
installation procedure should be repeated for all the suites to be installed.
 USB Hardlock Key(s)
A hardlock key(s) is included in the software package, and has a serial number such as 16845678.
 License File
A license file(s) that corresponds to the serial number(s) of the hardlock key(s) and to the version of the suite you
are installing. RSoft will email this file to the user on record. If you have not received a license file, contact RSoft
with your name, organization, and serial number(s) at license@rsoftdesign.com.

1.B. Installing the Software

Administrative rights are required to install the software. Also, do not attach the USB key until the installation is
complete. If upgrading, please see Section 1.D before proceeding.

1. To start the installation process, run the executable file for the setup program (usually setup.exe). The installation
program will indicate which package you are installing. Click Next to continue.
2. Read through and agree to the License Agreement and click Next to continue.
3. Enter your User Name and Organization and click Next to continue.

RSoft Installation Guide  3

4. Enter the directory to which the software should be installed. The default (c:\rsoft) is recommended. Note that
installations should not be made to directories with spaces. Also, be sure to install multiple Suites (Passive and
Active Device Suites, for example) in the same directory. Click Next to continue.
5. Select the Start Menu folder in which shortcuts to the programs(s) should be placed. It is recommended that you use
the default folder name. Click Next to continue.
6. Select the type of license you have purchased:
If you are unsure about the type of license you have, choose Nodelocked.
 Nodelocked refers to a standalone single copy of the software that will be used on one computer only. If
making this choice, skip Step 7 and proceed to Step 8.
 Network/Floating refers to network or floating copies of the software that can be used across a network. Note
that you must repeat this entire installation process on all computers that will use the software, including the
network key server (the computer the USB key will sit on).
Click Next to continue.
7. Nodelocked installations should skip this step.
If installing a Network/Floating license, you will be prompted to enter the Name or IP Address of Network Key
Server. If this is unknown at this time, leave blank and set later as described in Section 1.E. Click Next to continue.
8. Select the method for installing the license file:
 Copy license file already on disk to proper directory – make this choice if you already have the license file on
the computer. You will be prompted to select the file, and it will be copied to proper directory.
 Provide instructions on where to copy license file – make this choice if you do not have the license file
accessible. At the end of the installation the setup program will tell you where to copy the license file.
 Do nothing – this choice is for product upgrades where a new license file is not needed.
Click Next to continue.
9. Review the installation options, and if any changes need to be made, click Back. If not, click Next to continue to
start the installation.
10. After the installation is complete, a message will appear if any parts of the installation were unable to be carried out.
See Section 1.E for details on how to manually complete the installation. Click Finish.
11. Once any required manual steps are completed, attach the USB hardlock key if installing a Nodelocked license or if
this is a network key server. In all cases, it is a good idea to restart the computer.
12. Open the software via the Start Menu. If the software successfully starts, the main installation is completed. If not,
see Section 1.E for troubleshooting help. In addition, use of clustering requires additional manual setup as described
in Chapter 3. Also, Network/Floating licenses require any firewall(s) to be configured as described in Section 1.E.4.

1.C. What Next?

At this point you are ready to begin using the software.

1.C.1. Technical Support and Product Upgrades

The standard purchase of RSoft software entitles the user to one year of maintenance, which includes both technical
support and product updates. When a purchase is made, RSoft will email the user on record a license file, a technical
support contact at RSoft, and a username and password. Product updates are released every one to three months and can
be accessed at www.rsoftdesign.com/support. Contact RSoft with questions about technical support, product updates, or
updating maintenance.

RSoft Installation Guide  4

1.C.2. Location of Important Files
The installation directory (/rsoft) contains several subdirectories with important content:

Product Manuals and README Files

Each software product includes a comprehensive manual that describes its usage: online HTML versions can be opened
via the graphical program interface(s) and are also found in the /help subdirectory. Printable PDF versions can be
found in /doc. The file readme.txt, as well as other product-specific files, are located in the /readme subdirectory
and should be read. These files provide important program information that is not contained in the manuals, including
new or improved features and options.

Example Design and Tutorial Files

The software comes with an extensive set of examples and tutorial files located in the /examples subdirectory. Since it
is easy to accidentally overwrite these files when experimenting, it is recommended that you back up this folder to
another location, perhaps a subdirectory of your own home directory.

Main Executable Files

The /bin subdirectory contains the main executable files for each program. For 64-bit installations, 32-bit executables
can be found in the /bin32 subdirectory.

1.D. Installing Upgrades

RSoft releases periodic updates to its software packages which eligible users can obtain from
www.rsoftdesign.com/support. When updating, keep the following in mind:
 New license file
If upgrading to a new major release of the software, you will need a new license file. A major update is denoted by
a change in either the first two version numbers, for example from 8.0 to 8.1. If you need a new license file, contact
RSoft at license@rsoftdesign.com with your name, organization, and serial number(s).
Only users who have a current maintenance contract with RSoft are entitled to free upgrades. If you do not have a
current maintenance contract, do not attempt to upgrade as your current version will not be saved resulting in loss of
operation. Contact RSoft with questions.
 Backup(s)
When upgrading, though not required, it is recommended that you backup the existing installation in order to avoid
loss of operation during the upgrade process. Do not simply rename the /rsoft directory since Windows will
update all shortcuts, but rather duplicate it.

1.E. Troubleshooting a Windows Installation

If after performing the automatic installation procedure one or more installation steps could not be automatically
performed, or if an error message appears when the program is opened, manual installation steps may be required.
Depending on the error message, review the instructions above as well as any of the following appropriate manual
installation procedures. If a solution cannot be found, contact RSoft.

These manual procedures are usually performed by the automatic installation routine, and should only be performed if
needed.

RSoft Installation Guide  5

1.E.1. Setting up the PATH
The \bin subdirectory in the installation directory (c:\rsoft\bin by default) must be in the PATH. To test that this
setting is correct, open a DOS or Command Prompt, and type the command winplot. If the program is not recognized
at all, contact your system administrator to assist you in modifying the PATH.

1.E.2. Installing the License file

To manually install the license file, copy the license file that you have received from RSoft into the \licenses
subdirectory in the main installation directory. This name of the license file must match the serial number of the USB
hardlock key, and all user accounts that use the software must have read access to the file.

1.E.3. Hardlock Key Drivers

To manually install the hardlock key drivers, log on as administrator and issue the command
haspdinst –install
from the /hardlock subdirectory in the installation directory. If previous versions of the drivers were installed, you
should first issue the following command
haspdinst –fremove

1.E.4. License Manager & Network Key Settings

The RSoft License Manager required for Network/Floating licensing schemes, or Nodelocked licenses with more than 2
CPUs. To start this service, log on as administrator and issue the command:
rslmd –install
Then, on both the server and any clients manually set the environment variable RSLM_SERVER to the network name or IP
address of the network key server. For Nodelocked licenses with more than 2 CPU’s, this variable must be set to
localhost. This variable must be set for all user accounts that will access the software. Also, any firewall(s) must be
configured to allow the RSoft License Manager (rslmd.exe) to communicate via TCP between machines on port 8988.

1.E.5. MPI for Clustering

To manually install MPICH2 which is required for clustering, log on as administrator and issue the command
smpd –install
Additional manual installation steps are required for clustering and are described in Chapter 3.

RSoft Installation Guide  6

Chapter 2: Linux Installation

This chapter describes the general installation procedure for all RSoft packages on a Linux computer system. These
packages include RSoft’s Passive Device Suite (RSoft CAD, BeamPROP, FullWAVE, BandSOLVE, GratingMOD,
DiffractMOD, FemSIM, ModePROP, and/or MOST). RSoft’s System Design Suite (OptSim, and/or ModeSYS) uses a
different installation routine that is documented separately. Note that these suites include multiple products and options,
not all of which will function unless appropriately licensed. Please consult the appropriate product manual for any
additional instructions.

2.A. Before Installing

This section is for first-time installations, upgrades are discussed in Section 2.D.

Before installing, have the following accessible before continuing with the installation:
 Installation Distribution
RSoft’s Passive Device Suite, Active Device Suite, and System Design Suite all have separate setup programs.
These can be obtained from either the installation CD included with the software package or downloaded from
RSoft’s support page (www.rsoftdesign.com/support). The installation procedure should be repeated for all the
suites to be installed.
 USB Hardlock Key(s)
A hardlock key(s) is included in the software package, and has a serial number such as 16845678.
 License File
A license file(s) that corresponds to the serial number(s) of the hardlock key(s) and to the version of the suite you
are installing. RSoft will email this file to the user on record. If you have not received a license file, contact RSoft
with your name, organization, and serial number(s) at license@rsoftdesign.com.
 The openmotif package must be installed. If you do not have this package installed, please contact your system
administrator for help with the installation.
 For Linux distribution-specific instructions please refer to the file /readme/readmelinux.txt located in the
software distribution.

2.B. Installing the Software

You will need root access to perform at least some of these steps. If upgrading, please see Section 2.D before
proceeding.

RSoft Installation Guide  7

13. To start the installation process, copy the distribution file (usually rsoft.taz) in binary mode to /usr/local. To
install in a different directory, see the notes in Section 2.E.2.
14. Change directories to /usr/local and unpack the .taz file with the command
tar zxf <taz file

where <taz file> is the actual name of the file. This will install the software files in the directory
/usr/local/rsoft.

15. Add the executable directory /usr/local/rsoft/bin to your PATH by editing your login file. See Section 2.E.1
for details.
16. Next, determine whether you have purchased a Nodelocked or Network/Floating license before proceeding. A
Nodelocked license is a standalone single copy of the software that will be used on one computer only. A
Network/Floating license allows copies of the software to be used across a network. The software must be installed
on each computer that the software will be used on, including the network key server where the hardlock key will
sit. If you are unsure about the type of license you have, follow the Nodelocked instructions.
17. For NodeLocked licenses and the network key server, issue the command
./usr/local/rsoft/hardlock/hldinst_usb
to start the hardlock key module. In order to always load the module when the computer starts, this command
should be appended to your distribution’s startup script. See Section 2.E.1 for details.
18. The RSoft License Daemon is required for Network/Floating licensing schemes or Nodelocked licenses with more
than 2 CPUs. To start this daemon, issue the command
/usr/local/rsoft/bin/rslmd &
In order that the daemon always run, append this command to your distribution’s startup script. See Section 2.E.1
for details.
In your shell login file (see Section 2.E.1), define the variable RSLM_SERVER to the IP address of the network key
server. Also, all firewalls must be configured to allow the licensing daemon (rslmd) to communicate via TCP on
port 8988.
19. Copy the license file in binary form to the /usr/local/rsoft/licenses directory. All user accounts that use
the software must have read access to the file, so set the permissions appropriately.
20. If installing a Nodelocked license or on the network key server, attach the USB hardlock key.
21. Open the software via the command xbcad. If the software successfully starts, the main installation is completed.
If not, see Section 2.E for troubleshooting help. In addition, use of clustering requires additional manual setup as
described in Chapter 3. Also, when using the tool(s), additional libraries might be needed at which point the
software will inform you. See Section 2.E.2 for details on libraries.

2.C. What Next?

At this point you are ready to begin using the software.

2.C.1. Technical Support and Product Upgrades

The standard purchase of RSoft software entitles the user to one year of maintenance, which includes both technical
support and product updates. When a purchase is made, RSoft will email the user on record a license file, a technical
support contact at RSoft, and a username and password. Product updates are released every one to three months and can
be accessed at www.rsoftdesign.com/support. Contact RSoft with questions about technical support, product updates, or
updating maintenance.

RSoft Installation Guide  8

2.C.2. Location of Important Files
The installation directory (/rsoft) contains several subdirectories with important content.

Product Manuals and README Files

Each software product includes a comprehensive manual that describes its usage: online HTML versions can be opened
via the graphical program interface(s) and are also found in the /help subdirectory. Printable PDF versions can be
found in /doc. The file readme.txt, as well as other product-specific files, are located in the /readme subdirectory and
should be read. These files provide important program information that is not contained in the manuals, including new
or improved features and options.

Example Design and Tutorial Files

The software comes with an extensive set of examples and tutorial files. The files in the /examples subdirectory in the
installation directory should be copied to the home directory of all users who will use the software since they will not
have permission to run files from the main directory.

Main Executable Files

The /bin subdirectory contains the main executable files for each program. For 64-bit installations, 32-bit executables
can be found in the /bin32 subdirectory.

2.D. Installing Upgrades

RSoft releases periodic updates to its software packages which eligible users can obtain from
www.rsoftdesign.com/support. When updating, keep the following in mind:
 New license file
If upgrading to a new major release of the software, you will need a new license file. A major update is denoted by
a change in either the first two version numbers, for example from 8.0 to 8.1. If you need a new license file, contact
RSoft at license@rsoftdesign.com with your name, organization, and serial number(s).
Only users who have a current maintenance contract with RSoft are entitled to free product upgrades. If you do not
have a current maintenance contract, do not attempt to upgrade as your current version will not be saved resulting in
loss of operation. Contact RSoft with any questions.
 Backup(s)
When upgrading, though not required, it is recommended that you backup the existing installation in order to avoid
loss of operation during the upgrade process. This can be done by moving /usr/local/rsoft to say
/usr/local/rsoft_8.0 before installing the new distribution.

2.E. Troubleshooting a Linux Installation

If after performing the installation an error message appears when the program is opened, review the instructions above
and the notes in this section. These are general instructions; for specific instructions for various Linux distributions, see
the file /readme/readmelinux.txt. If a solution cannot be found, contact RSoft.

2.E.1. Configuring Login/Startup Scripts

To automatically load necessary system settings for the software to run, both login and startup scripts should be edited.
 Login Script

RSoft Installation Guide  9

 Add all modifications to the system PATH as well as environment variables to the file ~/.bashrc. It is
recommended that users also source the file ~/.bashrc in the file ~/.bash_profile to ensure that all settings are
properly made.

Changes must be made for each user that will access the software. These instructions assume that the bash shell is used.
Users of different shell types must make these settings in the appropriate corresponding files.

 Startup Script
Users must add the hardlock key driver and RSoft License Daemon (if needed) to a suitable startup script such as
/etc/rc.d/rc.local. If using this specific script, the hardlock key drivers can be automatically added using the
script setup_usb. If using the RSoft License Daemon, make sure the command to start the daemon comes after the
call for the hardlock key driver.

2.E.2. Installing in a Different Directory

If, due to your company’s IT policy, you are unable to install to /usr/local, it is possible to install in a different
location (referred to as <install_dir>). However, all features (such as FullWAVE clustering) are not guaranteed to
work correctly. If this must be done, there are two recommended ways: 1) make a symbolic link in /usr/local to
point to the installation directory or 2) set the environment variables RSOFT_PROGRAMPATH and LD_LIBRARY_PATH to
the value ‘<install_dir>/bin’. The first method is preferable and less likely to have difficulty. The installation
directory must not have spaces, and installing to a non-standard directory will require modifications to the paths in the
installation instructions above.

2.E.3. Missing Shared Libraries

Most of the libraries needed by RSoft products are included on Linux systems by default. If, when the program starts, a
message appears about a missing library, first check your distribution’s repository to see if the needed library is
available. If so, install it. If no library is available, check the included libraries in the /etc subdirectory. These
libraries can be installed be moving to the rsoft/bin and issuing the command ‘tar zxf ../etc/libXXX.taz’
where XXX corresponds to the library name. To check for all the libraries used by a particular tool and if they have been
found on your system, use the command ‘ldd <toolname>’.
If using SE Linux and a message appears that it cannot access a needed library (but not that it is missing), move to the
rsoft/bin directory and issue the command ‘../etc/chconlib *.so*’.

2.E.4. DOS Format *.ind files

The Windows and Linux versions of RSoft software are functionally identical and input files can be interchanged
between platforms. However, input ASCII files transferred from Windows to Linux or vice versa should be converted to
the native format of the new platform. This is easily accomplished using the dos2unix and unix2dos utilities which
are widely available on the Internet if they are not included with your distribution. Failure to convert input files in this
way may result in program error.

2.E.5. Environment Variables

These variables can be defined to set several program defaults:
 RSOFT_EDITOR
This variables determines the text editor used to view certain text files produced by RSoft programs. Depending on
your environment, suitable values might be ‘gedit’ (Gnome), ‘kedit’ (KDE), or ‘xterm -geometry 120x20 -
e vi’ (generic desktop).
 RSOFT_BROWSER

RSoft Installation Guide  10

For displaying online documentation, The RSoft CAD attempts to identify the most suitable HTML browser for
your particular setup. You can override its selection by defining this variable to your preference. Suitable values
might be ‘galeon’ or ‘epiphany’ (Gnome), ‘konqueror’ (KDE) or ‘mozilla’ (generic desktop).
For the Firefox browser, copy the file <rsoft_dir>/etc/myfirefox.sh into $HOME/bin and set this variable to
$HOME/myfirefox.sh to open the documentation correctly and in a new tab in an open browser if available.

RSoft Installation Guide  11

Chapter 3: Configuring a Cluster
Installation

This chapter describes the configuration of a cluster for both Windows and Linux systems. Clustering allows
simulations to employ multiple CPUs that can be on a single computer, distributed over a network, or both utilizing the
message passing interface (MPI). RSoft supports a customized version of the MPICH2 implementation of MPI from
Argonne National Lab (Copyright 2002 Argonne National Lab). The complete distribution and further information
regarding MPICH2 can be found at www.mcs.anl.gov/mpi/mpich2/.

3.A. Clustering Overview

The FullWAVE clustering feature is included with every copy of FullWAVE for use on up to 2 CPUs on the same
machine, and can be licensed separately for use with more than 2 CPUs or across a network. The MOST clustering
feature is licensed separately.
Before configuring a cluster installation, the software should be installed on all nodes (computers) as described in the
previous chapters. For Windows platforms, be sure the automated installation routine started the MPICH2 process
(smpd.exe). This process can be manually started as administrator by the command ‘smpd –install’.

3.B. Configuring and Testing a Standalone Cluster

A standalone (e.g. non-networked) cluster allows users to utilize multiple CPUs in one computer. Standard copies of
FullWAVE allows clustering with 2 CPUs on the same computer, other configurations are licensed separately. MOST
clustering is discussed in the MOST manual.

3.B.1. Windows Standalone FullWAVE Clusters

Windows standalone FullWAVE clusters do not require any additional settings. To test, open the file
/examples/FullWAVE/wg.ind in the CAD interface. Click the Perform Simulation button in the left toolbar and
click OK to start the non-clustered simulation. The entire simulation domain is visible in the simulation window. Click
the Perform Simulation button again and, in the Cluster Option feature group, click Enable and set # Processes to 2.
Click OK to start the clustered simulation and note that half the simulation domain is visible in the simulation window.
The simulation has been split into two processes, and only one is displayed by default. See the FullWAVE manual for
more details about using clustering.

RSoft Installation Guide  13

3.B.2. Linux Standalone FullWAVE Clusters
To enable standalone FullWAVE clusters on Linux, set the environment variable P4_RSHCOMMAND=rshlocal in the
appropriate login script (see Section 2.E.1). Then perform the tests for Windows users in Section 3.B.1.

3.C. Configuring and Testing a Networked Cluster

A networked cluster allows users to utilize multiple CPUs that are distributed across a network and within a single
computer. First the connectivity between the nodes must be ensured, and then the cluster can be tested.

3.C.1. Ensuring Network Connectivity

Nodes within a cluster must be able to access the same simulation data and communicate with each other across the
network to remotely start jobs and share data. The instructions for this are different for Windows and Linux

Windows Clusters
To ensure network connectivity under Windows, perform these steps:
 Configuring any Firewall(s)
Any firewalls installed on the network must be configured to allow MPICH2 traffic to pass through it.
 Running mpiexec
MPICH2 requires the username and password of a user account that can remotely access and start simulation jobs on
all computers in the cluster. The account should be created on each node if using a Windows workgroup, or created
on the domain controller if using a Windows domain.
To enable access, issue this command on the master node:
mpiexec –register
Enter the username and password to be used. Accounts with the name ‘administrator’ or blank passwords will not
work. To check that the user does indeed have remote access, issue the command
mpiexec –validate –host cluster_node
where cluster_node is the name of a specific node computer. Repeat this test for all nodes in the cluster.
 Creating a shared workspace
The working directory where simulation files are stored must be accessible via the same path by all nodes in the
cluster. There are two basic ways to do this:
1) Open design files via their UNC path on the master node. For example, if design files are located in the directory
c:\tmp on a computer named master_node, and this directory is shared on the network as cluster_sims, open
the file from the location //master_node/cluster_sims.
2) Create a shared drive to the shared directory where the design files are located. For example, if the local drive
c:\tmp on the master node is shared on the network and mapped as z: on all the nodes, open the file from the
mapped drive (z:) on the master node.
In both scenarios, each node will be able to access the design files using the same path, and assumes that all nodes
have read and write access to the shared directory.

Linux Clusters
To ensure network connectivity under Linux, perform these steps:
 Configuring any Firewall(s)

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 Any firewalls installed on the network must be configured to allow MPICH2 traffic to pass through it.
 Enabling ssh
You must enable ssh to remotely access nodes involved in a networked cluster. You should ask your system
administrator if these steps are necessary as some machines might already have ssh enabled. To enable ssh, follow
these steps:
Add the following line to your login file (see Section 2.E.1)
export P4_RSHCOMMAND=ssh
Assuming that the cluster has a shared directory structure and that your home directory is the same when you log
into any node, issue the following command from your home directory
ssh –keygen –t dsa
Accept all the defaults (including the empty passphrase), then issue the commands
cd ~/.ssh
cp id_dsa.pub authorized_keys2

This will allow you to ssh from one node to another without a password. Test this by using this command twice
from the master node:
ssh cluster_node_name

The first time you try each node, you will get a question about the authenticity of the host: type yes to continue.
After that, you will not be asked again. This should be repeated for each cluster node.
Note that if all processes will be run on the local host, ssh is not needed to start jobs. To disable the use of ssh for
this case, set the variable P4_RSHCOMMAND=rshlocal.
 Creating a shared workspace
The working directory where simulation files are stored and run must be a shared directory that is accessible to all
machines. This is most easily done by accessing all design files and running all simulations with UNC paths.
 Environment Variables
In order for remote shells created by ssh to function correctly, they require any variables to be defined locally to be
set in the new shell. Since ssh only uses standard shell initialization files (~/.cshrc or ~/.bashrc), make sure
that any environment variables used for RSoft software or MPICH are defined in these files and not login files. See
Section 2.E.1 for related information.
 X11 forwarding
For FullWAVE simulation windows to appear on the master node, you must enable X11 forwarding in the ssh
configuration file (ssh_config) which is normally located in /etc/ssh/.
 Older RedHat version compatibility
If running RedHat 7.3 or earlier, the RSPROC_METHOD=1 variable must be set.

3.C.2. Testing a Networked Cluster

To test the networked cluster, follow these steps.

FullWAVE Clustering
First, each node will be tested separately, and then tested as a group.

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Testing Nodes Separately
Open a command prompt on one of the nodes and move to the /examples/FullWAVE directory and issue the following
command
fwmpirun –np1 –hosts localhost –show1 wg.ind
This command indicates that a clustered simulation of the file wg.ind should be performed on the local machine with
one process (CPU). A FullWAVE simulation window should open showing a “normal” simulation of a simple
waveguide.
Next, issue this command to use two processes (CPUs) on the local machine
fwmpirun –np2 –hosts localhost –show1 wg.ind
A FullWAVE simulation window should open that shows half of the simulation domain seen before. If this appears,
then MPICH is working correctly. This should be repeated on all nodes to ensure they function correctly.

Testing Nodes Together

Once the nodes have been verified to work on their own, the networked aspect of the clustering can be tested. Open a
command prompt on the master node and move to the shared directory created in the previous section. Copy the file
/examples/FullWAVE/wg.ind to this directory and issue the command
fwmpirun –np2 –hosts master_node_name,cluster_node_name –show1 wg.ind
where master_node_name and cluster_node_name are the names of the master node and a cluster node
respectively. Note that the path to the design file (wg.ind) might have to be modified as described in the previous
section depending on where it is located. If everything has been set up correctly, a simulation window will open
showing half of the simulation domain. Repeat this test with the rest of the cluster nodes to ensure they have been set up
correctly. For more details on the usage of FullWAVE clustering, see the FullWAVE manual.

MOST Clusters
Instructions for testing a MOST cluster can be found in the MOST manual.

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Chapter 4: Uninstalling the
Package

Should you choose to uninstall the RSoft software, please follow these instructions.

Users who are upgrading from a version prior to RSoft CAD 5.0g, OptSIM 4.0, and LaserMOD 2.0 will need to remove
the version from their machines as described below.

4.A. Uninstalling the Package

To uninstall the software, do the following:

Windows:
To uninstall the package under Windows, use the Add/Remove Programs option in the Control Panel. Note that you
must be logged in as administrator to perform this task.

Linux:
To uninstall the package under Linux, simply delete the installation directory. Additionally, you will have to remove any
commands from your startup scripts related to the package.

Uninstalling the Hardlock Drivers:

To uninstall the hardlock key drivers on Windows, issue the command ‘haspdinst –remove’ from the
<rsoft_dir>\hardlock directory. Note that for older versions of the driver, this may not work, and so the command
‘haspdinst –fremove’ can be tried. If this does not work, then try the command ‘hldinst –remove’.

4.B. Uninstalling Older Versions

These instructions are for versions earlier than RSoft CAD 5.0g, OptSim 4.0, and LaserMOD 2.0. For versions newer
than these, follow the above instructions.

These versions use an old directory structure. The current version includes, among other things, a new installation
procedure, directory structure, and device drivers that are sufficiently different from prior versions that it is required that

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you uninstall the old program and remove prior drivers, environment variables, PATH settings, etc. The procedure to do
this is described here. For almost all procedures you should be logged on with adminstrative rights.
First, close any running programs, backup any license files, and backup and rename the old installation directory (usually
C:\BEAMPROP, c:\LINKSIM, or c:\LaserMOD on Windows, /usr/local/beamprop on Linux). Then, depending on
the platform, perform the following:

Windows:
 Remove the old hardware key driver by going to a command prompt (under Start/Programs/Accessories), changing
to the old installation directory using the "cd" command, and typing "hldinst -remove" or "hlinst -d". If you
are running a network key server, you should first stop and remove the server by typing "hls32svc -remove".
 Remove any environment variables for RSoft products that you may have set (e.g. RSOFT_LICENSEPATH,
HLS_IPADDR). Environment variables, including the PATH, are found by going to the Control Panel, choosing
System, selecting the Advanced tab, and clicking on Environment Variables.
 Remove all PATH settings for both the System PATH and any user PATH's that refer to the old installation
directory.

Linux:
 Remove any lines in rc.local or other startup scripts that started the hardware key driver, and reboot the
computer.
 Remove any environment variables for RSoft products that you may have set (e.g. RSOFT_LICENSEPATH,
HLS_IPADDR).

 You do not need to adjust any PATH settings at this point. Note that links in /usr/local/bin will be broken after
renaming the old installation directory. During installation, you will be asked to run a script to remove them.

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