Skirit Frontend Upgrade and Introduction of "Lite" Version

Skirit Frontend Upgrade and Introduction of "Lite" Version

Dear Users,

As part of our ongoing infrastructure improvements at MetaCentrum, we have completed a major upgrade of the Skirit frontend. To ensure a more stable and powerful environment for your work, we are migrating to new hardware and introducing a specialized lightweight version.
 

New Skirit: Full Power on New Hardware

The main frontend skirit.metacentrum.cz (alias skirit.grid.cesnet.cz) is now running on brand-new, high-performance hardware. This is the primary address we recommend for all new sessions.
 

New Feature: Skirit-Lite for Lightweight Tasks

The original Skirit hardware is not retiring; instead, it is transitioning into a new role. Under the new hostname skirit-lite.metacentrum.cz, it will serve as a "lightweight" frontend.

• When to use Skirit-Lite? Ideal for quick job management, script editing, or checking job status.
• When to use Standard Skirit? Recommended for demanding interactive work and operations requiring higher computational power directly on the frontend.

Important Migration Details

1. Do not start new sessions on the old address: A nologin mode will soon be activated on the old machine (skirit.ics.muni.cz). Please direct all new logins exclusively to skirit.metacentrum.cz.
2. Finish your current work: Existing active sessions on the old hardware will be allowed to finish. However, once they end, you will no longer be able to log back into that specific instance using the old hostname.
3. Planned Reboot: Within the next few days, the old machine will undergo a reboot for software upgrades and will be officially renamed to skirit-lite.ics.muni.cz.
4. SSH Key Changes: Due to the hardware swap and renaming, your SSH client may warn you about changed host keys. This is expected behavior in this case.
5. The work on the frontends will otherwise remain unchanged for users, and home directories will be preserved without any changes.