Developer > Getting Started > Advanced Setup

Worker VM Setup

If you are are developing or testing the distributed system for automated grading, you may want to set up one or more worker machines in addition to your primary vagrant virtual machine.

Automated Worker Installation

  1. First set up your main/primary machine by following the normal VM Install using Vagrant instructions.

  2. Ensure you have Python 3 installed on your machine, run: 
    python3 --version
  3. To generate configuration for a worker machine, run: 
    vagrant workers generate

    If instead you need multiple workers, append the -n flag, ex. for 3 machines:

    vagrant workers generate -n 3

    NOTE: This will create the vagrant configuration file: .vagrant/workers.json.

  4. If you are on MacOS running QEMU, restart the network socket in public mode: 
    vagrant workers socket restart --public

    NOTE: Using the --public flag will make your worker VMs accessible to anyone on your local network, which may be a modest security concern. We suggest this to minimize possibility of errors while creating the worker machines and will revert this in a later step.

    NOTE: Running a socket command while a worker machine is running can detach the process, making the VM inaccessible to vagrant. If this happens and you are unable to vagrant workers halt, then you may run pkill -15 -f qemu-system- to kill all virtual machines running on your computer (including the main Submitty VM).

  5. Now you can create the worker machine(s) with: 
    vagrant workers up

    NOTE: Do not use the –provider flag with this command, since it will conflict with the provider of the main virtual machine.

    When this is finished, you should see the Submitty duck ASCII art for each new worker machine.

  6. You can verify that all the worker machines are running with: 
    vagrant workers status
  7. vagrant ssh into the main virtual machine and run: 
    refresh_vagrant_workers   # (runs python3 /usr/local/submitty/GIT_CHECKOUT/Submitty/.setup/bin/refresh_vagrant_workers.py)
submitty_install
  8. To stop the worker machines, you can run: 
    vagrant workers halt
vagrant workers socket stop

    For MacOS QEMU users: Once the virtual machine(s) are halted, if you would like to restart under private networking, you may do so by omitting the --public flag from the vagrant workers socket start command.

Connecting to the Worker Machine

If you would like to ensure the worker is functioning properly, or enter the worker machine for managing it directly, you can follow these steps.

To connect to a worker machine through SSH, run:

vagrant workers ssh <worker-name>

If you want to test the connection between the primary VM and a worker, you can first vagrant ssh into the primary machine and then run this command to SSH into the worker from there:

su submitty_daemon -c ssh <worker-name>

The list of worker names can be displayed with vagrant workers status.

NOTE: Depending on the performance of your computer and the size of the autograding queue passed to the worker, the SSH command may hang for some time.

Manual Worker Installation (VirtualBox)

  1. Open the Virtual Box application.

  2. Click New to create a new machine. Give it a useful name: e.g., worker_machine_a Specify the type: Linux And the version: Ubuntu 64

  3. Specify the amount of memory: 2048 = 2GB should be sufficient.

  4. Create the disk as a new virtual disk. Specify RAM memory: 2048 (2GB) Create new virtual disk. Choose VDI Choose Dynamically allocated Specify size: e.g., 20GB

  5. Download the Ubuntu 22.04 installer 64 bit .iso. Save this somewhere on your host computer.

  6. Click on Start to power on. Browse your files to find the Ubuntu installer .iso we downloaded earlier. Press Start.

  7. Follow the Ubuntu installation menu… Click Install Ubuntu. Select English keyboard. Select normal installation. Agree to Erase disk & Install Ubuntu. Specify your timezone. Then specify your username, computer name, password. Then click through various menus, and wait a while installing system. Then restart the VM to finish installation.

  8. At some point, it will suggest that you install updates for Ubuntu 22.04, go ahead and do that. You’ll probably have to reboot.

  9. Allow ssh connections to the worker VM from outside (e.g., from your primary machine): from virtual box, select the VM, click on Settings, then Network, Enable Network Adapter should be checked, then set Attached to: Bridged Adapter

  10. From the VM, open a terminal and install a bunch of additional packages:

    sudo apt update
sudo apt install net-tools
sudo apt install openssh-server
sudo apt install git

  11. Install Guest Additions (Improves screen resolution, copy paste to/from the VM, etc.)

    While the VM is running, focus on the VM window. Then from the menu, select Devices -> Insert guest additions CD image Open a terminal in the VM Go to the guest additions CD directory, and run the guest additions installer:

    mount
cd /media/<USERNAME>/VBox_GAs_<VERSION>/
sudo ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

  12. Get a permanent IP address for your machine Go to your router, assign a fix ip address for your mac address E.g., in a browser, go to 192.168.0.1 and log in… Helpful command to find your mac address & current IP address:

    ifconfig

  13. Prevent worker VM from going to sleep (so you can send autograding jobs to it at any time). Settings -> privacy -> screen lock -> turn off screen lock Settings -> power -> suspend & power button -> automatic suspend == off Settings -> power -> blank screen == never

  14. Follow the worker installation instructions