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--- services:grading [2019/05/29 14:41] – jas
+++ services:grading [2021/10/01 09:00] (current) – jas
@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 User bob added to gsync user list.
-It will take 1 hour for your Gsync account to be active.
+Gsync is enabled.
-Gsync enabled.
+Gsync account updates occur once per hour, but only for courses in the current term.
 </code>
 Gsync is enabled for course 9999.  The course directory owner (bob) is added to the gsync access list for the course.
+**NOTE:** The instructions above assume your course is in the current term.  While you can initialize gsync for a course in a different term by specifying a full path to the course directory (eg. /eecs/dept/course/2018-19/F/9999 instead of just "9999" above), you will only be able to **use** gsync when your course is being taught in the current term.
 ===== Step 2: Add Course TAs to Gsync Access List =====
@@ Line 50: / Line 52: @@
 To list users in the access list for your course: gsyncu <course> list
+**NOTE:** The instructions above assume your course is in the current term.  While you can add TAs to the gsync access list for your course in a different term by specifying a full path to the course directory (eg. /eecs/dept/course/2018-19/F/9999 instead of just "9999" above), those TAs will only be able to **use** gsync when your course is being taught in the current term.
 ===== (optional) Step 3: Add Directories to Sync =====
@@ Line 65: / Line 69: @@
 ===== Step 4: Wait for Your Gsync Account to be Initialized =====
-Gsync will create an account and group for your course.  The account and group will be named ta<course>.  For example, for course 9999, the account and group would be "ta9999".  If additional letters are added to your course directory name (eg. 9999Z), then those letters will also be added to the gsync account and group name.
+Gsync will create an account and group for your course (if one has not been created already).  The account will be named ta<course>, while the group will be ta<course>g.  For example, for course 9999, the account "ta9999" and group "ta9999g" would be created.  If additional letters are added to your course directory name (eg. 9999Z), those letters will also be added to the gsync account and group created.  Note however that any capital letters will be converted to lowercase.
 After about an hour, gsync will have created your gsync account and group, and will have updated the gsync access list.
+**NOTE:** If your course is not being taught in the current term (eg. your course is taught in 2019-20 fall, and it is presently 2018-19 summer), then your gsync account updates will only occur when your course is being taught in the present term.
 ===== Step 5: Login to the Grading Server =====
 Login to the grading server (grade1.eecs.yorku.ca) with your regular EECS account.  For example:
-indigo% ssh grade1
+  indigo% ssh grade1
 ** NOTE: The grading server is intended to be used for grading assignments.  Any other use is forbidden. **
@@ Line 81: / Line 87: @@
 In order to access the course grading account, use the "bu" (become user) command.  For example, if your course directory is "9999", then the account name is "ta9999" and can be accessed like this:
-grade1% bu -d ta9999
+  grade1% bu -d ta9999
-Note that the grading account is only accessible from the grading server, grade1.  It's only accessible with the "bu" command.  Your access list determines who can access the account.  No passwords are required.
+Notes:
-===== Step 7: Sync the Course Data =====
+  * The grading account is only accessible from the grading server, grade1.
+  * You can only access the grading account for a course that is being offered in the current term.  For example, if it is 2018-19 summer, and you have created a gsync account for teaching course 9999 in 2019-20 fall, you will not be able to access your gsync account until 2019-20 fall.  When it becomes 2019-20 winter, you will lose access to the gsync account for the course automatically.
+  * The grading account is only accessible with the "bu" command.
+  * Your access list determines who can access the account.  No passwords are required.
+  * If your course directory has capital letters (eg. 9999E), then all letters in the account name are converted to lowercase (eg. ta9999e).
-After you've accessedthe grading account, run the "gsync" command to sync the data from your course directory to the grading directory.  gsync knows which course account you're logged into, so you don't need to tell it which course to sync:
+===== Step 7: Sync the Course Data =====
+After you've accessed the grading account, run the "gsync" command to sync the data from your course directory to the grading directory.  gsync knows which course grading account you're logged into, so you don't need to tell it which course to sync:
-grade1% gsync
+  grade1% gsync
 Here's a sample run:
@@ Line 122: / Line 134: @@
 </code>
-The first time you run gsync, it copies down the data from your course submit directory, and other directories that you've configured gsync to clone.  Subsequent syncs will copy down changed files.  If a file is deleted on the source, it will be deleted from the destination.  If a file is updated on the source, it will be updated on the destination.
+The first time you run gsync on the grade1 server, it copies down the data from your course submit directory, and any other directories that you've configured gsync to clone. The synced data will be in /eecs/grading/<course>/clone.  This directory is READ ONLY.
-Your data has been synced into the grading directory.  The /eecs/grading hierarchy works exactly like /eecs/course.  /eecs/grading points at the grading hierarchy for the current session and term while /eecs/dept/grading points to the grading hierarchy for the current term.
+The /eecs/grading hierarchy works exactly like /eecs/course.  /eecs/grading points at the grading hierarchy for the current session and term while /eecs/dept/grading points to the grading hierarchy for the current term.
-In order to access the just synced data as "ta9999", look in /eecs/grading/9999/clone.
+Subsequent times that you run gsync, it will will copy down changes.  If a file is deleted on the source, it will be deleted from the destination.  If a file is updated on the source, it will be updated on the destination.
-Each account has these 3 directories created by default:
+Each grading account has 3 directories created:
-  * clone/ - a read only copy containing a clone of your submit directory and other directories that you've asked gsync to bring down.
+  * clone - a **READ ONLY** copy of your submit directory and other directories that you've asked gsync to clone.  All the files will be readable by everyone who has access to your grading account, no matter what the permissions are in the course directory.
-  * home/ - the home directory for the course gsync account
+  * home - the home directory for the course gsync account (You probably won't be using this directory much.)
-  * work/ - a default directory that is setup where you and your TAs can handle grading.  This directory is owned by your course directory owner, and is group taCOURSE writable.  Your TAs can use this directory for grading.
+  * work - This directory is created for you and your TAs to do grading.  You can write to this directory, but you cannot rename it.
-The grading directory /eecs/grading/9999 is owned by the course directory owner, so you can create additional directories in this directory as you wish.
+Neither you nor the TAs can create additional top-level directories in your grading directory.  You have complete control over the "work" directory.
-When you or your TAs run the gsync command, it will always only update the "clone" directory.  It will never touch the other files or directories in your grading account.
+To begin grading, you or your TAs may want to copy the contents of the read only "clone" directory to the "work" directory.  You would do that like this:
+<code>
+grade1% cp -r /eecs/grading/9999/clone/* /eecs/grading/9999/work
+</code>
+When you or your TAs run the gsync command, gsync will only update the "clone" directory.  It will never touch files in the "work" directory to ensure that it doesn't overwrite your work!  Please be **very** careful about copying "clone" to "work" after you've started grading.  You need to be sure you don't overwrite your own files in "work".
 ===== (optional) Step 8: Add a Password to Your Gsync =====
-If necessary, you can add a password to your course grading account.  You can use this
+If necessary, you can add a password to your course grading account to enable access to the files from your desktop via Secure FTP (sftp) client.  Adding a password to your grading account is entirely optional.
-password to access the grading account from your desktop via Secure FTP (sftp).  Adding a password to your grading account is entirely optional.
-Setup a password for course "9999" like this:
+Setup a password for course "9999" grading account like this:
+<code>
   % gsyncu 9999 password
@@ Line 158: / Line 176: @@
 A Gsync password has been set.  It will be enabled within an hour.
+</code>
 In order to access the account via sftp, you must sftp to grade1.eecs.yorku.ca, and login as the course account (taXXXX) and the password provided.  You will only be able to access taXXXX accounts from home using grade1.eecs.york.ca.
@@ Line 171: / Line 190: @@
   * Remember that the grading account is only accessible on the grading server, grade1.
-  * gsync only copies data from the course directory to the grading area.  If you want to copy data from grading area back to your course directory, **faculty must do this manually**.  For example, to copy the "feedback" directory from the grading directory for course EECS9999 in 2018-19 Fall back to the course directory:<code>
+  * gsync only copies data from the course directory to the grading area.  If you want to copy data from grading area back to your course directory, you must do this manually.  For example, to copy the "feedback" directory from the grading directory for course EECS9999 back to the course directory:<code>
-grade1% cp -pr /eecs/grading/2018-19/F/9999/work /eecs/course/9999
+grade1% cd /eecs/grading/9999/work; tar cf - feedback | ( ssh bob@indigo "cd /eecs/course/9999; tar xvf -" )
 </code>
+  * NOTE: Only the course directory owner will be able to copy files back to the course directory.
+  * There are other options including SCPing files, SFTP, creating an archive (zip, bzip, bzip2, etc) and transferring that.
+  * You can only access the grading account for a course that is being offered **in the current term**.  For example, if it is 2018-19 summer, and you have created a gsync account for teaching course 9999 in 2019-20 fall, you will not be able to access your gsync account until 2019-20 fall.  In addition, when it becomes 2019-20 winter, you will **lose access** to the gsync account for the course automatically. Please make sure that you have transferred any required data from the gsync account to your course directory before the first day of the next term.
   * Ugrad TAs will need to have an alternate account setup with access to grade1 before they can access the grading account.  Please consult with tech.
@@ Line 181: / Line 204: @@
   * Group submit is now reserved for faculty use **only**.
-  * If you have any questions about gsync, please inform tech.
+  * If you have any questions or feedback about gsync, please inform tech.