User Support Summary

This short document summarizes the CMS User Support channels in service for the physicists doing their analysis.

The general User Support page http://cms.cern.ch/iCMS/jsp/page.jsp?mode=cms&action=url&urlkey=CMS_US gives a brief introduction to the CMS Computing and Software User Support and a collection of useful links.

Documentation:

The CMS offline workbook https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/CMS/WorkBook

provides background information and initial instruction on accessing computing resources and using the software to perform analysis within the CMS collaboration. Organized into Beginning and Advanced sections, it is designed as the first-stop for both users and software developers.

The CMS offline guide https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/CMS/SWGuide

covers the usage and details of the software packages contained in CMSSW. It contains the information which is too detailed for the WorkBook. This document is under construction, you are encouraged to participate to its completion and to contact the groups conveners for items which are not properly documented.

The CMSSW reference manual http://cmsdoc.cern.ch/cms/cpt/Software/html/General/gendoxy-doc.php

displays the class documentation which is automatically built from the comments inserted in the code in the cvs repository. Furthermore, it should contain a brief description of content and purpose of each package.

Getting help:

Users can submit questions on CMS Software (CMSSW) and its usage through the CMSSW Savannah page https://savannah.cern.ch/support/?func=additem&group=cmssw This is the main entry point to the User Support and the preferred contact channel for questions if you do not know who to contact. The questions are replied by the User Support if possible, or they are forwarded to the experts, and they are followed in the system until the problem is solved. Please, note that you are invited to address the user problems concerning data access through this savannah page rather than through private mails and mailing lists. More information on the use of savannah can be found in https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/CMS/WorkBookHelp#SavanNah

There are hypernews lists on most of the activities in CMS where you can discuss recent developements, problems with some specific area and exchange ideas.

The single entry point in CMSSW Savannah page and hypernews lists are complementary. As an example, if you are a developer of a code and found problems in your subsystem in a certain prerelease of CMSSW you would probably like to discuss this in the hypernews forum of your activity with the other developers. On the other hand, if you have a problem in an area which you are not familiar with, you would rather submit the question in savannah. Hypernews is good for discussions in a wider public, in savannah we can follow the questions and guarantee that they will be answered.

As an exception, the CRAB feedback hypernews list https://hypernews.cern.ch/HyperNews/CMS/get/crabFeedback.html provides help for using CRAB in running the jobs through grid. We plan to provide a guide to help you to indentify and solve the problems with grid jobs, this should appear in autumn 2007.

Furthermore, at CERN, there is a CMS User Support Helpdesk in the 3rd floor of building 40 (40-3-A15, opening hours 9:30 - 11:30 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday). At FNAL, Patrick Gartung at the LPC helpdesk provides support for USCMS users for computing and software isssues.

Feedback:

In the WorkBook hypernews forum https://hypernews.cern.ch/HyperNews/CMS/get/workbook.html you can discuss the contents of the WorkBook and suggest new contributions. The User Support organization feedback forum https://hypernews.cern.ch/HyperNews/CMS/get/supFeedback.html is intended for feedback on the organization of the user software and computing support in CMS.

I hope you find this summary useful. Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Kati Lassila-Perini - CMS User Support Coordinator

Helsinki Institute of Physics