Possible Computer Set-up Configurations¶

Computer(s) used for the whole Leginon system need to support five functions:

1. TEM/Camera control and data output (by python-side packages of Leginon
   system)
   Note: The computer attached to the microscope/camera is used for this function. Therefore, it is on a Windows computer.
2. General Leginon operation such as target selection and image processing (processing
   server of Leginon system)
3. Image data storage.
4. Other meta-data storage through MySQL database (by database server of Leginon
   system)
5. Web server (using PHP-side of Leginon system).
   Important: The MRC module that is used to load mrc formatted files to the web pages is not compiled on Windows. Therefore, this function must be on a linux box unless you don't need to see the images.

The five functions can be distributed to five different computers on a network or all on
one single computer (with web server not viewing the images). However, since the latter minimal setup requires the use of the computer
attached to the microscope for all functions, it is not advisable.

Processing server of Leginion is a multi-platform software, meaning it can run on both
Microsoft Windows and Linux, although we and others have found that Windows have trouble managing its memory for such a demanding task. MySQL used in the database server is also supported by multiple platforms. This is
not true for the Web server because the custom php-MRC module used in the web viewer only compiles
on linux machines. Therefore, one of the computer not part of the microscope must be a linux.
The following examples show several arrangements that take advantage of distributed system.
Other combinations are possible, but will basically be variations on one of the following
themes.

Configuration A¶

1 Windows computer (attached to the Microscope) & 1 Linux computer (for all
other functions, separate from the Microscope) (Good for single user and small-scale
acquisition)

• Install the latest processing server side of Leginon release (and supporting
  packages) on the Windows computer controlling the microscope and on the Linux computer
  which is to run Leginon image acquisition and processing.

• Install the additional modules needed for CCD camera and film interaction on the
  Windows computer controlling the microscope.

• Install MySQL, PHP, the Apache Web Server, and dbem tools only on the Linux
  computer that will perform these functions, (i.e. NOT the computer controlling the
  microscope).

Configuration B¶

1 Windows computer (attached to the Microscope) & 4 Linux computers (one for
each function) (Good for multiple microsopes, users and large-scale acquisition)

This is the set-up at NRAMM. It has the processing server side of Leginon installed on
the Windows computer attached to the microscope and on the Linux computer that is used for
running Leginon. A second Linux machine is dedicated to the database while the web-based
viewer is hosted by another server.

• Install the python-side Leginon (and supporting packages) on the Windows computer
  controlling the microscope and on the Linux computer that is to run Leginon. You can
  make the latter installation accessable to any numbers of linux computers on your
  network.

• Install MySQL on a Linux computer served as the database server
• Install PHP, the Apache Web Server, and PHP-side of Leginon system on the third Linux
  computer that will serve as the web server host.

• The computer hosting the data storage should be accessable by all linux
  boxes.

Configuration C¶

1 Windows computer (attached to the Microscope), 1 Windows computer running python-
and MySQL-side functions and 1 Linux computer as web server (Has been applied
successfully but we don't recommend it due to known problem of inefficient memory management)

The data storage may be on one of these computers that is accessable by the web and the processing
computers.

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