Copies a file between the local (submission) host and the remote (execution) host.
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Specify absolute or relative paths, including the file names. You should specify the remote file as a file name with no path when running in non-shared systems.
If the remote file is not specified, it defaults to the local file, which must be given. Use multiple -f options to specify multiple files.
The following describes the operators:
> Copies the local file to the remote file before the job starts. Overwrites the remote file if it exists.
< Copies the remote file to the local file after the job completes. Overwrites the local file if it exists.
<< Appends the remote file to the local file after the job completes. The local file must exist.
>< Copies the local file to the remote file before the job starts. Overwrites the remote file if it exists. Then copies the remote file to the local file after the job completes. Overwrites the local file.
<> Copies the local file to the remote file before the job starts. Overwrites the remote file if it exists. Then copies the remote file to the local file after the job completes. Overwrites the local file.
All of the above involve copying the files to the output directory defined in DEFAULT_JOB_OUTDIR or with bsub -outdir instead of the submission directory, as long as the path is relative. The output directory is created at the start of the job, and also applies to jobs that are checkpointed, migrated, requeued or rerun.
If you use the -i input_file option, then you do not have to use the -f option to copy the specified input file to the execution host. LSF does this for you, and removes the input file from the execution host after the job completes.
If you use the -o out_file,-e err_file, -oo out_file, or the -eo err_file option, and you want the specified file to be copied back to the submission host when the job completes, then you must use the -f option.
If the submission and execution hosts have different directory structures, you must make sure that the directory where the remote file and local file are placed exists.
If the local and remote hosts have different file name spaces, you must always specify relative path names. If the local and remote hosts do not share the same file system, you must make sure that the directory containing the remote file exists. It is recommended that only the file name be given for the remote file when running in heterogeneous file systems. This places the file in the job's current working directory. If the file is shared between the submission and execution hosts, then no file copy is performed.
LSF uses lsrcp to transfer files (see lsrcp(1) command). lsrcp contacts RES on the remote host to perform the file transfer. If RES is not available, rcp is used (see rcp(1)). The user must make sure that the rcp binary is in the user's $PATH on the execution host.
Jobs that are submitted from LSF client hosts should specify the -f option only if rcp is allowed. Similarly, rcp must be allowed if account mapping is used.