Remote Data Visualization with ParaView: A Quick Guide

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ParaView is a powerful visualization tool, but working with remote data requires careful consideration. Here are the main approaches ranked by efficiency and usability:

1. Client-Server Mode (Most Efficient)

# On remote system with X forwarding for rendering
ssh -X hostname
pvserver

# On local system (different terminal)
paraview --server=hostname:11111
  • Pro: Best performance, minimal network usage
  • Con: Requires exact version matching between client and server
  • Tip: Use SSH tunneling for security: ssh -L 11111:localhost:11111 hostname
  • Important: X forwarding enables hardware rendering on remote system

Note: This is different from running ParaView directly over X11. Here, only the rendering is done remotely while the GUI runs locally.

2. SFTP/SSHFS Mount

# Create local mount point
mkdir ~/remote_viz

# Mount remote directory
sshfs username@hostname:/remote/path ~/remote_viz

# When finished
fusermount -u ~/remote_viz
  • Pro: Uses local ParaView resources
  • Pro: Good for smaller datasets
  • Con: File operations over network
  • Tip: Create permanent mount points in your home directory

3. VNC Connection

# Install VNC server on remote
sudo apt install tightvncserver

# Start VNC server (creates password first time)
vncserver :1   # Uses port 5901

# Install VNC viewer locally
sudo apt install remmina remmina-plugin-vnc
  • Pro: Full desktop experience
  • Pro: Persistent sessions
  • Con: Higher bandwidth usage
  • Note: Connect to hostname:5901 for display :1

4. Direct X11 Forwarding (Least Efficient)

# SSH with X forwarding
ssh -X hostname

# Run ParaView directly on remote
paraview
  • Pro: Simplest to set up
  • Con: Very slow for interaction
  • Con: High latency
  • Con: Most prone to crashes
  • Use Case: Quick visualization of small datasets

Key Differences in X11 Usage

  1. Client-Server with X Forwarding:
    • GUI runs locally
    • Only rendering uses X forwarding
    • Better performance
    • Use: ssh -X + pvserver on remote, paraview locally
  2. Direct X11 Forwarding:
    • Everything runs remotely
    • All GUI operations forwarded
    • Much slower
    • Use: ssh -X + paraview on remote

Key Considerations

  1. Version Matching: Client and server ParaView versions must match exactly in client-server mode
  2. Network Speed: Choose method based on connection quality
  3. Data Size: Larger datasets benefit more from client-server approach
  4. Security: Always use SSH tunneling for client-server connections
  5. Rendering: X forwarding important for hardware rendering in client-server mode

Personal Experience

The client-server mode with proper X forwarding for rendering provides the best performance. The key is understanding that X forwarding serves different purposes in different setups - it’s crucial for remote rendering in client-server mode, but less efficient when running the entire ParaView application remotely.

References

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