Find and manage Mu2e data using modern metacat, Rucio, and mdh tools. Use when querying with metacat MQL, uploading files, checking locations, prestaging from tape, or working with the future data handling stack.
Modern data handling tools (replacing SAM as of 2025-2026)
See also: datahandling-overview.md for architecture and datahandling-sam.md for legacy SAM tools (still ~90% in use during transition).
Setup:
mu2einit
muse setup ops
Common commands:
# Find datasets
metacat dataset list mu2e:* # All production datasets
metacat dataset list $USER:* # Your datasets
# Query files
metacat query files from <dataset> # List files in dataset
metacat file show -m <file> # Show file metadata
# Check locations and status
mdh print-url -s path -l tape <file> # Show dCache path
mdh verify-dataset <dataset> # Check if files on disk/tape
mdh query-dcache -o -v <dataset> # Check ONLINE/NEARLINE status
# Prestage from tape
mdh prestage-files <dataset> # Copy from tape to disk
# Upload personal files
mdh create-metadata <file> > <file>.json # Create metadata
mdh declare-file - # Declare to metacat (from stdin)
mdh copy-file -s -l scratch - # Copy to dCache scratch
Modern Mu2e data handling stack:
Authentication:
mu2einit to get credentialsDataset Monitor:
Registered files:
mu2e) or user (your username)Unregistered files:
/pnfs/mu2e/scratch/users/$USERAll registered files must follow the six-field pattern:
tier.owner.description.config.sequencer.format
Example:
sim.MyUsername.dh_tutorial.2026-02-12.001000_000001.art
Fields:
mu2e (collaboration) or your usernameDataset = file name without the sequencer field:
tier.owner.description.config.format
Example:
sim.MyUsername.dh_tutorial.2026-02-12.art
All files in a dataset are considered "more of the same."
Namespace = owner prefix: