diff --git a/crab/.gitignore b/crab/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..b25c15b81fae06e1c55946ac6270bfdb293870e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crab/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+*~
diff --git a/crab/launch_MEM.md b/crab/launch_MEM.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..be07f34483572e709a43055cfe6789ba4b700436
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crab/launch_MEM.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+```
+voms-proxy-init --voms cms
+
+source /cvmfs/cms.cern.ch/crab3/crab.sh
+
+for year in 2016 2017 2018; do ./launch_MEM.py -i mem_inputs/${year} -o PNFS_DIR/${year} -t TAG_${year}; done; unset -v year;
+```
diff --git a/crab/launch_MEM.py b/crab/launch_MEM.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..b8baacefe2d26287baabf65af0e7a62f65facddd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crab/launch_MEM.py
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+"""Description: first execute
+ voms-proxy-init --voms cms
+ source /cvmfs/cms.cern.ch/crab3/crab.sh
+"""
+import argparse
+import os
+import glob
+
+def KILL(log):
+ raise SystemExit('\n '+'\033[1m'+'@@@ '+'\033[91m'+'FATAL' +'\033[0m'+' -- '+log+'\n')
+
+def WARNING(log):
+ print '\n '+'\033[1m'+'@@@ '+'\033[93m'+'WARNING'+'\033[0m'+' -- '+log+'\n'
+
+def EXE(cmd, suspend=True, verbose=False, dry_run=False):
+ if verbose: print '\033[1m'+'>'+'\033[0m'+' '+cmd
+ if dry_run: return
+
+ _exitcode = os.system(cmd)
+
+ if _exitcode and suspend: raise SystemExit(_exitcode)
+
+ return _exitcode
+
+def which(program, permissive=False, verbose=False):
+
+ def is_exe(fpath):
+ return os.path.isfile(fpath) and os.access(fpath, os.X_OK)
+
+ fpath, fname = os.path.split(program)
+
+ _exe_ls = []
+
+ if fpath:
+ if is_exe(program): _exe_ls += [program]
+
+ else:
+ for path in os.environ["PATH"].split(os.pathsep):
+ path = path.strip('"')
+ exe_file = os.path.join(path, program)
+
+ if is_exe(exe_file): _exe_ls += [exe_file]
+
+ _exe_ls = list(set(_exe_ls))
+
+ if len(_exe_ls) == 0:
+ log_msg = 'which -- executable not found: '+program
+
+ if permissive:
+ if verbose: WARNING(log_msg)
+ return None
+
+ else:
+ KILL(log_msg)
+
+ if len(_exe_ls) > 1:
+ if verbose: WARNING('which -- executable "'+program+'" has multiple matches: \n'+str(_exe_ls))
+
+ return _exe_ls[0]
+
+#### main
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+ ### args
+ parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+
+ parser.add_argument('-i', '--input', dest='input', required=True, action='store', default=None,
+ help='path to input directory containing MEM input files (format: .root)')
+
+ parser.add_argument('-s', '--storage', dest='storage', required=True, action='store', default=None,
+ help='path to Tier-2 storage directory for crab3 tasks')
+
+ parser.add_argument('-t', '--tag', dest='tag', required=True, action='store', default=None,
+ help='production tag (postfix of MEM crab3 tasks)')
+
+ parser.add_argument('--no-submit', dest='no_submit', action='store_true', default=False,
+ help='do not submit crab3 tasks')
+
+ parser.add_argument('-v', '--verbose', dest='verbose', action='store_true', default=False,
+ help='enable verbose mode')
+
+ parser.add_argument('-d', '--dry-run', dest='dry_run', action='store_true', default=False,
+ help='enable dry-run mode')
+
+ opts, opts_unknown = parser.parse_known_args()
+ ### ----
+
+ log_prx = os.path.basename(__file__)+' -- '
+
+ if not os.path.isdir(opts.input):
+ KILL(log_prx+'invalid path to input directory [-i]: '+opts.input)
+
+ INPUT_DIR = os.path.abspath(os.path.realpath(opts.input))
+
+ if os.path.exists(opts.storage):
+ KILL(log_prx+'target path to Tier-2 storage directory for crab3 tasks already exists [-s]: '+opts.storage)
+
+ if not opts.storage.startswith('/pnfs/desy.de/cms/tier2/store/'):
+ KILL(log_prx+'invalid path to dCache directory on DESY Tier-2, does not start with \"/pnfs/desy.de/cms/tier2/store/\": '+opts.storage)
+
+ STORE_DIR = os.path.abspath(os.path.realpath(opts.storage[len('/pnfs/desy.de/cms/tier2'):]))
+
+ if 'CMSSW_BASE' not in os.environ:
+ KILL(log_prx+'enviroment variable CMSSW_BASE is not defined, first set up a CMSSW area')
+
+ which('crab')
+
+ if len(opts_unknown) > 0:
+ KILL(log_prx+'unknown command-line arguments: '+str(opts_unknown))
+ ### ----
+
+ # configuration file
+ cfg_file_name_woExt = 'samples_desy_'+opts.tag
+ cfg_file_name = cfg_file_name_woExt+'.cfg'
+
+ if os.path.exists(cfg_file_name):
+ KILL(log_prx+'target path to configuration file already exists: '+str(cfg_file_name))
+
+ input_samples = []
+ for i_inproot in sorted(glob.glob(opts.input+'/*.root')):
+ input_samples += [os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(input_samples))[0]]
+ input_samples = sorted(list(set(input_samples)))
+
+ if len(input_samples) == 0:
+ KILL(log_prx+'list of inputs samples is empty: '+str(opts.input+'/*.root'))
+
+ with open(cfg_file_name, 'w') as cfg_file:
+ cfg_file_lines = ['[general]']
+ cfg_file_lines += ['workflows_list:']
+ cfg_file_lines += [' '+opts.tag]
+ cfg_file_lines += ['']
+ cfg_file_lines += ['['+opts.tag+']']
+ cfg_file_lines += ['samples_list:']
+ for _tmp in input_samples: cfg_file_lines += [' '+_tmp]
+ cfg_file_lines += ['']
+ cfg_file_lines += ['input_location: dcache-cms-xrootd.desy.de'+opts.storage+'/inputs/']
+ cfg_file_lines += ['output_location: dcache-cms-xrootd.desy.de'+opts.storage+'/outputs/']
+ cfg_file_lines += ['classifier_db_location:']
+ cfg_file_lines += ['additional_classifier_db_location:']
+
+ for _tmp in cfg_file_lines:
+ cfg_file.write(_tmp+'\n')
+
+ # copy libraries (not sure if this is really needed)
+ EXE('cp -R '+os.environ['CMSSW_BASE']+'/src/TTH/MEIntegratorStandalone/libs/* '+os.environ['CMSSW_BASE']+'/lib/'+os.environ['SCRAM_ARCH'], verbose=opts.verbose, dry_run=opts.dry_run)
+
+ # create storage area and copy MEM inputs
+ EXE('gfal-mkdir "srm://dcache-se-cms.desy.de:8443/srm/managerv2?SFN='+opts.storage+'"', verbose=opts.verbose, dry_run=opts.dry_run)
+ EXE('gfal-copy -r '+INPUT_DIR+' "srm://dcache-se-cms.desy.de:8443/srm/managerv2?SFN='+opts.storage+'/inputs/"', verbose=opts.verbose, dry_run=opts.dry_run)
+
+ # crab task inputs
+ cmd_splitSample = 'python -B splitSample.py'
+ cmd_splitSample += ' -n 10'
+ cmd_splitSample += ' --samples-cfg '+cfg_file
+ cmd_splitSample += ' --samples-dir '+cfg_file_woExt
+
+ EXE(cmd_splitSample, verbose=opts.verbose, dry_run=opts.dry_run)
+
+ # crab task submission
+ cmd_multicrab = 'python -B multicrab.py'
+ cmd_multicrab += ' --out T2_DE_DESY'
+ cmd_multicrab += ' --samples samples_desy_'+opts.tag+'/*.txt.*'
+ cmd_multicrab += ' --store '+STORE_DIR+'/outputs/'
+ cmd_multicrab += ' --tag '+opts.tag
+ cmd_multicrab += ' --no-submit'*opts.no_submit
+
+ EXE(cmd_multicrab, verbose=opts.verbose, dry_run=opts.dry_run)
diff --git a/crab/launch_MEM.sh b/crab/launch_MEM.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index dffe63a59c62aa17594e97901a06724e42183b5a..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/crab/launch_MEM.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,61 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-if [ $# -ne 3 ]; then
-
- echo "invalid number ($# != 3) of arguments"
- exit 1
-fi
-
-INPUT_DIR="$1"
-STORE_DIR="$2" # example: /pnfs/desy.de/cms/tier2/store/user/missirol/analysis/ttHbb2017/2017_V02/MEM_output_181217_2017_V02_ttHbb2L_newJECs_newTFs/
-OUT_TAG="$3"
-
-if [ ! -d "${INPUT_DIR}" ]; then
-
- echo "(1) invalid input directory"
- exit 1
-fi
-
-if [ -d "${STORE_DIR}" ]; then
-
- echo "(2) invalid Tier-2 storage directory, already exists"
- exit 1
-fi
-
-if [[ ${STORE_DIR} != /pnfs/desy.de/cms/tier2/store/* ]]; then
-
- printf "\n%s\n\n" " >>> ERROR -- invalid path to dCache directory on DESY Tier-2, does not start with \"/pnfs/desy.de/cms/tier2/store/\": ${STORE_DIR}"
- exit 1
-fi
-
-SAMPLES_FILE=samples_desy.cfg
-
-#voms-proxy-init --voms cms
-source /cvmfs/cms.cern.ch/crab3/crab.sh
-
-cp -R "${CMSSW_BASE}"/src/TTH/MEIntegratorStandalone/libs/* "${CMSSW_BASE}"/lib/"${SCRAM_ARCH}"/
-
-cp "${SAMPLES_FILE}" samples_desy_"${OUT_TAG}".cfg
-
-sed -i "s|__INPUTS__|${STORE_DIR}/inputs/|g" samples_desy_"${OUT_TAG}".cfg
-sed -i "s|__OUTPUTS__|${STORE_DIR}/outputs/|g" samples_desy_"${OUT_TAG}".cfg
-
-gfal-mkdir "srm://dcache-se-cms.desy.de:8443/srm/managerv2?SFN=${STORE_DIR}"
-
-gfal-copy -r "${INPUT_DIR}" "srm://dcache-se-cms.desy.de:8443/srm/managerv2?SFN=${STORE_DIR}/inputs/"
-
-python -B splitSample.py \
- --samples-cfg samples_desy_"${OUT_TAG}".cfg \
- --samples-dir samples_desy_"${OUT_TAG}" \
- -n 10
-
-STORE_DIR=${STORE_DIR#"/pnfs/desy.de/cms/tier2"}
-
-python -B multicrab.py \
- --out T2_DE_DESY \
- --samples samples_desy_"${OUT_TAG}"/*.txt.* \
- --store "${STORE_DIR}"/outputs/ \
- --tag "${OUT_TAG}"
-# --no-submit
-
-unset -v INPUT_DIR STORE_DIR OUT_TAG SAMPLES_FILE