28-Jan-2008

Introduction

Our shared research clusters use the same usernames as Rice NetID accounts. However, in order to have an account one of our shared research clusters, you must complete the account application process first. The remainder of this document will describe how to get an account for either research sponsors (typically faculty) or login accounts (typically staff, graduate students, and guests). Accounts for classes are handled by a similar but separate process. Information on class accounts is available in the FAQ.

Faculty Sponsor Accounts

Faculty who wish to login to our shared research clusters or wish to sponsor login accounts for their staff, graduate students, and guests must first apply for a faculty sponsor account. This type of account is for faculty members only. The process is as follows:

1. Apply for a faculty sponsor account

Go to our Research Computing Account Application web site and select "apply for a faculty sponsor account". This account will set up a research group for the faculty member and provide the mechanism for other members of this research group to apply for accounts in the future. When filling out the form, select a cluster machine name only if a cluster login account is needed for this sponsor. Cluster login accounts for the sponsor are not required in order to sponsor a research group.

2. Sponsor account approval

Once the application has been submitted, the Executive Director of CITI will approve or reject the application. The Executive Director of CITI might choose to contact the sponsor prior to approval or rejection of the application.

3. Sponsor/login account activation

Once the sponsor account has been approved, email notification will be sent to the new sponsor. The sponsor will then have access to our Research Computing Account Management web site where user accounts for group members can be approved or rejected. Only group members who have applied for an account will be visible on this web site. The username and password for this web site will be the same as the username and password supplied on the account application form.

In addition, if login accounts were requested on our shared research clusters for the sponsor, those accounts will be created by the systems administrators usually within one business day of the approval of the sponsor account. If the sponsor did not apply for a login account but wishes to add one later, the sponsor can use the Research Computing Account Management web site to request login accounts. These accounts are usually created within one business day of the request. The username and password for the cluster login accounts will be the same as the username and password used to login to the Research Computing Account Management web site.

If a sponsor has group members who wish to have login accounts, these users need to apply for a login account by following the steps below.

User/Guest Login Accounts

Users (research staff, graduate students, guests) who wish to have a login account on one of our shared research clusters need to follow a three step process for applying for a regular user account or a guest user account. These steps are outlined below.

1. Your faculty/mentor must apply for sponsor account

Your faculty sponsor/mentor will first need to apply for a sponsor account by following the instructions above. If your faculty sponsor/mentor already has such an account then skip this step.

2. Apply for a login account

Assuming the above step has been completed (you can find out by either asking your sponsor/mentor or attempting to complete this step
and see if your sponsor is listed on the account application page) you should go to the Research Computing Account Application web site and follow the link "Apply for a regular user account". When filling out the form, select your sponsor/mentor's name from the Research Sponsor list. Then select the name of the cluster account(s) that you wish to apply for. Guests of the university will follow the same process except they should follow the "Apply for a guest user account" link. All users who wish to apply for an account on additional clusters in the future, repeat this step.

3. Login account activation

When the account application has been submitted, the sponsor will be notified via email. The sponsor will then approve or reject the account. If the account is rejected, the applicant will receive an email notification about the rejection. If the account is approved, the login accounts will be created by the systems administrators usually within one business day of the approval of the account by the sponsor. The username and password for the login account will be the same as the username and password supplied on the account application form.

Class Accounts

Students who need to apply for an account for a class project should follow the published instructions in our FAQ.

Getting Help

If you experience trouble with the account application process or need to check the status of an application, please contact the Help Desk.