ARCHER Access

In order to get an account, a potential user needs to know two things: our project code (e281), and our project password. The password you can get from someone else in your group or by sending an email to HEC Consortium. Users can register at the same time for an account on the admin website, and on the service machine. They need both. This is what a new user should do.

  • Go to: https://www.archer.ac.uk/safe. This is the page for registering on both HECToR and ARCHER.
  • Click on the signup link at the bottom of the login page
  • Fill in the personal details
  • Enter the project code and the project password
  • Enter a preferred username for the service machine
  • Click submit

Now the user will be asked to accept the Terms and Conditions of Access by clicking the appropriate button. After this, they will get an acknowledgment, and an email with their password to the admin website. They should change this password as soon as possible. For the user’s account on the service machine to be created this will need to be authorised by the Plasma HEC Chair.

If you are a PDRA, PhD student or on a Fellowship, i.e. not academic staff, then before your account is authorised a member of academic staff who is an HEC member in your group needs to send an email to HEC Consortium briefly explaining your project, and stating your current job and employer. This email only needs to be a few sentences. For academics, and researchers in CCFE or RAL, your account can be authorised without such an email.

Acceptable Use Policy

The Plasma HEC has an Acceptable Use Policy which details the maximum job size allowed in the e281 general account along with rules regarding disk space management. This must be read and followed rigorously or accounts will be suspended. Along with rules on using ARCHER this policy also includes details of acknowledgement. Papers published which used the HEC ARCHER allocation must acknowledge the Plasma HEC Consortium EPSRC grant numbers EP/L000237/1 and EP/R029148/1. Publications, i.e. those with the correct acknowledgement, from previous HEC allocations will be used as one of the criteria from project renewals and new projects.

Projects

All users will by default have access to the e281 account. This has a small allocation of resources and is just for testing compilation and small runs prior to users been allocated to a project. All new users must check the Acceptable Use Policy which details the maximum job size allowed in the e281 general account along with rules regarding disk space management. This must be read and followed rigorously or accounts will be suspended. For substantial use of ARCHER you must be part of a project. Project time must be requested as set out below or you must request to join an existing project. Once in a project you can run simulations which will be charged against that project’s allocation. Multiple requests for projects in similar areas, or using the same code, may be joined to keep allocations simple. So for example if you join the project e281-example then your submission scripts must then use e281-example and NOT e281.

Joining an existing project

It is very common that new users wish to join an existing project, e.g. to work with a colleague or supervisor who has already been allocated a project. To be allowed to join an existing project the PI of the project must send an email to New Project Member stating the uid and full name of the new member. It is the PI’s responsibility to ensure that the new users understands how to use the resource.