Access Prerequisites

Follow this table to determine what is needed to access classified (SCF), unclassified Collaboration Zone (OCF-CZ) and unclassified Restricted Zone (OCF-RZ) Livermore Computing (LC) systems.

Going to SCF OCF-CZ OCF-RZ
Coming from  LLNL LANL/
SNL		 Other DOE LLNL LANL/
SNL		 Other
DOE		 LLNL LANL SNL Other
DOE
Valid account on the LC machine(s) you wish to use (see the Accounts Web pages)
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Network connectivity from your local machine to the LC OCF or SCF network
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
SSH (protocol 2) software installed on your local machine (see Using SSH)
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
LLNL RSA token + PIN
X
  
X
X
  
X
    
 
  
RZ RSA token + PIN            
X
 
X
X
Virtual Private Network (VPN) account + VPN software                  
X
Ability to authenticate locally with credential forwarding (kinit -f)*  
X
    
X
  
X
X
    

Zones (a.k.a. "The Enclave") provides additional information, including data classifications allowed in each zone. Accessing the Collaboration and Restricted Zones offers tips for accessing the CZ and RZ from your desktop or an LC CZ/RZ machine.

LC resources are located within disparate zones, depending on security needs and concerns. Many LC resources are replicated across zones, with the goal of providing a consistent user experience.

Most CZ resources are accessible from the public internet (though tri-lab users may have certain connection requirements). RZ resources must be access via LLNL VPN or an equivalent tri-lab network. SCF resources require specific network access. Full requirements can be found on the Authenticating page.

Available Resources

LC provides unclassified Open Computing Facility (OCF) and classified Secure Computing Facility (SCF) high performance computing (HPC) resources.

Most information about Los Alamos HPC and Sandia HPC resources requires LANL/Sandia authentication. Request access through Sarape.

Accounts

LC accounts are managed via the LC-IDM system (LC IDM documentation). If you do not have an LC account, see New Account Setup. Please note that your LC username may be unique.

  • LLNL Users including all LLNL-employees (including interns) and collaborators.
  • Tri-Lab users including both LANL and SNL employees who have created LC accounts via Sarape.

Users with existing accounts can manage their accounts via LC IDM. 

Remote Access

An approved Remote Access Request is required for U.S. citizen collaborators (non-LLNL collaborators sponsored by an LLNL employee) for the following remote access accounts: VPN-C, VPN, VPN-B. Requests for remote access are made through the EZid Identity Management System.

Foreign Nationals at LLNL

There are additional access policies and restrictions for Foreign Nationals. See Foreign Nationals at LLNL for details.

Authenticating

Authentication requirements vary depending on the type of user account and which network and service is being accessed. Many LC users will authenticate via a One-Time Password (OTP) token, also known as an RSA token. Some LANL or Sandia user accounts are configured to not require an OTP token. This can impact which LC services are accessible to them.

LLNL Compute Resources

LC compute resources can be directly accessed via SSH or VNC. 

Login Nodes

Whenever you log in to an LC system, you are placed onto a login node. These nodes are dedicated to serving interactive activities such as file editing, launching batch jobs, compiling, file transfer, debugging, and other short duration activities. At any one time, there may be multiple users on a login node.

These nodes should not be used to run parallel and/or production jobs! By doing so, you may seriously degrade the performance of others' interactive work. Be sure to use nodes designated for interactive or batch production work to run jobs.

For more information about the differences between login nodes and nodes designated for production work, please see the Login Nodes section of the "Introduction to Livermore Computing Resources" tutorial and the Running Jobs page on this HPC site.

Compte Nodes

LC compute systems are shared resources. Users are expected to adhere to usage and job limits policies to ensure that the resources can be effectively and productively used by everyone.  You can view the policies on a system itself by running either:

joblimits
news job.lim.MACHINENAME

File Systems

LC compute systems are connected to various file systems, each with different usage models and performance characteristics. Users are subject to data and file number quotas on all file systems. Additional details can be found on the Using LC File Systems page and the File Management page.

File and Data Transfers

Files may be transferred using Hopper, SCP, FTP, SFTP, NFT, HSI, or HTAR.  For more details, see the File Transfer and Sharing section of Introduction to Livermore Computing Resources.

Before moving data to an external location, users should consult the Guidelines for External Data Transfers.

Tri-Lab Systems

LLNL users can request accounts on LANL and Sandia systems via SARAPE. Please consult the Sandia Access Instructions or the LANL Access Instructions for details.

Shared Office Facilities

Shared office facilities provided by Livermore Computing are available in Building 453 (authenticated users can visit Shared Office Policies on myconfluence.llnl.gov for specifics of location and policies). The shared offices have workstations that permit access to both the classified (SCF) and unclassified (OCF) networks. They are intended for users that do not have access to the SCF network from their own offices and need a temporary location from which to work. OCF network access is provided primarily as a convenience. For general information regarding access to and use of the shared office facilities, contact the LC Hotline at lc-support@llnl.gov or 422-4531.

Additional Information