SCS GPU Computing with Openstack

The School has the following GPU hardware (January 2024):

The school has various VM flavors that assign the number of vCPU’s, memory and disk space. Virtual machines are provisioned using the school’s Openstack cloud.

Students currently taking a course that requires a GPU account can fill out this form to request a GPU VM:

• SCS GPU Request Form

You will need the following accounts to use the SCS GPU VM’s:

1. MyCarletonOne account account (university wide or ITS account) – needed to VPN
2. GPU VM account – created by the SCS Tech Staff

Please note the GPU account is a local account and you are responsible for your own backups!

More Account information:

• SCS Accounts

Please change your default GPU VM password once you login. The simplest way to do that in Linux is to:

1. login to your Linux VM
2. start an xterminal or command windows
3. at the command prompt type ‘passwd’ and follow the instructions

Specific help for an Open Stack image:

• SCS GPU VM Fall 2023

Note that you require VPN for remote accessing your instances! – Remote Access – VPN

You can access the GPU’s as follows:

1. Using a remote desktop
2. using a command line ssh client

Logging in using x2go (remote desktop)

The preferred way to access the GPU server is to VPN to Carleton or use a lab on campus such as the SCS Computer labs and then remote desktop (x2go) directly to the server (see diagram). The x2go session will give you a full GUI desktop. Detailed x2go instructions are here:

• x2go Remote Desktop Client

Logging in using ssh (command line)

• Openstack – Connecting to an Instance – SSH (putty)
• Secure Shell (ssh)

Once the VM is shut down it no longer exists so its important to backup your files especially once you have completed your experiments.

• Backing up files

Every GPU VM has an expiry date. Once you completed your GPU experiments and you have backed up your files your VM can be terminated. Please note once your VM is terminated it cannot be recovered.

If you finish your experiments before your VM expiry date please let us know. This will allow another student the opportunity to use your GPU.

To help us improve our service, please fill out this exit questionnaire once you are finished:

• SCS GPU Exit Questionnaire