Steps for obtaining access to the HPC cluster

Last updated 02/28/2023

Step 1: Obtain KU ID

WarningThe KU ID and KUMC ID are different.

You will need to make sure you have a KU ID to be able to login to the HPC.

Step 2: Request Access to Join the KU Community Cluster through the Center for Research Computing

  • Fill out the form here, logging in using your KU credentials: https://deptsec.ku.edu/~crc/forms/form/2
  • Cluster question: if you are requesting access for the short-term storage and analysis of research identifiable data (RIN), select “Hawk”; otherwise select “KU Community Cluster” (the correct choice for most people).
  • Owner group question: select “biostatistics” regardless of your answer to the Cluster question.
  • If you have questions about which group is appropriate for your needs, contact Drs. Dong Pei, Devin Koestler, and/or Jeffrey Thompson.

Step 3: Approval and Terms of Agreement

  • Once the form has been submitted, the group managers listed at the bottom of the page will be contacted by the KU HPC to approve the request.
  • Before being granted approval, users must sign and date a Terms of Agreement stating that they agree to abide by the policies and procedures of both the Center for Research Computing and the policies and best practices for the “biostatistics” or “biostat_RIN” membership groups.
  • The Terms of Agreement will be emailed to requesting users by the group managers for “biostatistics” or “biostat_RIN”.
  • Please make sure you read the Terms of Agreement document.

Step 4: Instructional video and tutorials for getting started

  • Upon receipt of the signed Terms of Agreement, approval will be granted and users will be able to log in to the HPC and use the resources of their respective ownership group.
  • Instructions on how to log in, run interactive jobs, run batch jobs, and a summary of best practices are covered in an instructional video, emailed to users after the approval process.
  • For guidance on submitting and structuring jobs on the biostat partition, see Best Practices & Common Pitfalls.
  • For shared software, conda environments, and reference genomes available once you have access, see Shared Resources, Using Conda, and R on HPC.
  • When logging into the cluster, use the following commands:
    • ssh hpc.crc.ku.edu : log into the KU Community Cluster
    • ssh hawk.crc.ku.edu : log into Hawk for the storage and analysis of research identifiable data (e.g., biostat_RIN)

For Questions, Contact:

  • Devin Koestler, Ph.D. (co-Manager of “biostatistics”), Email: dkoestler@kumc.edu
  • Dong Pei, Ph.D. (co-Manager of “biostatistics”), Email: dpei@kumc.edu
  • Jeffrey Thompson, Ph.D. (co-Manager of “biostat_RIN”), Email: jthompson21@kumc.ed