HPC user management for laboratories

EPFL Labs that have purchased SCITAS compute resources are delegated the responsiblity for managing the users having access to these resources. This allows for compete control by the head of the group.

A dedicated LDAP group is assigned to any Lab having payed for HPC resources. Generally, the group’s name is hpc-<lab>, but this can be chosen by the lab (or group) PI. This is done via the groups.epfl.ch service.

So as to be able to precisely control the users having access to HPC resources, a Lab appoints one or more group administrators for its  LDAP group. These administrators can then freely add and remove members as required via the https://groups.epfl.ch application.

Any changes in the groups are detected and the appropriate action is taken overnight to add or remove accounts.

Frequently asked questions:

What happens if I remove a user?

If the user no longer has an active account then they cannot log onto the clusters and their home directory along with any files in theirs scratch space will be deleted. A backup of their home is kept for 6 months after being removed.

Can I use an organisational group rather than one from groups.epfl.ch?

This is not possible

Can I add a Master’s student for their project?

Yes. The administrator can add any member of the EPFL or an external user who has the appropriate accreditation and rights.

Can I delegate administration to someone else?

Yes. If you wish to add another administrator then please contact SCITAS via [email protected] and we will add them.