Computer Accounts, QCDOC Computing at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)

US DOE computer accounts allow members of the US QCD collaboration to access QCDOC computing resources at BNL. These include the IBM P655 front-end node, ssh gateways, storage and archiving systems and, of course, US DOE QCDOC machine partitions.

There are four main steps in getting a US DOE QCDOC computer user account.

Request permission to use the US DOE QCDOC computers.
You will need to send an email to Robert Mawhinney asking to include your name in the US DOE QCDOC users list.
Apply for a BNL Remote Computer User Appointment.
A Remote Computer User Appointment will allow you to remotely access BNL computing resources. The Guest Registration form is available online at https://fsd84.bis.bnl.gov/guest/guest.asp You should have a Guest Number in a couple of days.
Complete Cyber Security Training.
Cyber Security training is available online at http://training.bnl.gov/course/CyberSecurity/
Apply for a QCDOC-US DOE Computer Account
Apply for a QCDOC (US DOE) at http://accounts.bnl.gov. The account office should create your account within a day.

1. Request Permission to use the US DOE QCDOC Computers

Ask Robert Mawhinney to include your name in the list of US DOE QCDOC computer users. You need to send him the following information:

Name
Institutional Affiliation
Email Address

2. Apply for a Remote Computer User Appointment

The purpose of this step is to get a BNL Guest Number. If you already have a valid BNL Life number or Guest Number, you can skip this step.

Your BNL host/sponsor will consult the US DOE QCDOC list before approving your appointment request. You should confirm with Bob Mawhinney that your name is on this list before you start the application process. The list is not publicly available; you cannot look at the listed names.

You can apply for a remote computer user appointment at BNL by completing the Guest Registration form at https://fsd84.bis.bnl.gov/guest/guest.asp. This type of appointment will allow you to remotely access BNL computing resources but will not permit physical on-site access to BNL.

A few tips about completing the BNL Guest Registration form:

List Tom Schlagel as your BNL host (his BNL phone extension is 8765).
BNL Department Associated with is Information Technology Division.
Type of access requested is Remote Computer access only.
Questions about visas, passports, alien numbers and interpreters should be ignored.
Questions about insurance coverage and emergency contacts should be ignored.

Notes:

You can see a completed sample of a Guest Registration Form at http://qcdoc.phys.columbia.edu/USDOE/BNL_Guest_Registration.pdf, provided by Robert Mawhinney.
A Remote Computer User Appointment is valid for up to two years. During the last month of the appointment you or you BNL sponsor may apply for an extension for a period not to exceed two years.

When you finish completing the form a temporary Guest Registration Number (GRnnnnn) will be assigned to you. This is NOT your Guest Number. Your GR number could be used as a reference to inquire information about the status of your appointment application. Although this number could be used to complete the necessary Cyber Security Training, I recommend that you wait until you get your Guest Number before taking any training.

When the Information Technology Division (ITD) receives your appointment request, it is first scanned for missing or incorrect entries by ITD staff. The sponsor (Tom Schlagel) will then consult the list of US DOE QCDOC computer users (provided by Robert Mawhinney) before approving it. The approved request is then forwarded to the BNL Human Resources Division. They enter you in the Guest Information System (GIS), assign you a Guest Number and inform ITD. You should receive an email from ITD with your Guest Number.

3. Cyber Security Training

As soon as you get your Guest Number, you will be able to use it to complete the required web-based, Cyber Security training at: http://training.bnl.gov/course/CyberSecurity/. To request a computer account, though, you have to wait. The LDAP directory of eligible users is updated once a day (morning) with information from the HR division. You should wait for the next morning to request your QCDOC account.

System Requirements to complete Web Training:

Access to web-based courses requires a Windows system (version 2000 or later) and use of Internet Explorer 5.5 and later, or Netscape Navigator 7.1 and later with the latest updates and patches installed.
Java Virtual Machine Support.

For more information on BNL Training, system requirements, training records, FAQs etc. visit: http://training.bnl.gov

4. Apply for a QCDOC Computer Account

To request a QCDOC account, go to the BNL Account Request page at http://accounts.bnl.gov, and click the START button at the bottom of the page. Enter your Guest Number in the only available field and click the Submit button. Select QCDOC (US-DOE) account. You do not need to request an ssh gateway account. An account on the qcdoc ssh gateways (ssh.qcdoc.bnl.gov) will be created automatically.

The page allows you to request multiple accounts at one time:

You should list Tom Schlagel (his BNL phone extension is 8765) as your host/sponsor.
You will be informed from the account office when your account is ready.

Note that the account request page sometimes behaves erratically. Recall the previous page and try again if you get a blank page or an error message after you enter your Guest Number. We hope that problem will be fixed soon. Please be patient.

If you have any questions or suggestions about obtaining US DOE QCDOC computer accounts, please write to stratos@bnl.gov

QCDOC Computer Accounts Homepage

Last Modified: September 3, 2008