HPC/Network Access

Carbon Cluster User Information

Accessing Carbon

To use Carbon you need an active user proposal and your Argonne domain username and password. You must renew your password about every 6 months.

From an onsite and Argonne-owned computer

Connect with a Secure Shell client program directly to carbon.cnm.anl.gov.

From any other computer

Employ one of the following mechanisms:

• SSH gateway (available for all users – see below),
• Argonne VPN (available for Argonne employees only).

Using the SSH gateway

The CNM ssh gateway is mega.cnm.anl.gov.

• To access the gateway you must be a user on a CNM proposal that is active or has expired within the last 6 weeks.
• You must use a password to connect to the gateway. For subsequent (forwarded) connections you may use ssh public keys.
• The gateway is only used for port forwarding. You do not need to run any commands or store any files on it once your ssh program is properly configured.

Additional information:

• Slides from a talk Using Carbon - II Remote Access (PDF)

Setup for interactive use and file transfers

• Linux, MacOS, and Cygwin
• Windows (using PuTTY)
• Windows (using WinSCP)

SSH GUI Applications

• Mac OS X
• Windows
• Virtual Desktop (VNC)

Password Policies

The methods described above will grant you, the holder of your Argonne domain password and private ssh key, access to your account on Carbon. As with any Argonne computer system, the following rules apply:

• Keep passphrases and passwords private – do not share them with anyone, including administrators that you know or don't know.
• Keep your private key file private - do not share it with anyone.
• Use a strong passphrase following DOE password regulations.