SCV Security and Access

Accounts

To access SCV systems you need an SCV account consisting of a username and password. SCV managed accounts are separate from general Boston University (BU) accounts, commonly referred to as "Kerberos" accounts. Having a BU Kerberos username and password does not give you access to SCV systems. You must obtain a separate account.

For the SCF facilities, this means you must apply for or be part of a project (see Scientific Computing Facilities Resource Requests).

Once you have your SCF account, you can log in to the following machines (also see SCV Computing and Visualization Facilities and SCV Computers and Workstations). Users must use the program ssh to login to these machines:

• SCF facilities (common password)
  • IBM p655 - twister.bu.edu
  • Katana Cluster - katana.bu.edu
  • Linux Cluster - cootie.bu.edu
  • Blue Gene - lee.bu.edu or levi.bu.edu - note that SCF users are not automatically given access to the Blue Gene - consult the linked page for details.

Passwords

Once you have logged in to our systems, you can change your password by logging in to the machine twister.bu.edu and running the command passwd.

If you ever forget your SCF/Twister password, you should send email to scfacct@bu.edu. You can also call Aaron Fuegi at (617) 353-8255.

Using ssh and scp to access SCF systems  

1. ssh - Ssh is the preferred method. It is secure, widely available, and automatically handles all X11 forwarding, obviating the need for xhost and xauth. Please use ssh to connect to SCV systems whenever possible. Clients exist for most every operating system including UNIX, Windows, and Mac. (ssh clients information)

To connect to twister.bu.edu using ssh from other Unix or Linux machines, use the following syntax:

acs1% ssh twister.bu.edu (if your username on acs1 and twister are the same)
  or 
otherhost% ssh username@twister.bu.edu (if your username is different on twister)

Using X Windows to Display Graphics

The above steps will allow you to access our machines and run codes. However, they may not be enough to allow you to run applications that display graphics. If you have a need to display graphics, you can try running the command xclock on one of our systems to see if it appears on your screen (will show a simple analog clock window if it works). If you can, you should be all set for other applications as well. If you can't, you will first need to run (and possibly install and/or configure first) an X Windows client on your own workstation. Instructions on doing this for both PCs and Macs are available here. In following those instructions you will of course want to replace the machine name acs.bu.edu with the name of the SCF machine you are connecting to, such as katana.bu.edu, twister.bu.edu, or cootie.bu.edu.

2. rsh, rlogin, and other r* connections are permitted from one SCV machine to another. R* connections originating from non-SCV systems are not allowed.

(see also .rhosts information)

3. For file transfer, traditional ftp is not allowed. Use either Secure ftp or scp.

Ssh (Secure Shell) Clients

Note: The information on this page merely identifies the available implementations of the Ssh Protocol. Determining the legality of the use of any of these software products is YOUR responsibility.

Clients for Unix

Clients for Microsoft Windows

Clients for Macintosh