IRMACS Compute Canada Account Application Process
In order to use the IRMACS Compute Canada Resource Allocation (CCRA) on Compute Canada infrastructure you will need to apply for a Compute Canada account as well as request account creation on WestGrid equipment (the IRMACS CCRA is on the machine bugaboo.westgrid.ca). Although this process is a bit convoluted, it won't take a lot of your time. Hopefully the 100 core years or so of computation and 30 TB of storage is worth it!!!
In order to get your Compute Canada account set up, please follow the steps outlined below:
1) Create a Compute Canada account
Every user needs to have a Compute Canada account. If you are a Faculty member you can go directly to the Compute Canada account application page directly to create an account. If you are not a faculty member, you will need to be sponsored by a Faculty member (nominally, this should be the project leader of the IRMACS project you belong to). You will need to ask your Faculty sponsor for their Compute Canada Role Idenitfier (CCRI). Once you have this, you can go to the Compute Canada account application page and apply for a Compute Canada account. For non-faculty you should use your Faculty sponsor's CCRI in the "Sponsor" field of the Compute Canada application page.
If you don't have an SFU sponsor and are not a Faculty member at a Canadian instiution, please contact help@irmacs.sfu.ca and we will assist you with the application process.
Once your account is created you will receive an email notifying you that your email is verified and that your account is awaiting approval by your sponsor. Once the account is approved by your sponsor you will receive a confirmation email that the account has been created.
2) Create a WestGrid Compute Canada consortium account
When you receive the confirmation email, you will be provided with directions to log in to the Compute Canada website. You will then have the opportunity to create a Compute Canada consortium account. You should click on the link in the email that takes you to the consortium account page. You should then click on the Apply button next to the WestGrid consortium. This will take you to a WestGrid account creation page.
Once at the WestGrid account creation page you should read and accept the "Eligibility" and "Conditions of Use" terms. Fill in the username and password fields of the form and click Confirm. You should receive an email with your WestGrid details and notifying you that your account will be ready in a day or two.
3) Register with the IRMACS RAC
In order to register your CCRI you will need to communicate that to the IRMACS help team. Please send an email to help @ irmacs.sfu.ca with a Subject line "Please add me to the IRMACS Compute Canada RAC". The email body should contain your name, your sponsor, and your CCRI (an identifier of the form iib-111-01). Once added to the IRMACS RAC you will have preferred access to the IRMACS resource allocation.
4) Log in to WestGrid systems and Compute!
Once your account creation has been submitted you will need to wait for a day or two while your account is set up on the WestGrid machines. After a day or two try to log in to bugaboo.westgrid.ca with your WestGrid credentials. Once you are in, you can compute to your hearts content!!!
If you have any questions about using the Compute Canada infrastructure, email help @ irmacs.sfu.ca. Jobs on WestGrid are submitted almost exactly the same as on the IRMACS cluster. For more information on submitting jobs on WestGrid please refer to the WestGrid job submission page.
