Discovery Courses FAQ

Courses FAQ

There are several use cases for teaching and learning with the Discovery cluster in a classroom. The cluster offers a command line and web interface, allowing access and instruction-level flexibility. Using the cluster gives you, and your students access to many popular scientific applications and allows you and your students to install other packages as needed. The easy-to-use Open OnDemand web portal also offers a built-in visual file explorer for viewing and transferring.

The following Frequently Asked Questions should help answer most of your questions about using the cluster for classroom use.

How can I use Discovery with my class?

There are several ways you can use the cluster in your classroom. Your class can use the cluster to access specific software packages and working environments and learn how to utilize high-performance computing (HPC) resources for large and complex data processing, such as machine learning; AI and molecular simulations; and more.

How do I get my class access to the cluster?

You fill out an HPC Classroom Use Request ticket. While filling out this form, please provide the course number and section from the dropdown menu supplied, and we will pull the students names directly from canvas. We will create accounts on the cluster for them as well as any TAs or co-instructors. We will also make a directory tree under /courses for the class. If there are any changes in enrollment please let us know so we can update your course. There is no need to send us a list of students names as we pull them directly from canvas.

Is there any training on the cluster for my class?

Yes, we currently provide virtual classroom facilitation for your class on using the cluster. You can also direct your students to our training page, where they can easily view some of our most popular training sessions. We can also customize training to focus on the specific resources you will be using for the class. Email us at rchelp@northeastern.edu and provide details about your class and the training you would like us to provide.

Do my students have to learn Linux to work with the cluster?

Depending on your class assignments, many students can work with the Open OnDemand web portal, which does not require any knowledge of Linux. In cases where you want students to work on the command line, they should have a basic understanding of Linux commands. If students are unfamiliar with Linux, you can direct them to our training page, where they can view a Linux and Shell Scripting training session.

What software is available to use with my class on the cluster?

Many software packages are available, including popular software apps such as Jupyter Notebook, RStudio, and MATLAB. If you have an account on the cluster, you can see the list of available software by using the module avail command (run in the command line). See Using Module for more information. Students have access to most of the modules on the cluster. They can also use the interactive apps available on Open OnDemand. Instructors can install many other software packages using Conda.

I just need my class to access Open OnDemand. How do I request that?

Open OnDemand is a web portal that lets you access the resources on the cluster through an easy-to-navigate web browser interface. You can request course access using the same form as you would to request access to the cluster.

I’d like my class to use specific resources on the cluster. Can you create a reservation on the cluster for my class?

We have dedicated partitions for courses, which provide CPU (–partition=”courses”) and GPU (–partition=”courses-gpu”) resources. We no longer create reservations for each course. However, we allocate the resources for the classroom partitions each term based on need as described by the instructors.

How long do my students have access to the cluster?

Students will have access to the cluster for the duration of the course. If the students would like to maintain their access, they must submit an access request for an individual account.

How do I get an account on the cluster?

If you are a professor or instructor at Northeastern, you can complete an access request for an account on the cluster.

How do my students get help with the cluster?

RC Office Hours are a great way for your students to connect with the RC team for short (10-15 min) consultations. Office Hours are held every Wednesday from 3 – 4 p.m. ET and Thursday from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET. All current or prospective Discovery users are welcome to join anytime during these hours.

Join Wednesday Office Hours : 3 – 4 p.m. ET

Join Thursday Office Hours : 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET

You or your students can also submit a Get Assistance with Research Computing ticket or email rchelp@northeastern.edu.

My class needs access to a specific software application that I do not see installed on the cluster or Open OnDemand (OOD). What should I do?

If your class requires software not currently installed on the cluster or OOD, and you are unable to install it in a conda environment, follow the procedure below to request that software be installed on the cluster.

You must be a professor or instructor to initiate this request; if your students need a specific software application, you must complete the form for them. Students in your class cannot submit this request. This is to ensure that we only get one request for the software; multiple students in one class often make requests for the same software, so having all requests go through the instructor reduces this overlap.

To request additional software (instructors only):

Go to Discovery Cluster Software Request. If prompted, sign in to ServiceNow with your Northeastern username and password to access the form.
In the Sponsor’s Name field, enter your name.
Make sure to follow the instructions on the form regarding either providing the URL of the open-source software library or uploading the installation package in your home directory if it requires you to register it first.
Select the acknowledgment checkbox, and select Submit.

You and your students can install software locally to your PATH on the cluster, which may be a better option in some cases, such as installing multiple conda environments. Review the Software Overview for more information.

Please note, software requests can take 2-3 weeks to complete the installation. We might not be able to install every software application requested. If so, we will notify you and provide alternative software to meet your needs.