Welcome to AImageLab-HPC! Our cluster offers a wide range of resources for the AImageLab research community. To get started, you will need:

• An AImageLab-HPC user account.
• An active allocation for the resources you want to use.

Creating a User Account

AImageLab-HPC resources are available to the AImageLab research community. To access these resources, you need an individual user account. Please note that AImageLab-HPC user accounts are separate from your UNIMORE institutional accounts.

Eligible Users

The following categories are eligible for an AImageLab-HPC account:

• Principal Investigators and structured research personnel (Full Professors, Associate Professors, RTT, RTD-B/A).
• PhD students, research grant recipients, and contracted collaborators.
• External collaborators.
• Master’s and Bachelor’s students working on a thesis.
• Master’s students involved in a research project.

To request an account, follow the Onboarding procedure.

Logging In

After registering, you will receive a one-time password via email (for external users) or use your UNIMORE account password where applicable.

Two authentication methods are supported:

• Password login: permitted only when connecting from a UNIMORE IP address (via cable network, WiFi, or VPN).
• SSH key login: permitted from anywhere.

The first login must be via password from a UNIMORE IP address.

Username Lifecycle

Username Expiration

Every username has an expiration date, typically aligned with the end of your contract, thesis, or project. You can check your expiration date at any time using the sexpiration command.

When a username expires, it is automatically deactivated and access to the cluster is revoked. Data in the /homes filesystem is archived for six months and subsequently deleted.

To request an extension before your account expires, use the Account Renewal Request feature in the ColdFront portal (see below). A reminder banner will appear on your portal home page when expiration is within 30 days.

Role Changes

If your role has changed — for example, from Master’s student to PhD student, or from PhD student to research grant recipient — you can submit an Account Renewal Request directly from the ColdFront portal. Log in, click your username in the top-right corner, and select Renew Account. Check the My role has changed box, select your new role, and attach a supporting document (e.g. appointment letter or contract). An administrator will review the request and update your profile and computing rights accordingly.

Account Renewal Request

When your account is approaching expiration or your role has changed, you can submit a renewal request from the ColdFront portal:

1. Log in to ColdFront.
2. Click your username in the top-right corner and select Renew Account, or look for the expiry banner on the home page.
3. Fill in the requested expiration date and, if your role has changed, check the relevant box and upload a proof document.
4. Submit the request. An administrator will review it and you will be notified by email once it is processed.

Course Enrollment

If you are a student (thesis or course), you can request enrollment in a specific course project from the ColdFront portal:

1. Log in to ColdFront.
2. Click the Course Enrollment button on the home page.
3. Select the course project you wish to join and optionally provide a motivation.
4. Submit the request. An administrator will review it and enroll you in the project once approved.

Allocation Requests

Access to AImageLab-HPC computational resources is managed through allocations administered via ColdFront. To use resources, you must be a member of an active allocation.

All new resource requests — GPU time, WORK storage, and SLURM accounts — are handled through the formal proposal process. A full description of the process, including instructions on preparing and submitting a proposal, is available on the Requesting Computational Resources page.

• Principal Investigators and structured personnel: you may submit a proposal directly through the ColdFront portal. You may also be named as PI on a proposal submitted by a member of your group.
• PhD students, postdocs, and collaborators: coordinate with the faculty member (PI) who will sponsor the project. Either the PI or a group member can submit the proposal, provided a structured researcher is named as PI.
• Industry customers: contact the HPC Helpdesk to discuss access arrangements before submitting a proposal.