AImageLab SRV

Coldfront

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ColdFront is an open-source resource allocation management tool designed for high-performance computing centers, enabling efficient management of resources and user allocations. AImageLab-SRV utilizes ColdFront to allow users to request and manage access to various resources available within our data center. Access to any AImageLab-SRV services requires an active allocation to the relevant resource. Research faculty, principal investigators (PIs), and teaching faculty can create projects in ColdFront and request allocations for themselves and their team members.

Getting started with ColdFront is straightforward—all you need is an AImageLab-SRV user account. Faculty members and PIs can use ColdFront to:

• Create new Projects
• Request an Allocation in a Project
• Add or Remove Users
• Complete Yearly Project Review

If you’re not a faculty member or a PI, you can still login to ColdFront to view information about the projects you’re part of and the resources you have access to, but you will not be able to request allocations.

Request an Allocation

Access to AImageLab-SRV resources is managed through ColdFront using Projects and Allocations.

Projects capture information about your research, including your group members and any resource allocations. PIs at AImageLab-SRV typically manage multiple projects, each usually corresponding to a funded research project. After logging into ColdFront for the first time, you should see the Propose a new Project button to create a new project for your group. This is required before requesting allocations. Once your project has been created, take a moment to add any publications, grants, or research output that will help us track the scientific impact of our center. You can also add users to your project.

To request an allocation to an AImageLab-SRV resource, follow these steps:

1. Login to ColdFront
2. Click on Projects, then create a new project or select an existing project
3. Under the Allocations section, click the Request Resource Allocation button
4. Select the desired resource from the dropdown menu
5. Select the users who should have access to this allocation.
6. Enter a justification and click Submit

Once you submit your allocation request, it will be reviewed by center staff, and you will receive an email confirmation once it’s approved. At this point, you will have access to the resource.

💡 Allocation Renewals
Allocations are approved for a specific time period (usually until the expiration of the project itself). You will have the option to renew your allocation before the expiration date to continue using the resources. If your allocation is not renewed by the expiration date, your access will be revoked. You can renew your allocation beginning 60 days before expiration, and you will receive email reminders starting 30 days prior. Allocations can’t be renewed once they’ve expired—you must request a new allocation for the resource.

Add or Remove Users

Users can be added to or removed from your project in ColdFront. To add a user to your project, they must already have an AImageLab-SRV account. Please direct them to this documentation to create their own AImageLab-SRV user account.

To add users to your project, follow these steps:

1. Login to ColdFront
2. Click on your project
3. Under the Users section, click the Add User button
4. Enter the user’s username, first/last name, or email address (be sure to select the All Fields radio button)
5. Click the Search button, and a list of users will be displayed
6. Select the users by checking the box next to their name and click the Add Selected Users to Project button

You can also remove users from your project by clicking on your project and, under the Users section, clicking the Remove User button.

💡 Delegate Manager Role
When adding a user to your project, you can optionally designate them as a “Manager” by selecting their role using the dropdown next to their email. A “Manager” has the same permissions as the PI to add/remove users, request/renew allocations, and manage project information such as grants, publications, and research output. Managers can also complete the annual project review. You can modify a user’s role at any time by clicking the Edit button next to the user’s name.

Notifications - All users on a project will receive notifications about allocations, including reminders of upcoming expiration dates and status changes. Users may uncheck the box next to their username to turn off notifications. However, Managers and PIs on the project cannot turn off notifications.

Allocation Change Requests

To request additional project resources, such as more compute hours, storage, or access to other services, use the allocation change request feature in ColdFront. Navigate to your active allocation for the resource you want to modify, then click on the Request Change button. Enter the amount you’d like to increase your allocation to and submit.

💡 Please Note:
Allocation changes are subject to review and approval by AImageLab-SRV staff. You will receive a notification once your request has been processed.

Complete Yearly Project Review

AImageLab-SRV requires an annual review of all projects. We ask that PIs or project managers update the project description and field of science, if necessary, and remove any users who should no longer have access. During this review, we also request that you update your grant and publication information to ensure it is up to date. This information is essential for reports AImageLab-SRV provides to the administration, demonstrating the research and work enabled by our resources.

When your project review is due, you will see a banner at the top of the project detail page that includes a link to the project review process along with the message: You need to review this project.

⚠️ Warning
New allocation requests and allocation renewals will not be accepted until the project review has been submitted.