Getting access
To use Rivanna and Afton you need a UVA computing ID (NetBadge) and membership in a faculty PI’s allocation (managed with Grouper). Students and most trainees do not request allocations themselves.
What you need
| Role | What to do |
|---|---|
| Student / collaborator | Ask your PI or course instructor to add you to their Grouper group for the allocation. Then log in (below). |
| Faculty PI | Create a Grouper group, add yourself as a member, request a standard (or other) allocation, then add students. |
Eligibility notes (from RC):
- Faculty may serve as PI and request HPC allocations and storage.
- Graduate and undergraduate students cannot request allocations; their advisor or instructor must.
- Sponsored-account users can join a faculty Grouper group but cannot request RC services as PI.
Allocation types (standard, purchased, instructional) are summarized under RC Services.
Full request details: Get access to HPC resources · forms on Request & Manage.
Grouper (for PIs)
Access is controlled by Grouper group membership (group management; VPN required to use the portal). For a new group, note that it will be used for Rivanna/Afton access, add yourself as a member, then submit the allocation request (for example the standard allocation form).
How to log in
Use your UVA computing ID. Passwords are your NetBadge / Eservices credentials (reset via ITS if needed).
| Method | URL / host | VPN off Grounds? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open OnDemand (recommended start) | ood.hpc.virginia.edu | No | Browser apps, files, shell, job tools |
| SSH | login.hpc.virginia.edu | Yes | Terminal / scripting |
| FastX (remote desktop) | fastx.hpc.virginia.edu | Yes | Linux desktop / some GUI apps |
Example SSH:
ssh YOUR_COMPUTING_ID@login.hpc.virginia.edu
Off Grounds, use the UVA VPN (prefer More Secure Network when available) for SSH and FastX. Open OnDemand does not require VPN.
More details:
- SSZ login
- [Open OnDemand apps](/hpc-basics/docs/open-ondemand/
- Interactive apps (learning portal)
After you can log in
- Confirm you can open Open OnDemand and see your home directory.
- Learn where data should live (RC Services: Storage).
- Try an interactive app (Open OnDemand interactive apps) or a simple batch job later.
If login fails after you were added to a group, wait a short time for membership to propagate, confirm your NetBadge password, then contact RC support with your computing ID and PI/group name.