Supercomputing Division, Information Technology Center, The University Tokyo

General FAQ

Overview

What kind of computers are available for use at the Center?
The Center carries out large-scale computational services through the following supercomputer systems. For details, please refer to “Introduction to Our Supercomputer Systems.”

Wisteria/BDEC-01 Supercomputer System
(Integrated Supercomputer System for Simulation, Data and Learning)
Fujitsu PRIMEHPC FX1000 (OS: RedHat Enterprise Linux)
Fujitsu PRIMERGY GX2570 (OS: RedHat Enterprise Linux)

For details on system information, etc., please refer to the webpages of the respective supercomputer systems.

Can I try out the supercomputer systems before applying for use?
The Information Technology Center, the University of Tokyo, offer a "Free Trial Course" service that allows first-time users to try out the supercomputer for free, and a "Trial Use" service that is available at a lower cost for general use and corporate use. After getting a sense of using the supercomputer systems through the trial use course, please consider applying for regular use.
The flow for trial use course differs depending on the user and the course of use they apply for. For details, please refer to the Flow of Use.
Flow of Use (trail use course)

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Application for use

Are there any restrictions on the purpose of use, eligibility, etc. in order to use the supercomputer systems?
The supercomputer systems are available for use to faculty and students of universities, as well as researchers, for the purpose of contributing to academic research, education, and social contribution. For details, please refer to Eligibility for Use.
Are there any points that foreign nationals should take note of if they wish to use the supercomputers?
There are cases where it is necessary for researchers who are foreign nationals and international students, etc. to obtain approval from the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry when they wish to use the supercomputers. For details, please refer to “Use of supercomputers by foreign nationals and those residing abroad.”
What should I do if I wish to apply to use the supercomputer systems? Where should I submit inquiries to?
To apply for use, please fill in the necessary fields in the application form and submit it to the Research Support Team, Information Strategy Group, Information Systems Department, The University of Tokyo. For details on where to submit the application or raise inquiries, please refer to “Application for use.”
I wish to apply for continued use of the supercomputer systems. As the confirmation of the budget takes place after the deadline for submission, I will not be able to submit the application on time. What should I do?
If you expect to be able to receive the budget, please submit the application form before the submission deadline. For reasons related to the allocation of computational resources to applicants, there may be cases where we are unable to accept applications after the deadline. Please contact us as soon as possible if you need to withdraw an application for unavoidable reasons.
I wish to apply for continued use of the supercomputer systems. What are the necessary procedures to be completed if I wish to make changes to the users and resources that are currently registered?
Please apply by the deadline according to the information that will be sent to the representative around the end of January.
I have forgotten the necessary procedures for applying for continued use. What should I do?
After the deadline has passed for application for continued use, the user will be required to submit a new application for use. Files that have been in use will be deleted. Even in the case of a new application, please note that it will not be possible to copy the files used previously.
After submitting the application for use, approximately how long will it take for the application to be approved?
If use is approved, a notification of user registration will be sent to the applicant about one week after the application has been processed. If the notification of user registration is not sent out more than two weeks after the submission of the application, or if there are any errors in the contents of the notification of user registration, please contact the Research Support Team ().
If use from April of the next fiscal year has been approved, the notification of user registration will be sent out at the end of March of the year.
Could you tell me more about the cost of use?
Please refer to the page on Application for Use/Cost of Use.
I would like to request for a quotation of the cost of use to be issued for the use of the supercomputer system.
The Center does not issue quotations. However, the specific cost of use is listed in the appendix of the Terms of Use for Supercomputer Systems of the Information Technology Center, the University of Tokyo, so please refer to the Terms of Use for details.
I would like the bill for the usage fee to be combined or split.
We do not accept requests to split or combine invoices. However, usage fees are billed in one lump sum according to the month in which usage begins or changes, so if the application has the same project code, billing month, payer, the invoice will be one sheet (with the breakdown showing the number of applications). If you wish to combine invoices, please apply in a way that meets these conditions, and if you wish to split invoices, please apply in a way that makes the usage fee billing month different.
I would like to change the billing month for the cost of use. Could you tell me how to do that?
Invoices are issued for the cost of use as a lump sum in November, December, February, or March, corresponding to the month that you begin using the supercomputer. If you wish to change the billing month, please consult with the Research Support Team, Information Strategy Group, Information Systems Department, The University of Tokyo (Email address for inquiries) before submitting the application for use.
Use the start month April ~ September October ~ December January ~ March
Billng month December February March
What is the minimum set of "Regular use (General)"? Is there any disadvantage to choosing the minimum set instead of the basic set?
In the basic set, the usage period is set in one-month increments, and tokens and disk storage are assigned according to the usage period and number of sets. On the other hand, in the minimum set, the usage period is until the end of the current fiscal year, and 720 token (equivalent to 1 node x 30 days) will be assigned. Disk storage capacity and the number of job submissions and executions are the same as for one basic set. Minimum set is suitable for those who use a small amount of computing resources but wish to keep their data/accounts throughout the fiscal year. If you require a large amount of computing resources, we recommend the basic set which adds disk storage and the number of job submissions/executions according to the number of sets. Tokens and disk storage can be added even for the minimum set.
When will the account and data be deleted after the end of the usage period? Is there any notification before the end of the usage period?
Data related to projects whose usage period has ended will be deleted on the next business day after the end of the usage period (this also applies if the usage period is until the end of the fiscal year). Be sure to back up all necessary data during the period of use. It is not possible to recover the data after deletion. If you belong to multiple projects on the same supercomputer and have a project with a valid usage period, you can continue to use your account after the project data is deleted. If none of the above applies, the account will also be deleted on the next business day after the end of the usage period.
We will not inform you about the deletion before the end of the usage period. The usage period is stated in the "Notification of Usage Registration" and other documents, so users are requested to confirm the usage period themselves and back up necessary data within the usage period. Project representatives and liaison are requested to inform their members about data backups as appropriate.
I would like to reduce the number of application sets.
It is not possible to apply for changes that would reduce the cost of use, such as reducing the number of sets applied for, additional tokens, additional disk space, or shortening the usage period. However, only in the case of "Regular use (General)" and usage period of 7 months or longer, we will inform you of the final confirmation of your application around September, at which time you can make changes that will result in a reduction in the cost of use.
I would like to extend the usage period.
Please contact 受付のメールアドレス at least 5 business days prior to the end of the usage period. We will inform you of the procedure for extending the usage period for a fee. If we do not receive contact from by the due date, we will not accept extension of the period of use.

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Connecting to the supercomputers

I cannot connect to the supercomputer through telnet. I would like to transfer a file, but cannot connect through the ftp.
To enhance security, connections through telnet and ftp are prohibited. To connect to the system, please use ssh or scp.
Could you tell me the IP address of the supercomputer?
The IP addresses of the supercomputers are not disclosed to the public. Please access using the host name, through the “ofp.jcahpc.jp” DNS (Domain Name System). For those who are currently unable to access through DNS and who have specified a direct IP address, please consult with the network administrator in charge, and establish an environment that allows you to refer to the DNS and access using a host name.
What is the key used to authenticate?
It authenticates the holder of the private key.
What is the intention behind the key authentication method?
It is used to enhance security and convenience.
When I attempt to connect through SSH, the following message is displayed.
ssh ofp.jcahpc.jp -l [User ID]
Permission denied (publickey). 

The following scenarios are possible.

1. Services may currently be suspended (system shutdown). Please check the Top Page of the Center’s website, or refer to the Operational Schedule.

2. It is possible that the public key has not been registered successfully. Please inquire via the link below for consultation and inquiries on system use.

3. A problem may have occurred with the system. Please check for any information on system failures, etc. on the TOP Page of the Center’s website. You may also inquire via the link below for program consultation.

Webpage for consultation and inquiries on system use

The following message is displayed when I register for the public key. What should I do?
“The key is incorrect. Please check that you have copied and pasted the public key correctly.”
It is possible that the key you are attempting to register has not been set correctly.


1. The public key contains invalid characters (half-width spaces).
2. You have not copied the entire public key, and pasted only a part of the complete key.


On the Macintosh terminal, a problem sometimes occurs where half-width spaces that are not used in SSH public keys appear when the character string (public key) is displayed using “less,” and is then copied and pasted. Hence, please copy and paste the character string (public key) that is output through “cat” on the terminal, as shown below, and try to register the public key again.

% cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
Is it possible to register two or more SSH keys?
The key registration system of each supercomputer system allows for the registration of two or more keys.
Are there any restrictions on the use of login nodes?
Parallel programs cannot be executed. Please also refrain from carrying out computations and heavy debugging processes.
I have forgotten my password for accessing the User Portal.
Please reset your password from "Reset Password" of the User Portal.

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Service hours, etc.

Could you tell me the times when computer services are provided?
In principle, services are available 24 hours of the day. However, services are suspended during the month-end processing period. Month-end processing is carried out on the last Friday of every month in principle, or on the day before that if the last Friday coincides with a holiday. For the operational schedule, please refer to the messages that are displayed during login, the Supercomputing News, and the Operational Schedule.
As the systems are unattended after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, and on holidays (weekends and holidays), in the event that services are suspended due to system failure or other reasons, you may not be able to reach anyone with regard to system recovery, public relations, or other forms of contact. Your kind understanding is much appreciated.
Please tell me what the operational schedule is for the year.
Please refer to this page for the yearly operational schedule (provisional). In the event of an emergency system suspension, etc., the latest information will be provided through the notifications on the Top Page of this website or the messages that are displayed when you login. Please also refer to these notifications.

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Manual

I would like to browse the manuals for the compilers, etc.
For manuals on languages and libraries, you can refer to the user support portal or the respective dedicated webpages for users.

User support portal for the Wisteria/BDEC-01 Supercomputer System

Are printed and bound manuals available for browsing?
No. Please refer to the aforementioned webpages.
I would like to read past issues of the Supercomputing News and Center News.
The Supercomputing News is published on this webpage. To browse and obtain the printed copy, please contact the reception (Email address for inquiries). (Limited hard copies are available. We apologize if they are out of stock.)

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User support

I would like to consult with someone on the use of the supercomputer systems, such as the programs, etc. What should I do?
The Center accepts inquiries about the use of the supercomputer systems via e-mail or through the website. Different e-mail addresses have been created for different categories of inquiries. For details, please refer to “Inquiries.”
I would like to ask the Center to help me install a program.
The Center does not act on behalf of users in the installation of programs or the work required to do so (e.g. rewriting “makefile”). Your kind understanding is much appreciated.

Registration of the results of research

I would like to register the results of my research. How can I do that?
You can register the results of your research from the Center’s webpage (https://regist.cc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ar/).
Can I write the report of my research results in English?
You can write the report in English.
I would like to acknowledge the use of the Center’s supercomputers in my English paper, etc. Are there any examples of how to write the acknowledgements in English?
If you are writing a report on the results of your research in an English paper, etc., please acknowledge the use of the Center’s supercomputers through acknowledgements such as those shown below.

Example of English acknowledgement for regular use (Use of the Wisteria/BDEC-01 Supercomputer System)
This research was conducted using the FUJITSU Supercomputer PRIMEHPC FX1000 and FUJITSU Server PRIMERGY GX2570 (Wisteria/BDEC-01) at the Information Technology Center, The University of Tokyo.
Example of English acknowledgement for use of the Large-Scale HPC Challenge
English title of this program
"Large-scale HPC Challenge" Project, Information Technology Center, The University of Tokyo.
Example of English acknowledgement (Use of the Wisteria/BDEC-01 Supercomputer System)
Computational resource of Fujitsu PRIMEHPC FX1000 and FUJITSU PRIMERGY GX2570 (Wisteria/BDEC-01) was awarded by "Large-scale HPC Challenge" Project, Information Technology Center, The University of Tokyo.
Example of English acknowledgement for use by young researchers/ women researchers
English title of this program
Initiative on Promotion of Supercomputing for Young or Women Researchers,Supercomputing Division, Information Technology Center, The University of Tokyo.
Example of English acknowledgement
This research is partially supported by Initiative on Promotion of Supercomputing for Young or Women Researchers,Supercomputing Division, Information Technology Center, The University of Tokyo.

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