Get An Account to access national Advanced Research Computing services from the Alliance
Introduction
The Digital Research Alliance of Canada (the Alliance) provides a variety of free services, support, and expertise to Canadian Researchers and their collaborators. Most services offered are available without restriction, though a few are limited due to licensing or resource limitations. The services the Alliance makes available are as follows:
- Computation. Expandable power ranging from the equivalent of a second desktop to supercomputers with thousands of cores, terabytes of RAM, and a variety of system architectures, including GPUs (Graphics Processing Units).
- Specialized Software. Over 250 software programs and packages already integrated with Alliance systems.
- Cloud. Virtual-machine based development space that includes outward-facing IP addresses.
- General Analyst/Consultant Support. Consultations regarding project architecture and resource needs with technical experts with skills ranging from specialty software selection to program optimization.
- Training. Training sessions covering core skills offered regularly and custom courses available on request.
- Nextcloud. 100 GB of shareable, Dropbox-like space available across multiple devices.
- Globus. Fast, secure, sharing and fire-and-forget file transfers.
- Data Integrity. Data storage and back-up systems provide stability and security options over your desktop.
- Visualization Support. Dedicated 3D visualization expert available.
- Digital Humanities Support. Dedicated digital humanities expert available.
- Portals. Hosting for specialized data and tools for entire research communities.
To begin accessing services offered through the Alliance, you will first need to apply for an account. Depending on the type of service you are interested in, you may have to additionally apply for a consortium account.
This article will provide readers with instructions for both obtaining an account through the Alliance and creating an account through a national or regional computing consortium (if needed). Additionally it will highlight the benefits of account ownership, including how to obtain access to key services.
Applicability
This guide is intended for Researchers at the University of Alberta who would like to apply for an Alliance account.
To get an Alliance account, academic principal investigators (faculty members, adjunct faculty and librarians) at a Canadian university or research facility must first register themselves in the Compute Canada Database (CCDB). Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows are eligible for Alliance accounts, but they must be sponsored by a principal investigator, who must first register in the CCDB. Step-by-step instructions for registering in the CCDB can be Registering in the Compute Canada Database.
To determine whether you are eligibility for account ownership, review the following guidelines.
Procedure
Apply for a Compute Canada account
1. To apply for a Compute Canada account, visit the CCDB's login page.
2. On the sign in page select Register
4. An application form will populate if you have not previously applied for a Compute Canada or Alliance account. If you have do not hold a previous account, proceed with filling out the application form. If you have previously held a Compute Canada or Alliance account, you will be provided a series of options for updating your account information.
5. Before you can begin the registration process, you must first read and accept the following agreements:
Accepting the Consent to Access User Data is optional. However, not consenting to this agreement may limit our ability to provide the support required in certain cases.
You can read the policies and consents by visiting this page.
6. Once you've accepted the required agreements and clicked on Submit, you will be taken back to the next page. Please mark No.
6. Then complete the form with all required information as in the image below.
Please register with your institutional email address. The information provided will be checked for accuracy. To ensure there is no delay in getting your RI, please ensure all information is completed correctly.
7. After clicking Submit application, you will receive an email. If you do not receive the confirmation email, please contact accounts@computecanada.ca.
8. Once you have received your confirmation email, click on the confirmation link indicated in the email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the confirmation link into your browser.
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If you are the PI, an administrator will process your account request. The approver will check the information you have submitted to ensure you are a faculty person at the institution you have specified. Your account request will be processed within 2 business days.
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If you are a Group Member, an email will be sent to your Sponsor asking them to confirm your application. Please see the section titled “Approving a Group Member” for details on this process.
9. Once your request has been approved, you will receive a notification email. Please note your RI. If you are a PI, you will need to provide your RI to all Group Members that you will be sponsoring. If you forget your RI, you can log in to the system and retrieve it. Please note the email you used to register and the password you have created.
You have now completed the CCDB registration process.
Once the application is submitted, you should receive an email response with your credentials back within one business day.
Request a Service
Once credentials have been received you are now ready to begin using the rich list of services offered through the Alliance. Each service has a slightly different process for activation. A list of common services is listed below, along with details on how to proceed with activation:
Additional Considerations (Notes)
If you have any questions or difficulties with either step 1 or step 2 send an email to accounts@tech.alliancecan.ca for assistance.
For additional information, please visit the following resources:
Alliance terms of service