How to log into Setonix

Owned by Cristian Di Pietrantonio
Last updated: Sept 13, 2022 by Alec Hislop (Unlicensed)Version comment
3 min read

To start working with the Setonix supercomputer, you must first access one of its login nodes. This page shows how to log into Setonix using an SSH client.

Prerequisites

You must have a Pawsey account, with its username and password. Your account must also be a member of an active Setonix allocation. For new users, an account creation email with instructions is sent when you receive an allocation or are added to a project.

Context

The Setonix supercomputer has a modest number of login nodes in addition to the large number of compute nodes it contains for computational work. These login nodes provide an environment to schedule work on the compute nodes on the supercomputer. The login nodes are a shared resource, and it is important not to run computational work locally on the login node.

You can connect to the login nodes by using a Secure Shell Protocol (SSH) client program. SSH is a encrypted communication protocol for communicating securely with a remote computer. It has a number of client programs available. There are several different SSH clients available, depending on your operating system:

  • For Linux and OSX, we recommend using the terminal ssh client packaged with your operating system.
  • For Windows, we recommend using MobaXTerm or Putty, though a native SSH client is also available through PowerShell by default.

Steps

The following high-level steps outline the process of logging into and using Setonix:

  1. Install a SSH client program (if needed)
  2. Use the SSH client program to log into Setonix using its hostname ( setonix.pawsey.org.au ) and your Pawsey user name and password.
  3. Use the secure shell environment to work with Setonix.
  4. Exit the secure shell environment and close the SSH client program.

Detailed step-by-step instructions for some common SSH clients are available below.

Login with a terminal client on Linux or OSX

Use the following steps to access a Setonix login node with a Linux terminal program:

  1. Install the ssh package using your operating system package manager (if needed)
  2. Open a terminal window

  3. Run the following command, using your Pawsey username and password:

    Using a terminal client to log into Setonix
    ~> ssh username@setonix.pawsey.org.au

    Note that username should be replaced with your Pawsey username, and that your password will not appear as you type it.

  4. Use the secure shell environment as needed to work with Setonix.
  5. Type exit to close the secure shell environment and SSH client.
  6. Close the terminal window (if needed)

Login with MobaXTerm on Windows

You will first need to download and install MobaXTerm from its website:

  https://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/

You can set up a new SSH session as a shortcut for logging into Setonix:

  1. Start MobaXterm if needed
  2. Click the Session menu and select "New Session"
  3. Click the SSH icon at the top left of the window
  4. Type setonix.pawsey.org.au into the box next to "Remote host:"
  5. Tick the box to the left of "Specify username:"
  6. Enter your Pawsey username into the box to the right of "Specify username:"
  7. Leave the "Port:" set to 22
  8. Click the "Okay" button
  9. Type your Pawsey password and press Enter, noting that characters will not appear as you type for security

This will log you into a Setonix login node ready to work with the supercomputer.

Now that the MobaXterm session is configured, you can log in faster by clicking on the "setonix.pawsey.org.au (username)" in the MobaXterm sidebar or home pane, and providing your Pawsey password.

Alternatively, the ssh command in the previous subsection can be used you prefer starting from a local MobaXterm terminal session:

  1. Start MobaXterm if needed
  2. Click "+ Start local terminal"
  3. Type ssh username@setonix.pawsey.org.au, replacing username with your actual Pawsey username
  4. Type your Pawsey password and press Enter, noting that characters will not appear as you type for security

Login with PuTTY on Windows

You can connect using the PuTTY terminal client by:

  1. Starting PuTTY if needed
  2. Enter setonix.pawsey.org.au into the box under "Host Name (or IP Address)"
  3. Leave the Port set to 22
  4. Click the "Open" button
  5. Type your Pawsey username and press Enter
  6. Type your Pawsey password and press Enter, noting that characters will not appear as you type for security

You may also save the settings by following the first three steps above, then:

  1. Type Setonix into the box under "Saved Sessions"
  2. Click the "Save" button

Now you can connect by clicking "Setonix" in the list and the "Load" button, and following steps 5 and 6 above.

Next steps

If you need help accessing the Setonix login nodes, raise a ticket in the User Support Portal for further assistance.

Once you can access the Setonix login nodes, the related pages below provide further information for using Setonix.

Related pages