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GEOG 337 HPC Guide

Open OnDemand | GlobalProtect VPN

Part 1: Logging in to Open OnDemand

For your convenience, the cluster can be accessed through a graphical user interface (GUI) called Open OnDemand. This interface will allow you to access all of the features you will need for GEOG 337.

  1. Navigate to https://ondemand.hpc.uwec.edu (Requires on-campus or VPN connection).
  2. Enter your UWEC login and authenticate with Okta.
  3. Complete the first time sign-in process if you have never used the cluster before. * Follow the instructions on screen exactly. Make sure you accept all the terms of service.

Trouble with setup?

If you're struggling with first time sign-in or accepting the terms of service, try following our detailed guide at https://docs.hpc.uwec.edu/ood/first-time/

Part 2: Copying Files

Open OnDemand has a file browser built-in that can be used for basic operations such a creating, viewing, editing, and deleting files. To access it, click Files > Home Directory in the hotbar or click the pinned app on the OnDemand dashboard.

  • Click on "Home Directory" on the main dashboard with all the tiles.
  • Click on "my_geog337" folder
  • Click on "course_files"
  • Check the box next to the "JupyterDemo.ipynb" and "uw-campus-list.csv" files on the left.
  • Click on "Copy/Move" button in the top right
  • Go back to "my_geog337" and click the "Copy" button on the left side of the screen to copy the files.

Part 3: Jupyter Notebook

You will be using a program called Jupyter Notebook for this demo. Jupyter allows you to interactively run code on the cluster with an easy-to-use interface.

Starting a Jupyter session

To use Jupyter, you must request resources from the cluster. First, click on the "Jupyter Notebook" tile on the OnDemand home screen. Once you click it, request the following resources on the next screen:

  • Accounting Group: 2255.geog.337.001
  • Slurm Partition: Week (7 days) - Default
  • CPU Cores: 4
  • Memory: 15G
  • #GPU Cards: No GPUs - Default
  • Number of Hours: 2 (This is how long Jupyter will run for before automatically stopping)
  • Working Directory: (Leave this blank)
  • Email Notifications: None - No Email

Double-check that all of your values are right, then click the blue Launch button.

Accessing your session

Once you launch the session, it will need to start. This can take some time, but once your session changes from "Starting" to "Running", click the blue Connect to Jupyter button.

Opening the demo notebook

Once you open Jupyter, you will be in your "Home Directory". You should see a folder called "my_geog337". Open this folder, then click on the "Jupyter_Demo.ipynb" file inside. Once opened, you will be on the Jupyter Notebook screen, and you can now begin the demo.

Changing Your Kernel / Environment

All the necessary Python packages needed for GEOG 337 are under the "geog337" environment. If you are in the wrong environment, you might get an error that says "package" or "module" could not be found or loaded. Look at the top right of the notebook to know what environment you are currently in.

Jupyter Kernel

New Notebook:

  • Click "New", then search for "Python [conda env:geog337]"

Existing Notebook:

  • Click "Kernel" at the top of the Jupyter screen
  • Click "Change kernel"
  • Find "Python [conda env:geog337]" and click on it.
  • Your active kernel / environment should match the screenshot above.