> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nyc-ai.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Accounts & access

> Who can get an account, how to request one, and how to log in.

## Who can get an account

CUNY HPCC operates on a **cost-recovery model**, so every account must be linked to a research project or a class. There are seven account types:

| Type  | Who                                 | Renewal cycle                         |
| ----- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| **A** | Faculty / research staff            | Yearly (start of Fall semester)       |
| **B** | Adjunct faculty                     | Every semester (Fall / Spring)        |
| **C** | Doctoral graduate students          | Yearly (Fall); up to 14 semesters     |
| **D** | Master's students                   | Every semester; up to 8 semesters     |
| **E** | Undergraduate students (class only) | Every semester; up to 8 semesters     |
| **F** | Academic collaborators (non-CUNY)   | Yearly, for the duration of a project |
| **G** | Public / private sector partners    | No renewal; tied to contract length   |

<Note>
  A **PI (Principal Investigator)** at CUNY is the lead researcher responsible for a project's design, execution, and financial management. Only full-time faculty or qualified researchers can be PIs. Student (C–E) accounts must be attached to a PI-led project; undergraduate research accounts require a faculty sponsor.
</Note>

## How the registration flow works

HPCC uses a PI-driven registration system:

<Steps>
  <Step title="PI creates a sponsor account">
    The faculty member fills out form **A** or **B** with project title, funding, and duration.
  </Step>

  <Step title="PI receives a unique project code">
    HPCC issues a code that the PI shares with group members.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Group members apply using the code">
    Students, postdocs, and collaborators use forms **C, D, E, or F** and include the PI's code.
  </Step>

  <Step title="PI assigns members to the project">
    Once accounts are created, the PI adds them to the correct project in the HPCC portal.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Request an account

Email **[HPCHelp@csi.cuny.edu](mailto:HPCHelp@csi.cuny.edu?subject=CSI%20HPCC%20account%20request)** or open a request through the [HPCC ticket system](https://hpchelp.csi.cuny.edu) with the details below. **Use a valid CUNY email only** (Gmail, Hotmail, and other public mailers are filtered out).

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Identity" icon="id-card">
    Full name as on your CUNY ID, CUNY EID, institutional email, and academic status.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Affiliation" icon="building-columns">
    Primary CUNY campus and department. Secondary affiliation (e.g. Graduate Center) if any.
  </Card>

  <Card title="PI / sponsor" icon="user-tie">
    Name, department, and college of your PI, plus the **project code** they received.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Project" icon="flask">
    Title, short description (up to 100 words), funding source, and relevant publications.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Resources" icon="microchip">
    CPU cores, GPU type and count (V100/16, V100/32, L40/48, A30/24, A40/24, A100/40, A100/80), storage, backup, archive.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Local resources" icon="server">
    What computing resources (if any) you already have access to at your home campus.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

Once approved you'll receive a username and a temporary password to reset on first login. PhD students should list their GC email first, then the college email. Master's and undergraduate students list their college email.

<Note>
  **Class accounts (type E)** are for coursework only and are capped at **10 GB**. They are deleted 30 days after the semester ends unless extended. Instructors should request them at least several weeks before the semester starts. Undergraduates doing research work need a faculty sponsor and must be registered under a legitimate PI-led project.
</Note>

## Log in

Only two hosts accept connections from outside the CSI network: **`chizen.csi.cuny.edu`** and **`karle.csi.cuny.edu`**. Everything else must be reached by first logging in through one of those gateways.

```bash theme={null}
ssh <your_username>@chizen.csi.cuny.edu
```

From the gateway, SSH into the system you want to use:

```bash theme={null}
ssh <your_username>@arrow
```

The login banner (Message of the Day) often carries outage notices, maintenance windows, and policy reminders. Read it every time you log in.

### Logging in from Windows

Windows 10 and 11 ship with OpenSSH. Open **PowerShell** or **Windows Terminal** and use the same `ssh` command shown above. If you prefer a GUI:

* **PuTTY**: set **Host Name** to `chizen.csi.cuny.edu`, port `22`, and save the session for reuse.
* **MobaXterm**: bundles SSH, SFTP, and an X server, which makes X11 forwarding painless.
* **WinSCP**: for drag-and-drop file transfers once you're connecting successfully over SSH.

### X11 forwarding (running GUI apps)

Some tools (MATLAB, ParaView, `xterm`) open a graphical window. To forward the display back to your laptop:

```bash theme={null}
ssh -Y <your_username>@chizen.csi.cuny.edu
ssh -Y arrow
xclock           # quick sanity check: a clock face should appear on your desktop
```

* **macOS**: install [XQuartz](https://www.xquartz.org/), then log out and back in before using `-Y`.
* **Windows**: use **MobaXterm** (X server built in) or install **VcXsrv**/**Xming** alongside PuTTY.
* **Linux**: X is already running; `-Y` works out of the box.

Rendering large datasets over X11 is slow. For anything heavier than dialog boxes, prefer batch rendering to an image or copying results back to your laptop.

### Common login problems

Working through this short checklist resolves most login failures:

* Are you using the correct username?
* Are you typing the correct password? (Remember: passwords are case-sensitive.)
* Which system are you trying to connect to? Only **Chizen** and **Karle** are reachable from outside the CSI network. For everything else, log into Chizen first and then SSH onward.
* Do you have access to the system you're connecting to? Confirm the full hostname (`host@csi.cuny.edu`).

<Warning>
  If SSH ever refuses to connect with a **`REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED`** warning, it usually means the gateway was rebuilt after maintenance. Remove the stale key with `ssh-keygen -R chizen.csi.cuny.edu` and reconnect. If the warning persists, stop and email the helpline; don't blindly accept a new key.
</Warning>

If you're still stuck after that, [open a ticket](https://hpchelp.csi.cuny.edu) or email the helpline.

### SSH keys (recommended)

Password authentication works but SSH keys are easier and more secure. Generate a key on your laptop, then install the public half on `chizen`:

```bash theme={null}
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.name@cuny.edu"
ssh-copy-id <your_username>@chizen.csi.cuny.edu
```

After that, `ssh chizen.csi.cuny.edu` should not prompt for a password.

## Password policy

Passwords must comply with CUNY's password policy:

* At least **8 characters** long.
* Include all four character classes: one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one digit, and one of the approved special characters.
* Case-sensitive.

Change a password with the `passwd` command once logged in. If your password has expired, been forgotten, or the account is locked, reset it at **[hpcauth1.csi.cuny.edu/reset/](https://hpcauth1.csi.cuny.edu/reset/)** using your HPCC username and CUNY email. Email the [HPC Helpline](mailto:HPCHelp@csi.cuny.edu) if the reset form doesn't recognize the account.

<Note>
  Password expiration intervals and account renewal cadence are set by CSI IT policy. Confirm current specifics on the [HPCC Wiki](https://wiki.csi.cuny.edu/cunyhpc/index.php/Main_Page) before training users on them.
</Note>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Run your first job" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    End-to-end: log in, load a module, submit a Hello-SLURM job.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Learn the systems" icon="server" href="/systems">
    What's available behind Chizen, including Arrow and other clusters.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>