HAICORE Documentation

Apply for PI Status

To request PI status, open the user profile page and use the PI request workflow. You will typically need a research plan, relevant publications, and supporting context for the review.

Prepare before you start:

• A short research plan describing the scientific work you want to run on the cluster
• Relevant publications, preprints, or project references that support the request
• Any information reviewers need to understand your compute, storage, or collaboration requirements

Typical workflow:

1. Log in and open your user profile.
2. Start the PI status request form.
3. Fill in the requested research context, publications, and remarks carefully.
4. Submit the request and monitor the status on your profile page.
5. If the request is denied, review the feedback and submit an updated request.

Submission emails go to the requester, assigned reviewers, and admins. Reviewer decisions notify the requester and admins, and final admin decisions notify the requester, assigned reviewers, and admins.

Direct links:

• User profile
• PI status request form

Create and Manage Projects

After PI status is approved, you can create projects, manage project details, request extensions, review allocations, and manage project membership from the project detail pages.

Create a project:

1. Open Create project.
2. Provide the project title, description, field of science, and requested start date.
3. Select the resources needed for the project.
4. Submit the request and wait for it to move through reviewer recommendation, admin approval, and activation.

New projects default to a six-month duration from the selected start date. To request more time, open the project extension flow, adjust the end date, and submit the extension request. Extension requests use the same two-step process as new projects: a matching reviewer records a recommendation first, then an admin makes the final decision. A justification and PDF progress report are required when submitting an extension request.

To ask for an additional resource allocation, use the Request Resource Allocation button in the project's Allocations section. Select the resource, provide the requested quantity and justification, attach a PDF progress report, and submit one request for each resource you need.

Manage an existing project:

1. Open the project list.
2. Select the relevant project to open its detail page.
3. Use the project detail actions to update metadata, review allocations, add users, or remove users.
4. Use the update flow when dates, descriptions, or requested resources need to change.

Direct links:

• Create project
• Project list
• Allocation list

Typical PI tasks:

• Create a new project request
• Update project metadata and request extensions
• Review allocations attached to the project
• Add users to the project
• Remove users from the project

Note: some project actions are only available after the project reaches the appropriate status.

Create a Test Project

Users who do not yet have PI status can create one test project for evaluation or onboarding. Test projects default to a six-month duration and are limited to one active test project per user.

1. Open Create test project.
2. Provide the project title, description, science category, and requested start date.
3. Submit the request and wait for the usual approval and activation workflow.

Extend Existing Projects

When a project is approaching its end date, submit the extension before it expires. Project time extensions are requested with the Extend Project Date action by changing the project end date. The request requires a justification and PDF progress report, and follows reviewer recommendation plus final admin approval.

1. Open the project that needs more time before its current end date.
2. Use the update action and change the project end date.
3. Provide a justification and upload a PDF progress report.
4. Submit the request. It is assigned to matching reviewers and remains pending for the final admin decision.
5. Reviewers submit recommendations in their review dashboard; admins see those recommendations and can approve or reject the request, including while a reviewer decision is still pending.
6. Monitor the updated project end date after approval.

Add and Remove Users

Project membership is managed from the project detail page. PIs and authorized project managers can add users when collaborators need access and remove users when access is no longer required.

Add users:

1. Open the project list.
2. Select the project to open its detail page.
3. Use the Add Users action.
4. Search for the user you want to add.
5. Select the user, confirm the role, and complete the add-user workflow.

Remove users:

1. Open the relevant project detail page from the project list.
2. Use the Remove Users action.
3. Select the user or users whose access should be removed.
4. Confirm the removal and verify the project membership list updates.

Related links:

• Project list

Archive Projects

Projects can be archived from the project detail page when work is complete or access should be closed.

Typical workflow:

1. Open the project list.
2. Open the project that should be archived.
3. Use the archive action on the project detail page.
4. Confirm the request and verify that the project status changes accordingly.

Direct links:

• Project list

User Access and Project Participation

Users can view their profile, see assigned projects and allocations, and participate in project workflows once they have been added by a PI or project manager.

Typical workflow:

1. Log in and open your user profile.
2. Check whether an HPC username has been assigned.
3. Open the project list to see projects you belong to.
4. Open the allocation list to review active allocations and dates.
5. Coordinate with the PI or project manager if you need to be added to or removed from a project.

Direct links:

• User profile
• Project list
• Allocation list

SSH Keys and Data Transfer

SSH keys are used for file transfer only. They are not used to log into the cluster shell directly. Interactive cluster access is available through haicore.hzdr.de.

Direct links:

• Manage SSH keys
• User profile

Typical workflow:

1. Open Manage SSH keys.
2. Generate a new SSH key pair on your local machine if you do not already have one.
3. Upload the public key to the portal.
4. Wait until your HPC username is assigned on the user profile.
5. Use scp to copy files to and from your project directory.
6. Use the web portal at haicore.hzdr.de for interactive cluster access.

Typical tasks:

• Generate an SSH key pair
• Upload the public key
• Transfer files to the project directory with scp, sftp, or rclone
• Copy files back from the cluster with scp, sftp, or rclone