Open OnDemand: Access HPC with a Web Browser

Implementing Open OnDemand on our HPC resources provides ARCC users with several benefits:

1. It allows users to access our HPC clusters by simply opening a web browser, and going to the cluster’s OnDemand URL. This means that access is platform independent and not specific to a client’s operating system.

2. There is no client software to install and configure before accessing the HPC resource.

3. With OnDemand, you can manage, upload and download files between your personal device and the HPC, submit, and monitor jobs and other tasks, remotely.

4. OnDemand allows users to run graphic dependent applications through the web browser without having to install X11, VNC or other utilities to view graphics.

5. OnDemand can also serve as a good segue for new users who don’t have HPC, Linux or command-line experience to start using an HPC quickly and more easily.

Since Open OnDemand is open source, it is subject to some browser requirements. For best experience using OnDemand, it’s developers recommend using the latest versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge. OnDemand documentation indicates any modern browser that supports ECMAScript 2016 will work with OnDemand. For the latest requirements, please see the OpenOnDemand documentation pages and their listed requirements.

To facilitate greater access and usability of our HPC services, UW ARCC has configured OnDemand for 3 of our HPC clusters:

*WildIris access portal on MedicineBow should only be used to log in with non-UWYO accounts. If you have a uwyo.edu account, e-mail address, or were provided an external collaborator account by IT, you should use the standard MedicineBow login portal, NOT the WildIris portal.