Content Comparison

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Getting Access

Access to the cluster is subject to formal approval by selected members of the participating research groups. See the HPC Service Webpage for more information on access options.

Introductory

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HPC Training and Resources

If you're not familiar with basic Linux commands and usage, or if you need a refresher on these topics, please refer to the following resources from our workshop series:

1. Intro to Linux

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1. :

   View file
   name Intro_to_Linux_04-03-2025.pdf

   and workshop recording

2. Intro to Bash Shell Scripting

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1. :

   View file
   name Intro_to_Scripting_04-10-2025.pdf

   and workshop recording

2. Intro to Python for HPC: 

   View file
   name Intro_to_Python_04-17-2025.pdf

   and workshop recording

3. Intro to High Performance Computing

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For a list of recorded trainings and upcoming research computing workshops and events, please see:

...

1. :

   View file
   name Intro to HPC_04.24.25.pdf

   and workshop recording

Also useful:

• RCS Video Library with past training recordings

• Research Computing (RC) Training & Workshop page with calendar of upcoming events across Columbia

• RC-training mailing list subscribe page to get email notifications as sessions are scheduled

Multifactor Authentication - DUO

Multifactor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring multiple proofs of identity before granting access to sensitive systems.

As part of our commitment to protecting research data and enhancing system security, we have enabled Duo two-factor authentication (2FA) on all public-facing Insomnia login and transfer nodes.

Before accessing the cluster, please ensure you have Duo set up on your account. This added step significantly reduces unauthorized access.

• For more information and how to set up DUO for the first time, follow the link below:

👉 Duo 2FA Information

If you have any issues with it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to hpc-support@columbia.edu.

Logging In

You will need to use SSH (Secure Shell) in order to access the cluster.  Windows users can use PuTTY or Cygwin. MacOS users can use the built-in Terminal application.

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$ ssh <UNI>@insomnia.rcs.columbia.edu



OR


$ ssh <UNI>@som.rcs.columbia.edu

where <UNI> is your Columbia UNI. Please make sure not to include the angle brackets ('<' and' >') in your command; they only represent UNI as a variable entity.

Once prompted,   you need to provide your usual Columbia password.proceed with the Duo two-factor authentication process. You will see a menu similar to the one below:

Duo two-factor login for <uni>

Enter a passcode or select one of the following options:

 1. Duo Push to XXX-XXX-####
 2. Phone call to XXX-XXX-####
 3. SMS passcodes to XXX-XXX-####

Passcode or option (1-3): 

Select your preferred authentication method by entering the corresponding number (1–3) or choosing to enter a passcode.

After completing the DUO authentication, you will be prompted to enter your UNI password to finalize the login process.

For more information about CU DUO, please click here.

Submit Account

You must specify your account whenever you submit a job to the cluster. You can use the following table to identify the account name to use.

Your First Cluster Job

While best practice on all Columbia HPC group clusters, it is particularly important on Insomnia to move from the initial login node to a compute node before doing most work. Example:

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#!/bin/sh
#
# Simple "Hello World" submit script for Slurm.
#
# Replace ACCOUNT with your account name before submitting.
#
#SBATCH --account=ACCOUNT        # Replace ACCOUNT with your group account name 
#SBATCH --job-name=HelloWorld    # The job name
#SBATCH -N 1                     # The number of nodes to request
#SBATCH -c 1                     # The number of cpu cores to use (up to 32 cores per server)
#SBATCH --time=0-0:30            # The time the job will take to run in D-HH:MM
#SBATCH --mem-per-cpu=5G         # The memory the job will use per cpu core

echo "Hello World"
sleep 10
date

# End of script

Job Submission

If this script is saved as helloworld.sh you can submit it to the cluster with:

$ sbatch helloworld.sh

This job will create one output file name slurm-####.out, where the #'s will be replaced by the job ID assigned by Slurm. If all goes well the file will contain the words "Hello World" and the current date and time.

See further documentation we have about submitting jobs.  For much more in-depth information, there is a Slurm Quick Start Guide on the web.