ColdFront Projects#
Everything in ColdFront is organized by Project; user and resource management is done per Project. Once a Project exists in ColdFront, access to HPC resources can be requested for that Project.
When you log in to ColdFront, your home page will display all your Projects. You can filter these by your role type in the Project (user or manager), the Project type (research or classroom), and the Project state (active, expired, or archived). You can also create a new Project from this page.
User Roles#
Projects have users and resources, which are requested and managed by users with management roles. The management user roles are Project Lead, Project Sponsor, and Project Manager. For information on how to modify the management roles for a Project, see ColdFront User Management.
Project Lead#
The Project Lead is by default the person who created the Project. This should be the person leading the effort Quest is supporting, such as the principal investigator, course instructor, or graduate student leading their dissertation work on Quest. Anyone with an active NetID can create a Project in ColdFront and can therefore become a Project Lead.
The Project Lead can add and remove users, request and renew resources, and elevate users to the role of Project Manager.
Project Sponsor#
The Project Sponsor is the faculty or staff member who is ultimately responsible for the Project. This could be the same person as the Project Lead in cases where the Project Lead is faculty or staff. Student Project Leads should list their faculty advisor, or the faculty/staff member overseeing their work on Quest, as the Project Sponsor.
The Project Sponsor can add and remove users, request and renew resources, and elevate users to the role of Project Manager.
Project Manager#
Project Managers are additional people who are given the authority to add users, remove users, request resources, and manage resources for the Project. Project Managers are optional.
Regular Users#
Members of the Project who are not the Project Lead, Project Sponsor, or Project Manager are considered regular users. They can view the Project and its resources in ColdFront, but they cannot modify anything about the Project.
Role Summary#
Project Sponsor |
Project Lead |
Project Manager |
Project User |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
Eligibility |
NU faculty or staff |
NU faculty, staff, or graduate students |
Active NetID |
Any user added to the Project |
Number per Project |
One |
One |
Multiple |
Multiple |
Add or remove users |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
Modify user roles |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
Request resources |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
View Project resources |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Project Types#
There are two types of ColdFront Projects: Research Projects and Classroom Projects.
Research Projects are labeled with a flask icon in ColdFront, such as you might find in a chemistry lab. Research Projects can contain both General Access and Priority Access resources.
Classroom Projects should be used for both formal courses and workshops or training events. They are labeled with a graduation cap icon in ColdFront. Classroom Projects should be created by a course instructor, teaching assistant, or departmental administrator. The instructor should be the Project Sponsor.
Project States#
Both Research Projects and Classroom Projects have a lifecycle that is summarized by the project state: active, expired, or archived.
Active Projects#
Projects start active and stay active as long as any resource is active. Resources remain active until their expiration date, which varies by resource type. If a Project has only one resource, the Project will expire when that resource expires. If a Project has multiple resources, it will expire when all resources are expired. If a Project has a mix of active and expired resources, it will remain active.
Some expired resources can be renewed to keep them active. Additional resources can be added to a Project to keep it active.
Expired Projects#
If all resources in a Project expire, the state of the Project changes to expired. If an expired resource from an expired Project is renewed and reactivated, the Project will also be reactivated. Likewise, if a new resource is requested for an expired Project, and the new resource is approved and activated, the Project will also be reactivated.
Archived Projects#
If a Project remains expired for 90 days, the state of the Project changes to archived. Archived Projects are visible only for reference and cannot be modified or reactivated. If additional resources are required, you must create a new Project.
Creating a ColdFront Project#
ColdFront is available to anyone with an active NetID. After signing in, you will be on the “ColdFront: Home” landing page. To create a new Project, click on the purple button that corresponds to the type of Project you would like to create under “Create a New Project” near the top of this page: “Create Research Project” or “Create Classroom Project.”
Whoever creates the Project will become the Project Lead; this can be reassigned later if needed.
Creating a Research Project#
After clicking the “Create Research Project” button on the landing page, you will be asked to provide:
Title: The Project title is an identifying word or phrase to distinguish this Project from any others you have in ColdFront, both for yourself and for RCDS. It appears on the landing page and at the top of the Project page. You can use it to identify your Project when contacting RCDS for support. Choose something clear and concise.
Project Sponsor: You can search for your Project Sponsor by name, NetID, or email address.
When you have filled out the title and selected a sponsor, click “Create Project.” After creating your Project, you will land on the newly created Project page. This will display the information you just provided and allow you to add users and request resources.
Creating a Classroom Project#
After clicking the “Create Classroom Project” button on the landing page, you will be asked to provide:
Course Name: The course name becomes the Project title. It appears on the landing page and at the top of the Project page. You can use it to identify your Project when contacting RCDS for support.
Course Description: The course description should be an abstract-length description of what you are teaching and how computational resources will be used in your course or workshop.
Course Instructor: This person will become the Project Sponsor. You can search for the course instructor by name, NetID, or email address.
When you have filled out the name, description, and instructor, click “Create Project.” After creating your Project, you will land on the newly created Project page. This will display the information you just provided and allow you to add users and request resources.