This is an English version of the official Terms of Service (Betriebsregeln) available in German at Betriebsregeln. This version is pending official approval and in case of conflict or ambiguity between the two versions, the German version takes precedence.
These operating rules are intended to enable the safe, efficient, and compliant operation of the HPC system at Heinrich Heine University and are binding for all users. The rules must therefore be read and accepted when applying to use the HPC system.
§ 1 Authorization for Use
The creation of HPC projects and HPC accounts must be applied for.
Eligible to apply for HPC projects and full use of the HPC system are HHU academic staff members who, according to DFG guidelines, can generally hold the status of Principal Investigator (PI).
Eligible to use the HPC system are members and guests of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (see the NRW Higher Education Act and the university’s statutes) who hold an active HHU account. With the approval of the responsible PI, they may apply for membership in HPC projects and HPC accounts.
Users have a temporary right of use, tied to their central HHU account. This right ends when the central HHU account expires or when the user only holds alumni status. The HPC account and all associated files are permanently deleted six months after the end of the usage right.
§ 1.1 Purpose of Use
The HPC system is available exclusively for research and teaching at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. Commercial use and use in patient care within clinical operations is prohibited.
§ 2 Computations on the HPC System
The HPC system includes, among other things, hundreds of compute nodes with thousands of processor cores, large amounts of main and permanent storage, and many GPUs for accelerating computations. Resources required for computations must be specified and requested, for example in job scripts.
§ 2.1 Efficient Use of HPC Resources
Requested HPC resources must be used as efficiently as possible. Users can check their job efficiency at any time in myJAM. The HPC system also analyzes jobs partly automatically on a random basis.
§ 2.2 Consequences of Inefficient Use
If users repeatedly request large resources for HPC jobs without utilizing them (thus withholding them from others):
The responsible users – and, if applicable, the project PIs – will be informed and asked to correct the issue.
Jobs with particularly inefficient use may be terminated.
Subsequent jobs may be deprioritized in scheduling.
In severe cases, users may be temporarily or permanently excluded from HPC usage under § 8 of the HHU IT User Regulations.
§ 2.3 Job Prioritization
Jobs can be prioritized via bonus points. Bonus points can be earned, for example, by:
co-funding HPC components,
commitments from hiring or retention agreements,
participation in training courses, or
submitting publications with results obtained using the HPC system.
Users manage their bonus points themselves, tracked in myJAM. Details are available in the HPC Wiki under “Prioritization.”
§ 3 Storage of Research Data
Only research data to be processed with the HPC system may be stored on the HPC storage.
§ 3.1 Storage Regulations
Home directories have a quota of 60 GB per user for personal files.
On the fast GPFS system:
Each user has 20 TB quota on
/gpfs/scratchfor temporary use. Files and folders older than 60 days are automatically deleted. No snapshots or backups exist here.Each user has 10 TB quota under
/gpfs/projectfor permanent use. Data is persistent there and are protected by snapshots.
Personal home and project directories are user-specific resources. Data in these directories are automatically deleted six months after the user’s right of use expires (see § 1).
§ 3.2 Temporary Additional Storage Requirements
If more storage is needed temporarily beyond the quotas, an extension can be requested with a data management plan specifying: required amount, duration, and final disposition of the data. After the period, the quota is reset.
§ 3.3 Cost Sharing for Long-Term High Storage Demand
If long-term storage needs exceed the above, the responsible PI must share the associated costs.
§ 3.4 No Long-Term Archiving on HPC Storage
The DFG, as main funder, explicitly forbids long-term archiving on HPC storage. Data may only be stored for the active project duration and must be deleted afterward or transferred elsewhere (e.g., community repository).
General rules on research data at HHU are outlined in the Research Data Policy. Responsibility for good scientific practice with HPC data lies solely with users and their PIs.
§ 3.5 Responsibility for Access Rights and Protection of Personal/Confidential Data
Users are responsible for their file and folder access rights and must ensure unauthorized persons cannot access them. Admins set correct rights initially, but no ongoing checks occur.
Personal information or confidential research data may only be stored encrypted. They may only be temporarily decrypted during active jobs and only in volatile memory (RAM). Encryption must meet current standards and the sensitivity of the data.
§ 4 Data Protection
System operation requires collecting data on users, projects, and jobs. These are used only for necessary processes, statistics, security incident tracking, and troubleshooting. Data are not shared with third parties, inside or outside the university. Data no longer needed are permanently deleted as quickly as possible.
§ 5 Administrative Work
If individual jobs cause problems or urgent work on the system is needed, the HPC team has the right and duty to intervene and terminate jobs if no other solutions are apparent. The user will be informed.
§ 6 Reporting Problems
If users suspect or discover serious problems or security vulnerabilities, they must report them immediately by email to the HPC team at hpc-support@hhu.de. This ensures proper documentation and traceability of follow-up actions.