How do I create a FutureGrid project for a class that I teach?

If you teach a class using FutureGrid resources we recommend you do the following:

  1. Register in the portal if you have not done so.
     
  2. Sign up for a Project.
    Sign up for a FutureGrid project and make sure you fill out the form clearly. In the broader impact section, please comment on how many students you have in the class, and if the projects created have additional broader impacts. Commenting on the number of minority students will also be much appreciated.
     
  3. Wait for the project to get approved.
    Once a project is approved, you will see it in the approved project list.
     
  4. Give your students a signup code.
    GIve your students a "secret" signup code that you have thme enter in step 5. Communicate the signup code to the FutureGrid support team via a ticket submitted through http://archive.futuregrid.org/help. Make sure you specfy your project number. Often it is also helpful to send a list of students to us s we can assist them easier during the application process. 
     
  5. Have your students sign up for a portal account.
    Make sure your students sign up for a FutureGrid portal account and that they specify their profile information precisely. This information is used later on to grant students accounts on FutureGrid. Accounts will not automatically be created just because a user has a portal account. 
     
  6. Add your students as project members to your project.
    Once a student has an account on the portal, please make sure you add the student to your project member list that you maintain as part of your project application. This is important as only people that are assigned to a valid FutureGrid project can have accounts on FutureGrid resources. Your project will have by default a project join request that makes it easy to join your project. Provide the link to the students so they join. A convenient management button provided for you to verify that the student is indeed a person that needs to be in your project. The join button can be disabled by you and you could instead also add your students by while entering their portal names.
     
  7. Have your students add their public ssh keys (if they have not done this as part of 4.) 
    It is important that your students add an ssh key to their account. Some students may not have the knowledge what this means or what this is good for. Fe recommend that you in the first class teach the why they noeed to do this and how the can do thi. In the portal users can add ssh keys when they go to the my portal section.
     
  8. Wait.
    It will take some time for the accounts to be created AFTER an ssh key is uploaded, and the student is added to your approved projects.
    Communicate to the students to wait. We only approve accounts during buisiness hours and it can take up to 24 buisiness hours. BUisiness hours are Mo-Fri 9am - 5pm EST.
     
  9. We have created some forums for the three services that you can find at http://archive.futuregrid.org/forum. These forums are read by the experts and the staff. We can create a forum for your class if you like directly on the FutureGrid portal.
     
  10. In case you need more direct support, do not hesitate to ask for help: http://archive.futuregrid.org/help
     
  11. More information about FutureGrid is added to our dynamically maintained manual at http://archive.futuregrid.org/manual.
     
  12. If you need a special class forum for your class, we can create one for you on the FutureGrid web site. However, this is a public forum and can be read by everyone. To ask for help use  http://archive.futuregrid.org/help.