On this page, we explain the procedure for starting Windows on a virtual machine on mdxII. Please follow the steps below.
1. Check the Windows license status
Your institution may already have a contract, so please check in advance.
※ For those affiliated with the University of Osaka, the campus-wide comprehensive license agreement can be used.
Once you have confirmed that you hold a license, please notify us using the form below. The administrator will configure the settings so you can use Windows on mdxII.
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2. Configure the communication rules for the virtual machine
A security group is a “set of rules” that controls communication in and out of the virtual machine.
The pre-configured security group “default” has the following rules:
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・All outbound communication from the virtual machine is allowed. ・Inbound communication to the virtual machine is only allowed from other virtual machines within the same security group. All other traffic is blocked. |
You can also create new security groups per project.
The following is an example of creating a rule to allow RDP (port 3389), required for Remote Desktop connections.
※ While it is recommended to add only the minimum necessary rules, it is convenient to also add a rule allowing Ping (ICMP) for connectivity testing of the virtual machine.
(1) Click [Project] menu > [Network] panel > [Security Groups] tab.
(2) Click the [+ Create Security Group] button.
(3) Enter a name and click the [Create Security Group] button.
(4) Click the [+ Add Rule] button.
(5) Enter the following items and click the [Add] button.
・Rule: RDP
・CIDR: Specify the source IP addresses you want to allow access from. (The value depends on your environment.)
※ Setting “0.0.0.0/0” allows connections from all IP addresses, but this leaves the system extremely vulnerable.
Use this setting only for temporary connectivity checks or for jump server instances, and normally allow only the minimum necessary IP addresses.
(6) The created RDP rule will appear in the list.
3. Start the virtual machine
(1) Click [Project] menu > [Compute] panel > [Instances] tab.
(2) Click the [Launch Instance] button.
(3) Enter the following items and click the [Next] button.
・Instance name: ※Optional
(4) Click the [↑] button of the image you want to use as the OS image for the virtual machine from the Available list, then click the [Next] button. Select an OS image for Windows.
In this case, click the [↑] button for “mdxII-Windows11-Education”.
For Volume Size (GB), enter at least 70 GB. This will be the capacity of the “C: drive” of the virtual machine (Windows).
After entering, click the [Next] button.
(5) Click the [↑] button of the flavor (resource configuration) to assign to the virtual machine, then click the [Next] button.
The minimum system requirements for Windows 11 are a processor with 2 or more cores and at least 4 GB of memory, so select a flavor of “vc2m4g” or higher. In addition, Windows 11 officially supports up to 128 processor cores. Although the “vc224m498g” flavor is selectable, please do not use it.
※ Flavors with a yellow triangle mark cannot be used because they exceed the project quota.
(6) Click the [↑] button for the network to connect the virtual machine to, then click the [Security Groups] tab.
In this quick start, the configuration uses “lustre-network.”
When beginning actual operations, please select the network configuration suitable for your use according to the “mdxII Usage Guide (PDF manual)”.
(7) Select the security group to apply to the virtual machine.
By default, “default” is applied, but using the “default” security group is not recommended.
Therefore, click the [↓] button for “default” to **detach (remove)** it, then click the [↑] button for the security group you created to **attach (apply)** it.
After selecting the security group, click the [Launch Instance] button.
※ Multiple selections are possible.
(8) The created virtual machine will appear in the instance list, and confirm that the Status is “Running.”
*It may take some time for the Status to become “Running.”
4. Assign a Floating IP to the virtual machine
This step is required in order to connect via Remote Desktop later.
(1) Click [Project] menu > [Network] panel > [Floating IP] tab.
(2) Click the [Allocate Floating IP] button.
(3) From the [Pool] dropdown menu, select “public-network” and click the [Allocate IP] button.
(4) The allocated IP address will appear in the Floating IP list.
(5) Click the [Associate] button.
(6) From the Port dropdown menu, select the virtual machine to assign the Floating IP to, then click the [Associate] button.
(7) Confirm that the assigned virtual machine name and Floating IP are displayed under Mapped Fixed IP Address in the list.
5. Set the Account Password on the Virtual Machine
If the virtual machine has been successfully created, the Windows login screen will appear in your web browser.
Log in using the initial password shared by the system administrator, and then change it to a new password of your choice.
※ The new password cannot be the same as the initial password.
6. Connect to the virtual machine via Remote Desktop
The first login must be performed from the virtual machine console by accessing the user portal through a web browser, as described in the steps above.
Press [Windows] key + [R] key to open “Run,” then type “mstsc” and press Enter.
(You can also select it from the Windows menu or other methods, whichever you prefer.)
In the Computer field, enter the “Floating IP” assigned to the virtual machine, then click the Connect button.
You will be prompted to enter credentials. Here, enter the Windows account and password you created on the virtual machine.
The connection to the virtual machine is now complete.
The Remote Desktop feature is set to “ON” by default.
If Remote Desktop access is not required, please change the setting to “OFF.”
Important Notes
– There are two types of networks to which a virtual machine can be connected: “Lustre network” and “Private network.” In this Quick Start, to simplify the procedure, only the “Lustre network” is used. (Unlike the Lustre file system, there is no problem in using only the Lustre network.)
When starting actual operations, please select the appropriate network configuration according to the “mdxII Usage Guide (PDF manual)”.