For CPU nodes (Standard Compute Node Group), please refer to this page.
This page provides instructions for creating a virtual machine on mdxII on GPU nodes. This is a quick start guide for users who want to “just try it out”. For detailed operations and settings, please refer to the “mdxII User Guide (PDF manual)”.
This Quick Start Guide follows the steps below:
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1. Prepare a key to access the virtual machine 2. Configure communication rules for the virtual machine 3. Launch the virtual machine |
1. Registering a Key Pair
To access a virtual machine via SSH, a set of keys known as a “key pair” is required.
This is generally more secure than using a password.
A key pair consists of:
・Private Key: The secret key you keep securely
・Public Key: The matching key stored on the VM
When the two keys match, access to the VM is granted.
There are two ways to register a key pair:
・Import a public key from an existing SSH key (Recommended)
・Create a new key pair through the user portal
This guide introduces the simpler method of creating a key pair via the portal.
Note: This method does not allow setting a passphrase to protect the private key. Therefore, we recommend using such keys only for temporary use, such as testing VM connectivity.
※To import an existing SSH public key, please refer to the “mdxII User Guide (PDF manual)”.
(1) Go to [Project] menu > [Compute] panel > Click on the [Key Pairs] tab.
(2) Click the [Create Key Pair] button.
(3) Enter the following information and click [Create Key Pair].
・Key Pair Name: (Any name)
・Key Type: SSH Key
(4) The browser will automatically begin downloading the private key file. Save it securely.
※This key is needed to access the VM. Handle it carefully to avoid loss or leakage.
(5) Once registered, your key pair will appear in the list.
2. Creating a Security Group
A Security Group is a set of rules that control the traffic in and out of your VM.
The default “default” security group has the following rules:
・All outbound traffic from the VM is allowed
・Inbound traffic to the VM is only allowed from other VMs in the same security group. All other traffic is blocked.
You can also create a new security group for your project. The example below shows how to create a rule that allows SSH (port 22).
※Although it’s best to allow only necessary traffic, it’s convenient to also allow Ping (ICMP) for connectivity checks.
(1) Go to [Project] menu > [Network] panel > Click on the [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 and click [Add].
・Rule: SSH
・CIDR: Enter the IP address range allowed to access (depends on your environment).
※Allowing “0.0.0.0/0” will enable access from all IPs and is extremely insecure. Use it only for temporary testing or jump hosts. Normally, restrict access to specific IPs.
(6) The added SSH rule will appear in the list.
3. Creating a Virtual Machine (for GPU Nodes)
(1) Click the [Project] menu > [Compute] panel > [Instances] tab.
(2) Click the [Launch Instance] button.
(3) Enter the following information and click the [Next] button.
・Instance Name: *optional*
(4) From the Available list, click the [↑] button next to the desired OS image and click [Next].
The system provides OS images such as Rocky Linux and Ubuntu.
Please select an OS image that includes “GPU” in its name.
(5) Click the [↑] button next to the desired flavor (resource configuration) and then click [Next].
You can select a GPU flavor according to your approved GPU allocation. GPU flavor names follow the format: <GPU count>gpu-node<node number>(-<GPU ID>)
Examples:
1GPU: 1gpu-node01-0, 1gpu-node01-1
2GPU: 2gpu-node02-01, 2gpu-node02-23
4GPU: 4gpu-node03
(6) Click the [↑] button to select the network to connect to the virtual machine, then click [Next].
Do not select SR-IOV networks (sriov0-XX, sriov1-XX).
These networks can only be accessed via SR-IOV ports. Selecting them here will cause an error during instance creation.
(7) Select the SR-IOV port for your network and click [Next].
Be sure to select an SR-IOV port at this step!
Without it, CPU and memory allocation considering NUMA nodes will not be applied, and you won’t be able to add the port after instance creation.
If you skip this step, you will need to recreate the instance.
Port names are the same as the flavor name for 1GPU/2GPU setups.
For 4GPU setups, two ports are assigned (one for each NUMA node):
– NUMA node 0: <flavor name>-0
– NUMA node 1: <flavor name>-1
Examples:
1GPU: 1gpu-node01-0
2GPU: 2gpu-node02-01
4GPU: 4gpu-node03-0 and 4gpu-node03-1
(8) Select a security group to apply to the virtual machine.
By default, “default” is applied, but it is not recommended. Click the [↓] button to detach “default” and use the [↑] button to attach a custom security group. After selecting the security group(s), click [Next]. Multiple selections are allowed.
(9) Select the key pair (SSH public key) to register to the virtual machine.
If only one key pair is registered, it will be selected by default. If multiple are available, use the [↑] and [↓] buttons to select the desired key pair.
After selection, click the [Launch Instance] button.
(10) The virtual machine will appear in the instance list. Confirm that its status shows “Running.”
*It may take some time for the status to change to “Running.”
4. Assigning a Floating IP
Assigning a Floating IP enables external access to your VM, including internet connectivity.
(1) Go to [Project] menu > [Network] panel > Click on the [Floating IPs] tab.
(2) Click the [Allocate IP to Project] button.
(3) From the [Pool] dropdown, select “public-network” and click [Allocate IP].
(4) The newly allocated IP will appear in the Floating IP list.
(5) Click the [Associate] button.
(6) From the dropdown menu, select the VM you want to associate with the IP, then click [Associate].
(7) In the list, confirm that the VM name and Floating IP appear under Mapped Fixed IP Address.
5. Accessing the Virtual Machine
Use SSH to connect to the VM using the assigned Floating IP.
You must use the private key from the key pair specified when the VM was created.
The basic SSH command is as follows:
$ ssh -i <private_key> -l <initial_username> <Floating_IP>
Example: $ ssh -i test_keypair.pem -l mdxuser 192.50.2.114
※For system-provided RockyLinux and Ubuntu images, the default initial username is “mdxuser.”
※If you cannot SSH into the VM, please make sure that the required traffic is allowed in your security group settings.
※When prompted with “Are you sure you want to continue connecting?” on your first login, confirm the connection is correct and type yes.
This is generally more secure than using a password.
A key pair consists of:
|
・Private Key: The secret key you keep securely ・Public Key: The matching key stored on the VM |
When the two keys match, access to the VM is granted.
There are two ways to register a key pair:
・Import a public key from an existing SSH key (Recommended)
・Create a new key pair through the user portal
This guide introduces the simpler method of creating a key pair via the portal.
Note: This method does not allow setting a passphrase to protect the private key. Therefore, we recommend using such keys only for temporary use, such as testing VM connectivity.
※To import an existing SSH public key, please refer to the “mdxII User Guide (PDF manual)”.
(1) Go to [Project] menu > [Compute] panel > Click on the [Key Pairs] tab.
(2) Click the [Create Key Pair] button.
(3) Enter the following information and click [Create Key Pair].
・Key Pair Name: (Any name)
・Key Type: SSH Key
(4) The browser will automatically begin downloading the private key file. Save it securely.
※This key is needed to access the VM. Handle it carefully to avoid loss or leakage.
(5) Once registered, your key pair will appear in the list.
The default “default” security group has the following rules:
|
・All outbound traffic from the VM is allowed ・Inbound traffic to the VM is only allowed from other VMs in the same security group. All other traffic is blocked. |
You can also create a new security group for your project. The example below shows how to create a rule that allows SSH (port 22).
※Although it’s best to allow only necessary traffic, it’s convenient to also allow Ping (ICMP) for connectivity checks.
(1) Go to [Project] menu > [Network] panel > Click on the [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 and click [Add].
・Rule: SSH
・CIDR: Enter the IP address range allowed to access (depends on your environment).
※Allowing “0.0.0.0/0” will enable access from all IPs and is extremely insecure. Use it only for temporary testing or jump hosts. Normally, restrict access to specific IPs.
(6) The added SSH rule will appear in the list.
3. Creating a Virtual Machine (for GPU Nodes)
(1) Click the [Project] menu > [Compute] panel > [Instances] tab.
(2) Click the [Launch Instance] button.
(3) Enter the following information and click the [Next] button.
・Instance Name: *optional*
(4) From the Available list, click the [↑] button next to the desired OS image and click [Next].
The system provides OS images such as Rocky Linux and Ubuntu.
(5) Click the [↑] button next to the desired flavor (resource configuration) and then click [Next].
Examples:
1GPU: 1gpu-node01-0, 1gpu-node01-1
2GPU: 2gpu-node02-01, 2gpu-node02-23
4GPU: 4gpu-node03
(6) Click the [↑] button to select the network to connect to the virtual machine, then click [Next].
These networks can only be accessed via SR-IOV ports. Selecting them here will cause an error during instance creation.
(7) Select the SR-IOV port for your network and click [Next].
Without it, CPU and memory allocation considering NUMA nodes will not be applied, and you won’t be able to add the port after instance creation.
If you skip this step, you will need to recreate the instance.
Port names are the same as the flavor name for 1GPU/2GPU setups.
For 4GPU setups, two ports are assigned (one for each NUMA node):
– NUMA node 0: <flavor name>-0
– NUMA node 1: <flavor name>-1
Examples:
1GPU: 1gpu-node01-0
2GPU: 2gpu-node02-01
4GPU: 4gpu-node03-0 and 4gpu-node03-1
(8) Select a security group to apply to the virtual machine.
By default, “default” is applied, but it is not recommended. Click the [↓] button to detach “default” and use the [↑] button to attach a custom security group. After selecting the security group(s), click [Next]. Multiple selections are allowed.
(9) Select the key pair (SSH public key) to register to the virtual machine.
If only one key pair is registered, it will be selected by default. If multiple are available, use the [↑] and [↓] buttons to select the desired key pair.
After selection, click the [Launch Instance] button.
(10) The virtual machine will appear in the instance list. Confirm that its status shows “Running.”
*It may take some time for the status to change to “Running.”
4. Assigning a Floating IP
Assigning a Floating IP enables external access to your VM, including internet connectivity.
(1) Go to [Project] menu > [Network] panel > Click on the [Floating IPs] tab.
(2) Click the [Allocate IP to Project] button.
(3) From the [Pool] dropdown, select “public-network” and click [Allocate IP].
(4) The newly allocated IP will appear in the Floating IP list.
(5) Click the [Associate] button.
(6) From the dropdown menu, select the VM you want to associate with the IP, then click [Associate].
(7) In the list, confirm that the VM name and Floating IP appear under Mapped Fixed IP Address.
5. Accessing the Virtual Machine
Use SSH to connect to the VM using the assigned Floating IP.
You must use the private key from the key pair specified when the VM was created.
The basic SSH command is as follows:
$ ssh -i <private_key> -l <initial_username> <Floating_IP>
Example: $ ssh -i test_keypair.pem -l mdxuser 192.50.2.114
※For system-provided RockyLinux and Ubuntu images, the default initial username is “mdxuser.”
※If you cannot SSH into the VM, please make sure that the required traffic is allowed in your security group settings.
※When prompted with “Are you sure you want to continue connecting?” on your first login, confirm the connection is correct and type yes.
(1) Go to [Project] menu > [Network] panel > Click on the [Floating IPs] tab.
(2) Click the [Allocate IP to Project] button.
(3) From the [Pool] dropdown, select “public-network” and click [Allocate IP].
(4) The newly allocated IP will appear in the Floating IP list.
(5) Click the [Associate] button.
(6) From the dropdown menu, select the VM you want to associate with the IP, then click [Associate].
(7) In the list, confirm that the VM name and Floating IP appear under Mapped Fixed IP Address.
You must use the private key from the key pair specified when the VM was created.
The basic SSH command is as follows:
$ ssh -i <private_key> -l <initial_username> <Floating_IP>
Example: $ ssh -i test_keypair.pem -l mdxuser 192.50.2.114
※For system-provided RockyLinux and Ubuntu images, the default initial username is “mdxuser.”
※If you cannot SSH into the VM, please make sure that the required traffic is allowed in your security group settings.
※When prompted with “Are you sure you want to continue connecting?” on your first login, confirm the connection is correct and type yes.
※There are two types of networks that can be connected to a virtual machine: the "Lustre Network" and the "Private Network".
For the sake of simplicity, this quick start guide uses only the "Lustre Network".
When beginning actual operations, please refer to the “mdxII User Guide (PDF manual)” and choose the appropriate network configuration based on your use case.