Network Access to Franklin

Interactive Access

Franklin's DNS name is franklin.nersc.gov. Remote access to Franklin is available only through software which uses the the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol 2. An example command from a UNIX system is:

% ssh -l username franklin.nersc.gov

Interactive SSH connections to Franklin are made to one of the 10 interactive nodes (also known as login or service nodes). These nodes have a normal Linux environment. Idle login sessions on Franklin will be automatically logged out after 8 hours.

Franklin uses a particular ssh authentication method called keyboard-interactive. Be sure that your ssh software supports this authentication method. Other common authentication methods are public-key and password. For more information about SSH, please see Connecting to NERSC and Secure Shell (SSH).

Passwords & Login Shell Changes

Franklin uses the NERSC NIM password. NIM passwords are also used on jacquard and bassi, and must be changed through the NIM web interface. NIM is also used to change the default login shell on Franklin.

A password reset through NIM may resolve connection problems. NERSC Account Support can reset passwords by telephone if necessary. Call NERSC Account Support office at 1-800-66-NERSC, menu option 2 (or 1-510-486-8612).

Access to Franklin via an external node: Freedom

Freedom is a more powerful (more CPI and memory, with physical disk) external login node than the internal Franklin login nodes, and is suitable for running memory-intensive utilities and serial programs like IDL, DDT, parallel make, hsi, and htar. Users could login to Freedom to see the same user environment as on Franklin. The command to access Freedom is:

% ssh -l username freedom.nersc.gov

For more information about using Freedom and its special notes (such as when Franklin is down), see Freedom: an External Login Node for Franklin.

NX Access to Franklin

NX accelerates remote X performance on Franklin. To use NX, you must first download the NX client to and configure it for your platform. After you have configured NX, you can open a remote desktop on Franklin by launching the NX client.

For more information about NX and step-by-step instructions for configuring and using it, see Accelerating Remote X Performance on Franklin Using NX.

Other Network Access

Outbound network ports are open on the login nodes.

By default, all incoming network ports, except that for SSH, are blocked. Special requests for opening ports on Franklin can be submitted via a web form.