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Overview
There are two ways to access the Discovery HPC cluster at SDSU:
- Command Line (SSH) — using an SSH client such as MobaXterm or PuTTY
- Open OnDemand — a browser-based graphical interface at https://mydiscovery.sdstate.edu
Account Information
Your cluster username follows this format:
first.lastname@domain
Example: john.doe@jacks.local
Faculty and Staff use their first name, a period, and last name. For example, John Doe would use john.doe@jacks.local.
Students use their student account credentials. For example, a student named John Doe would use jdoe@jacks.local.
Domain Information for Remote Users
If you are accessing the cluster from outside the SDSU campus, you must use your institution's domain in place of @jacks.local:
| Institution |
Domain |
| South Dakota State University |
@jacks.local |
| University of South Dakota |
@usd.local |
| South Dakota School of Mines & Technology |
@SDSMT.LOCAL (case sensitive) |
| Dakota State University |
@dsu.local |
| Black Hills State University |
@blackhills.local |
In plain terms: SDSU users use @jacks.local, USD users use @usd.local, SDSMT users use @SDSMT.LOCAL (case sensitive), DSU users use @dsu.local, and BHSU users use @blackhills.local.
Option 1 — Command Line Access (SSH)
Most users connect to Discovery using an SSH client. The two most commonly used SSH clients are MobaXterm and PuTTY. Both are free to download and work on Windows. Other SSH tools such as terminal on Mac or Linux can also be used by running the SSH command directly.
Connecting with MobaXterm
Step 1 — Open MobaXterm
Launch MobaXterm on your computer.
Step 2 — Create an SSH Session
- Click Session
- Select SSH
Step 3 — Enter the Hostname
In the Remote Host field, enter:
Step 4 — Enter Your Username
Check Specify username and enter your username in the format first.lastname@jacks.local.
Step 5 — Authenticate
- Click OK
- Enter your password when prompted. Note that passwords do not display while typing in SSH terminals — just type correctly and press Enter.
- You will be connected to Discovery and placed in your home directory.
Connecting with PuTTY
Step 1 — Open PuTTY
Launch the PuTTY application on your computer.
Step 2 — Enter the Hostname
In the Host Name field, enter your full login in this format:
first.lastname@jacks.local@discovery.sdstate.edu
Example: john.doe@jacks.local@discovery.sdstate.edu
Step 3 — Configure Connection Settings
- Port: 22
- Connection type: SSH
Step 4 — Connect
- Click Open
- Accept the security prompt if it appears
- Enter your password when prompted. Note that passwords do not display while typing in SSH terminals — just type correctly and press Enter.
Example of a successful login:
C:\Users\john.doe> ssh john.doe@jacks.local@discovery.sdstate.edu
john.doe@jacks.local@discovery.sdstate.edu's password:
Last login: Datetimestamp from x.x.x.x
[john.doe@jacks.local@discovery001 ~]$ pwd
/home/jacks.local/john.doe
Option 2 — Open OnDemand (Browser-Based Access)
Open OnDemand provides a web-based interface for accessing Discovery without using an SSH client. It is the recommended option for users who prefer a graphical interface.
Using Open OnDemand you can:
- Open a web-based terminal
- Submit and monitor Slurm jobs
- Browse and manage files
- Launch interactive applications such as Jupyter Notebooks and RStudio
- Monitor cluster resources
Step 1 — Open your web browser and navigate to:
https://mydiscovery.sdstate.edu
Step 2 — Log in
- Enter your email address in the format:
first.lastname@jacks.sdstate.edu
- Enter your password and click Sign In
You will be directed to the Open OnDemand dashboard where you can access all available tools and applications.
Storage Locations
After logging into Discovery, you will start in your home directory.
Home Directory
- Located at:
/home/jacks.local/username
- Storage quota: 100 GB
- Intended for important and persistent files
Scratch Directory
- Located at:
/scratch/jacks.local/username
- No storage quota
- Intended for temporary files, large datasets, and intermediate computation results
- Note: Scratch storage is not backed up. A Scratch Data Retention Schedule will be applied.
Troubleshooting
If you are unable to log in:
- Confirm your username format is correct
- Ensure you are using the correct domain for your institution
- Verify that you are connecting to the correct hostname:
discovery.sdstate.edu
- Ensure your password is correct
- Remember that passwords do not display while typing in SSH terminals
Questions or Problems
If problems persist, contact the SDSU Research Cyberinfrastructure support team: