Logging in to the CSF

You must use a Secure Shell (ssh) program to login to:

csf3.itservices.manchester.ac.uk

This requires your central IT username and central IT password (the same as used for email). For example, the following command can be run in MobaXterm on Windows, or in a Terminal window on MacOS and Linux:

ssh username@csf3.itservices.manchester.ac.uk
      #
      # Use your University username here (e.g., mxyzabc1)

If unfamiliar with SSH apps, please see our notes on installing and running an SSH program for your particular platform:

• Windows
• Mac or Linux

Off-campus Access via the GlobalProtect VPN

For security, the CSF is not directly accessible from off-campus. It can be accessed from off-campus by running the University’s GlobalProtect VPN software on your home PC/laptop before using the above ssh command.

We have become aware of access problems with some Internet Service Providers (particularly BT Internet) when signed in to GlobalProtect. This is not a problem with the CSF or GlobalProtect. You may see the following error:

ssh username@csf3.itservices.manchester.ac.uk
Could not resolve hostname csf3.itservices.manchester.ac.uk: Name or service not known

The solution is to use the CSF3 IP numbers directly:

ssh username@10.99.203.51
OR
ssh username@10.99.203.52

Please see our Working From Home page for more information.

We also provide a Virtual Linux Desktop gateway which might help if your home internet connection is unstable or you wish to work from different locations. You will still require GlobalProtect to use this service. Please request an account there if you don’t have one (CSF users do NOT automatically have accounts here).

Logging Out

Once you have finished using the system you should logout (so as not to waste system resources and also for security reasons). Note that you do not need to be logged in for your jobs to run once you have submitted them to the batch system. You can log out by using either of the following commands:

• logout
• exit

Access to External Websites and Repositories from the CSF

For security, it is not possible to directly access computers which are off-campus from the CSF.

To access off-campus web-sites from the CSF (e.g., to download a dataset) please use our proxy modulefile in your jobs.