Overview
A checklist to confirm FAC and CoreHPC access, verify data visibility, and learn where to get help if issues come up. This checklist applies to all new FAC and CoreHPC users, including Wynton users transitioning to the FAC and CoreHPC environments.
Use this checklist if you have received a welcome email confirming that your FAC and CoreHPC access is ready.
1. Confirm FAC Access
- Connect to the UCSF VPN if you are off campus.
- Locate your FAC Account (CX) number on the CX look-up spreadsheet.
- Use the FAC Capacity Storage drive mapping instructions to verify that your FAC data share is accessible from your Mac or Windows system.
- Confirm that you can see your assigned FAC account and expected data.
If you cannot access FAC Capacity Storage after receiving confirmation that your access has been provisioned, contact the FAC team.
2. Log in to CoreHPC
- Before using CoreHPC: Review the CoreHPC User Agreement and Acceptable Use Policy
- Connect to the UCSF VPN if you are off campus
- CoreHPC access is provided via SSH through a bastion host to a login or session node
- Log in via the CoreHPC bastion host
- Access a CoreHPC login or session node
- For detailed CoreHPC connection and usage instructions, see the
CoreHPC Access Primer
If you cannot log in to CoreHPC, submit a support request at https://tiny.ucsf.edu/GetHPC and select CoreHPC.
3. Verify FAC Data on CoreHPC
- Log in to a CoreHPC login or session node
- Confirm your FAC Capacity Storage data and storage are visible.
- You can verify this by running df -H, or
- By confirming access to the mapped FAC data share from your laptop or desktop (UCSF VPN required).
- Test access to your assigned directories (read/write if applicable)
FAC Capacity Storage will be visible on CoreHPC once your request has been fully processed and your storage access has been provisioned. For migration requests, migrated data will be available after it has been moved to FAC Capacity Storage.
If FAC data is not visible on CoreHPC, submit a FAC request (select Facility for Advanced Computing) and include your CX number.
Storage note: FAC Capacity Storage is your persistent storage. CoreHPC also provides Home and VAST scratch storage for computing needs. See the CoreHPC documentation for current storage types, quotas, and retention policies.
4. Review Documentation (Optional)
These resources provide more detailed information about how FAC and CoreHPC work beyond Day 1 access verification.
- FAC FAQs
- CoreHPC FAQs
- Transition from SGE to Slurm + Conversion Guidance (for former Wynton users)
5. You’re Ready!
If you have completed the steps above that apply to you, your new environment is ready to use. If you need help, please use the following support path that best matches your issue:
- FAC-specific issues:
Submit a request at https://tiny.ucsf.edu/GetFAC - select Facility for Advanced Computing (FAC) - CoreHPC-specific issues:
Submit a request at https://tiny.ucsf.edu/GetHPC - select CoreHPC - General Wynton transition questions:
Email [email protected]
Office Hours (Open Q&A)
Tuesdays, 10:10–11:00 AM
Join office hours via Zoom
- ARS Office Hours combine support for Wynton, FAC Storage, CoreHPC, RAE, and IC FAC into a single weekly session. We also cover general Wynton transition questions.
- Breakout rooms are organized by service area so you can connect directly with the right team in one place.
- Short tutorials will be introduced soon to help researchers get the most out of the new environments.