Login

Login to Elysium combines the common SSH key-based authentication with web-based two-factor authentication. You need to enable two-factor authentication for your RUB LoginID at rub.de/login.

The additional web-based authentication is cached for 14 hours so that you typically only have to do it once per work day, per login node, and per IP address you connect from. After that, your normal key-based SSH workflow will work as expected.

Follow these steps:

  1. Start ssh with the correct private key, your RUB LoginID, and one of the four login hosts, e.g.
    ssh -i ~/.ssh/elysium LOGINID@login1.elysium.hpc.ruhr-uni-bochum.de.
    Available login nodes are login1 to login4. Login step 1: start ssh Login step 1: start ssh

  2. Open the URL in a browser (or scan the QR code with your smartphone) to start web-based two-factor authentication. Login step 2 part 1: start web-based authentication Login step 2 part 1: start web-based authentication

  3. Enter the second factor for two-factor authentication. Login step 2 part 2: web-based LoginID / password authentication Login step 2 part 2: web-based LoginID / password authentication

  4. After successful login, you get a four-digit verification code. Login step 2 part 3: get the verification code Login step 2 part 3: get the verification code

  5. Enter this code at your ssh prompt to finish login. Login step 3: verify the SSH session Login step 3: verify the SSH session

For the next 14 hours, only step 1 (classic key-based authentication) will be necessary on the chosen login node for the IP address you connected from.

Login will fail if:

  • You use the wrong private key (“Permission denied (publickey)”)
  • You are not member of an active HPC project (“Permission denied (publickey)”)
  • You did not enable two-factor authentication for your LoginID (“Two-factor authentication is required”)
  • Web-based login fails
  • You enter the wrong verification code (“Verification failed”)
  • A timeout happens between starting the SSH session and finalizing web-based login (“session_id not found”); just start the process again to get a new session ID.