Connecting

Access the IQ HPC Platform is through SSH (Secure Shell). The login node address is ip09.ccs.usherbrooke.ca.

Récent operating systems (Linux, MacOS, Windows 11) typically include an SSH client. To connect to the platform in command line mode, first open a terminal window (called PowerShell in Windows). In that window, use the ssh command to connect:

$ ssh alice@ip09.ccs.usherbrooke.ca

Replace alice by your username.

When you connect for the first time, your program will show the server’s encryption key’s fingerprint and ask to confirm that you wish to connect. Once this confirmation is given, your program will store ip09’s key in your known host list. This dialogue will look like:

The authenticity of host 'ip09.ccs.usherbrooke.ca (204.19.23.210)' can't be established.
ED25519 key fingerprint is SHA256:hVAo6KoqKOEbtOaBh6H6GYHAvsStPsDEcg4LXBQUP50.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])? yes
Warning: Permanently added 'ip09.ccs.usherbrooke.ca' (ED25519) to the list of known hosts.

The server’s encryption key’s fingerprint should match the one in the above example.

Next, type in your CCDB password. Note that no characters are shown on the screen as you type.

alice@ip09.ccs.usherbrooke.ca's password:

Use a second authentication factor to complete the login process. This prompt will change according to the device(s) you registered in CCDB. In the following example, Alice registered an Android phone:

(alice@ip09.ccs.usherbrooke.ca) Duo two-factor login for alice

Enter a passcode or select one of the following options:

 1. Duo Push to Samsung S23 Alice (Android)

Passcode or option (1-1):

By pressing 1, Alice would get a notification on her phone.

Finally, you will get a message indicating that the connection was successful:

Success. Logging you in...
Last login: Wed Apr  9 10:45:16 2025 from 24.203.57.88
################################################################################
  _____ ____
 |_   _/ __ \   Plateforme CHP-IQ / IQ HPC Platform
   | || |  | |
   | || |  | |  Documentation fr: https://institut-quantique-udes.github.io/fr
  _| || |__| |                en: https://institut-quantique-udes.github.io/en
 |_____\___\_\     Support fr/en: olivier.fisette@usherbrooke.ca

[...]

See also

  • SSH (Alliance technical documentation)

Alternative SSH clients

Even though an SSH client is now included with Windows (since version 10 1803), some researchers prefer to use a third-party client, either for its functionalities or simply by habit. Popular choices include:

We recommend MobaXterm to new users rather than PuTTY since the former offers better functionalities. WSL is not an SSH client per say but rather a virtual Linux system installed inside Windows. WSL provides access to basic Linux commands, including those for SSH.

See also

SSH keys

You can use an SSH key pair to connect rather than your password. This provides added security in addition to being more practical.

The SSH Keys page in the Alliance technical documentation explains how to generate a key pair and install the public key on the server. To install the key, follow the instructions in the Using the authorized_keys file section rather than Using CCDB since the IQ HPC Platform does not use the SSH keys in your CCDB account.