Access Groups

Explorer (AP-0)

Public entry point to EOSC EU Node

Explorer Access Overview

Explorer (AP-0) access provides an open gateway to the EOSC EU Node, allowing anyone to browse public content without requiring authentication. This access level is designed to introduce users to the platform's capabilities and available resources before deciding to register or log in.

Available Services

As an Explorer, you have access to a variety of public resources and information portals:

Limitations and Restrictions

Explorer access provides a limited view of the EOSC EU Node's capabilities. The following features are not available without authentication:

Unavailable Features

• User dashboard and personalisation
• User account settings and preferences
• Service reservations and resource allocation
• Computing capabilities (notebooks, VMs, containers)
• Data storage and file sharing
• Credit allocation and usage tracking
• Personalised workspace environments
• Collaboration tools and shared resources
• Team management and group access
   

How to Upgrade

To gain access to personalised features and computing resources, you need to authenticate and upgrade to a higher access level. Follow these steps:

1. Choose an authentication method based on your institutional affiliation:
   • eduGAIN: For researchers and staff at academic institutions
   • EU Login: For European Commission staff and agencies
   • eIDAS: For holders of national eIDs in EU Member States
2. Authenticate with your credentials using your chosen login method
3. Complete your profile to ensure your institutional role is correctly identified
4. Verify your access level in your User Settings after logging in

Your access level will be automatically determined based on your institutional role as provided by your identity provider. For more information about authentication methods and eligibility requirements, please see the Authentication section.

Use Cases and Examples

Explorer access is ideal for the following scenarios:

First-time Visitors

Researchers and professionals who are new to the EOSC EU Node can explore the platform's capabilities and available resources before deciding to register. As an Explorer, you can gain insights into how the platform supports scientific research and collaboration.

Resource Discovery

Researchers looking for specific datasets or tools can browse the Resource Hub to discover what's available. This allows you to assess whether the EOSC EU Node provides the resources needed for your projects before committing to registration.

Learning and Education

Students and educators can access the Trainings Portal to learn about scientific computing, data management, and research methodologies. This makes Explorer access valuable for educational purposes, even without access to computational resources.

Observer (AP-A)

View personalised space, participate in groups, but no changes or computing

Observer Access Overview

Observer (AP-A) access is the first authenticated level of access to the EOSC EU Node. It allows users to view personalised content and browse public resources while maintaining a user profile. This access level provides a personalised view of the platform but does not include any computational or storage capabilities.

Available Services

As an Observer, you have access to view-only resources and personalised features:

Limitations and Restrictions

Observer access provides a personalised view of the EOSC EU Node but has significant limitations. The following features are not available with Observer (AP-A) access:

Unavailable Features

• Editing or modifying account settings
• Uploading or storing any files
• Running any compute environments (notebooks, VMs, containers)
• Creating or accessing data storage
• Launching or requesting resources
• File sharing or collaborative features
• Usage tracking or credit consumption
• Access to computational resources
• Team management or group participation

How to Upgrade

To gain access to computational resources and active services, you need to upgrade to a higher access level. To do so, follow these steps.

1. Check your current institutional role with your identity provider:
   • For eduGAIN users: Ensure your eduPersonAffiliation attribute correctly shows "faculty" or "employee/staff"
   • For EU Login users: Verify your domain attribute reflects your organisational role
   • For eIDAS users: Confirm your role and organisation information are present in your attributes
2. Review your User Settings to see your current access group and available attributes
3. Contact your institutional identity provider if your attributes are missing or incorrect
4. Submit a helpdesk ticket if you need assistance with upgrading your access level

Your access level is automatically determined based on your institutional role as provided by your identity provider. If you believe you should qualify for a higher access level, please ensure your identity provider is correctly sharing your role information.

Authentication Methods

Your access level is determined by how you authenticate and what attributes your institution provides. The EOSC EU Node supports the following authentication methods:

Use Cases and Examples

Observer access is ideal for the following scenarios:

Platform Exploration

Researchers who have created an account but aren't yet ready to use computational resources can explore the platform's features with a personalised experience. As an Observer, you can see how the platform would organise and present information specifically for you before committing to a higher access level.

Service Evaluation

Users who want to evaluate available services and understand what resources would be allocated to them can use Observer access to view detailed service specifications and credit requirements. This helps in planning future research activities and resource needs.

Preparing for Collaboration

Team members who need to understand the platform before engaging in collaborative projects can use Observer access to familiarise themselves with the user interface and available tools. This prepares them for effective participation once they upgrade to Collaborator or Investigator access.

Collaborator (AP-A1)

Use collaboration tools, upload and share data, and run lightweight services

Collaborator Access Overview

Collaborator (AP-A1) access provides modest compute and storage capabilities to support effective collaboration and running standard services. This level is designed for institutional employees and staff who need practical computing resources for their work while maintaining efficient use of the platform.

Available Services & Credit Costs

As a Collaborator, you have access to a range of services designed to support your research and collaboration needs:

Credit System for Collaborators

As a Collaborator, you receive an allocation of credits to access a range of computing services. Credits are consumed only when you actively use resources.

Credit Allocation

• 500 credits
• Credits refresh every 90 days from your first login
• Unused credits expire at the end of the 90-day period

Credit Usage By Service

Each service has a credit cost depending on its size and how long you use it:

Service Specifications & Limits

Your Collaborator access provides the following service specifications and limits:

Service Reservation & Management

Managing your services effectively will help you maximise the value of your credits. Here are some key points to remember:

Reservation Policy

• Services are granted on a first-come, first-served basis
• Credits are only used when services are actively running
• Services with low activity (under 5% CPU for 30 days) may be deactivated

Use Cases and Examples

Collaborator access is ideal for the following scenarios:

Data Analysis & Processing

Researchers can use Jupyter notebooks to analyse moderate-sized datasets without needing to set up local environments. The Small and Medium notebook configurations provide sufficient resources for most standard data analysis tasks, including visualisation, statistical analysis, and data processing pipelines.

Collaborative Document Development

Teams can use the File Sync and Share service to collaborate on research papers, grant proposals, or technical documentation. With 50GB of storage, teams can maintain multiple versions of documents and share them securely with collaborators.

Software Development

Researchers and developers can use Small VMs or containers to develop and test software in controlled environments that closely match production settings. This is particularly useful for developing research software that needs to be portable across different computing environments.

Teaching & Demonstration

Faculty members can use interactive notebooks to prepare teaching materials or demonstrations for courses or workshops. These environments can be configured with specific packages and dependencies required for educational purposes.

Investigator (AP-B)

Full-featured research environment with advanced computing capabilities

Investigator Access Overview

Investigator (AP-B) access provides comprehensive computational resources and advanced services for academic researchers. This access level is designed for experienced users who need full-scale computing capabilities, GPU support, or wish to manage teams and collaborate using all EOSC services.

Available Services & Credit Costs

As an Investigator, you have access to the full range of EOSC EU Node services:

Credit System for Investigators

As an Investigator, you receive a generous allocation of credits to access a wide range of computing services. Credits are consumed only when you actively use resources.

Credit Allocation

• 1500 credits for your personal use
• 3000 credits per group (automatically assigned when a group is created)
• Credits refresh every 90 days from your first login
• Unused credits expire at the end of the 90-day period

Credit Usage by Service

Each service consumes credits at different rates depending on its size:

Additional Credit Requests

If you require additional credits beyond your default allocation, you can submit a request through the Helpdesk. These requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case and best-effort basis (not guaranteed).

Order Management for Advanced Resources

As an Investigator, you have access to order management for gated resources, allowing you to request access to Large (L) compute environments with enhanced performance:

Available Advanced Resources

Group Management Features

Investigator access includes powerful group management features that enable collaborative research:

Creating and Managing Groups

• Create up to 2 research groups
• Be a member of up to 4 groups simultaneously
• Invite any authenticated user (Observer or above) to join your group
• Group members inherit access to your services

Group Credit Allocation

When you create a group, it automatically receives 3000 credits, which is separate from your individual allocation of 1500 credits. This allows you to scale up your research activities and collaborate effectively without depleting your personal credits.

Service Specifications

Investigator access provides a range of service sizes to meet different research needs:

Environment Size Comparison

Access Comparison

The following table provides a detailed comparison of features, services, and credit allocations across access groups: