Managed Clusters
A managed cluster connects Linux infrastructure that your organization already operates to ACTIVATE. An agent on each registered node reports health and resource information, detects supported schedulers, and maintains an outbound tunnel to the platform.
ACTIVATE provides shared access, sessions, monitoring, and optional Linux identity management for these machines. You continue to operate the cluster's infrastructure and scheduler.
Start with How Access Works for an explanation of ACTIVATE accounts, cluster permissions, Linux accounts, and connection methods. Then use the setup and configuration guides to connect your nodes and choose which settings the agent manages.
Choose the Right Integration
Managed clusters and existing clusters both connect infrastructure that ACTIVATE did not provision, but they serve different operating models.
| Capability | Managed Cluster | Existing Cluster |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership in ACTIVATE | One organization-owned resource | A connection definition for a user's access |
| Setup | Register an ACTIVATE agent on each node you want to manage or observe | Configure SSH connection details and credentials |
| Visibility | Node inventory, metrics, filesystems, and supported scheduler data | Connection and job-submission capabilities |
| Identity | Optionally create Linux accounts, update groups, configure SSH key lookup, prepare home directories, and manage sudo membership | Use accounts and authentication already configured on the cluster |
| Sessions | Run through a selected registered node's platform tunnel | Connect through the user's workspace and HPC Connect |
Choose a managed cluster for an organization-wide integration with node monitoring and optional account management. Choose an existing cluster for a user's SSH connection profile.
Architecture
Each node connects to ACTIVATE over outbound HTTPS and WebSocket connections on TCP 443. The agent reports inventory and metrics through heartbeats and keeps a tunnel open for SSH and managed sessions.
SSH and session traffic can travel through this tunnel without a public inbound route to the node.
The agent also exposes Prometheus metrics on TCP 9100. Restrict that listener to trusted monitoring systems and cluster networks.
One machine can fill several node roles, or you can separate them:
| Node role | Register it when | What ACTIVATE uses it for |
|---|---|---|
| Login node | Users will open terminals or use CLI SSH through this node | SSH destination and, while its tunnel is connected, tunneled SSH |
| Scheduler controller | You want scheduler data in ACTIVATE | Slurm partitions and jobs, or PBS jobs |
| Session node | Users will launch browser desktop or VS Code sessions | Host for managed sessions over its live tunnel |
| Other node | You want its health, filesystems, or access settings managed | Node metrics, inventory, and optional access management |
Choose a Deployment Profile
Choose a profile based on the features you want ACTIVATE to manage.
| Profile | Register | Enable | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitoring only | Scheduler controller and any nodes you want to observe | No access-management settings | Inventory, health, and scheduler visibility without changing Linux identity configuration |
| Tunnel access with existing identities | Login node, session node if needed, and scheduler controller | Usually no identity settings | Sites where usernames, home directories, and SSH keys already exist |
| ACTIVATE-managed identity and access | Every node that needs the managed user accounts or groups | User Population plus your chosen SSH, home-directory, and sudo settings | Centralized ACTIVATE users, groups, SSH keys, home-directory setup, and sudo membership |
Who Configures the Integration
Configuring a managed cluster requires permissions in ACTIVATE and administrative access to the Linux nodes and their network configuration.
| Role | Configuration tasks |
|---|---|
| ACTIVATE organization administrator | Create the resource, configure connections and access, grant permissions, select the session node, and coordinate agent updates |
| Linux or HPC administrator | Install the agent, configure the nodes and scheduler, and verify Linux accounts and SSH access |
| Network or security administrator | Configure network paths for platform traffic, direct SSH, and package downloads; restrict access to the metrics listener |
Setup Journey
| Guide | What you will learn |
|---|---|
| How Access Works | Accounts, permissions, automatic configuration, connection methods, and collaborator access |
| Plan and Set Up | Topology, prerequisites, node registration, and pilot acceptance checks |
| Identity and Access | Linux account storage, settings, permissions, No Root Access, and access removal |
| Use a Managed Cluster | Terminals, sessions, workflows, and jobs |
| Operate and Troubleshoot | Monitoring, agent updates, troubleshooting, and offboarding |