Designate Cluster Users and Administrators in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2

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Updated: October 2010

Applies To: Windows HPC Server 2008 R2

You can designate HPC cluster users and HPC cluster administrators for your cluster. For information about the differences between an HPC cluster user and an HPC cluster administrator, see Understanding Roles of Users and Administrators in Windows HPC 2008 R2. When you install a head node that is running Windows HPC Server 2008 R2, the members of the local Administrators group automatically become HPC cluster administrators. However, members are not added automatically to the HPC cluster users. You must add HPC cluster users.

Important
As a best practice for enhanced security in your cluster, we recommend that you arrange for the creation of two custom groups in Active Directory DoMayn Services (AD DS) for the users and the administrators of your HPC cluster. After those groups are created in AD DS, use this procedure to add them to the appropriate HPC role (HPC cluster user or HPC cluster administrator). If you are running the head node in a failover cluster, it is important to review the user and group accounts that are needed before you install HPC Pack 2008 R2. For more information, see the last two items in Additional considerations, later in this topic.

To designate users and administrators

  1. To open HPC Cluster Manager, click Start, point to All Programs, click Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 R2, and then click HPC Cluster Manager. Falls das Dialogfeld Benutzerkontensteuerung angezeigt wird, bestätigen Sie, dass die angezeigte Aktion der gewünschten Aktion entspricht, und klicken Sie anschließend auf Ja.

  2. In Configuration, in the Navigation Pane, click Deployment To-do List.

  3. In the Deployment To-do List, click Add or remove users.

  4. To remove existing users or administrators (or to take the first step in changing their roles), under Users, select the user or group name, and then in the Actions pane, click Remove.

  5. Designate the users for your HPC cluster:

    1. In the Actions pane, click Add User.

    2. Type the user name or group name that you want to add, and then click Check Names. For more information, on the Select Users or Groups window, click examples.

    3. Repeat the previous action until you have added all the HPC cluster users that you want to add.

    4. Click OK.

  6. Designate the administrators for your HPC cluster:

    1. In the Actions pane, click Add Administrator.

    2. Type the user name or group name, and then click Check Names. For more information, on the Select Users or Groups window, click examples.

    3. Repeat the previous action until you have added all the HPC cluster administrators that you want to add.

Additional considerations

  • When you add a member to HPC cluster administrators in HPC Cluster Manager, it is the same as adding the member to the local Administrators group on the head node (and vice versa). Similarly, when you add a member to HPC cluster users in HPC Cluster Manager, it is the same as adding the member to the local HPCUsers group on the head node (and vice versa).

  • On each compute node, HPC cluster administrators are added to the local Administrators group approximately every five minutes (depending in part on the order in which a particular compute node is contacted by the head node).

  • If you are running the head node in a failover cluster, we recommend that you create a specific user account that is designated as “installation credentials” for adding nodes (such as compute nodes) to the HPC cluster. For information about the permissions for this account, see the Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 Design and Deployment Guide, especially Step 3: Configure the Head Node (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=198319). We recommend that you create a designated account for this purpose because in the failover cluster that runs the head node, this account will become a permanent member of the HPC cluster user role.

  • If you are running the head node in a failover cluster, as much as possible, avoid having individual user accounts in the local Administrators group on either failover cluster server when you install HPC Pack 2008 R2. For more information, see “Configuring Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 for High Availability of the Head Node,” specifically, Step 6: Install HPC Pack 2008 R2 on a Server that Will Run Head Node Services (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=201570).

Additional references