Acceptable Use Policies

Last updated: March 2, 2018

The computer systems managed by HPRC are available for use free of charge to university faculty, staff, and students who require large-scale computing capabilities. Access to and use of such systems is permitted only for academic research and instructional activity. All other use is strictly prohibited without the approval of the High Performance Research Computing Resource Allocation Committee.

All HPRC users are responsible for knowing and following our policies.

The purpose of the following guidelines is to promote awareness of acceptable use to ensure that the HPRC's computing systems are used by all users in an efficient, ethical, and lawful manner. In all cases, relevant Texas state laws and University rules and regulations supercede and override any of the following in case of conflict.

1. All users should adhere to the Texas A&M Acceptable Use Policies. Students are also governed by Student Rules, in particular the Rules for Responsible Computing and Individual Responsibility for Use of Computing Resources and Facilities while using the HPRC systems.
2. Use of HPRC computing resources for unauthorized commercial activities, for personal gain, or any illegal activities is prohibited.
3. The interactive limit (CPU time) per login session on all systems is 60 minutes. Any violations of this limit will result in process termination. The maximum number of CPUs a user can engage for interactive processing in a single login session, or in aggregate across many concurrent login sessions is eight (8). A user is expected to lower this limit under heavy system loads.
4. All users must adhere to and comply with long and short term operational practices when logged on a system. These practices are stipulated in the user guides for each system and, occasionally, in the system "message of the day".
5. HPRC accounts are to be used only for the purpose for which they are authorized and are not to be used for non-HPRC related activities. Unauthorized use of a HPRC account/system may constitute sufficient grounds for account termination and/or legal sanctions.
6. Users shall not share their account(s) with anyone. It is a violation of state law to share accounts and passwords.
7. ALL HPRC computing systems are unclassified--in the national security sense--systems. Therefore, classified information must NOT be processed, entered, or stored on any HPRC system.
8. A user must not engage in any activity that violates the export control laws of the United States.
9. Users are responsible for protecting any information used and/or stored on/in their accounts. Consult the user guides for guidelines on protecting your account and information using the standard system protection mechanisms.
10. Users are required to report any weaknesses in computer security, any incidents of possible misuse or violation of this agreement to the proper authorities by contacting the HPRC Help Desk (phone: 979-845-0219, email: help@hprc.tamu.edu).
11. Users shall not attempt to access any data or programs contained on systems for which they do not have authorization or explicit consent of the owner of the data/program or the university security authorities.
12. Users MUST adhere to ALL provisions in our Data Storage Policies page.
13. Users must have proper authorization to use copyrighted files. Unauthorized use of such files renders a user liable to a variety of sanctions. These include account suspension, account termination and/or appropriate legal action.
14. Users shall not make copies of system configuration files (e.g., /etc/passwd) for unauthorized personal use or to provide to other people/users for unauthorized uses.
15. Users shall not intentionally engage in activities to: harass other users; degrade the performance of systems; deprive an authorized user access to a resource; obtain extra resources, beyond those allocated; circumvent computer security measures or gain access to a system for which proper authorization has not been given; misuse batch queues or other resources in ways not authorized or intended.
16. Electronic communication facilities (such as email) are for authorized use only. Fraudulent, harassing, obscene or sexually explicit messages and/or materials shall not be sent from, or stored on the systems.
17. Users shall not download, install, or run security programs or utilities which reveal weaknesses in the security of a system. For example, HPRC users shall not run password cracking programs.