Login Problems

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Revision as of 17:23, 20 November 2025 by H Winkhardt (talk | contribs) (Fixed Redlinks)
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This page lists common causes for problems with logging in as well as listing information you should provide when writing a ticket

Cannot Connect to Cluster

Please note that you need to come from internet hosts inside your university network. Either by connecting from a machine located on the campus or by using a VPN to virtually become part of the university network. Also note, that unauthenticated wireless connection options of a university may be considerd as out-of-network.

Missing Entitlement

This can happen because

  • you have not completed User Access Step A for the cluster you want to use:
        → bwForCluster or
        → bwUniCluster
  • you have left University
  • there is a malfunction of the IDM of your University

You can check your Entitlements as shown on the Entitlement page:

    → Check your Entitlements

In short: go to https://login.bwidm.de/ and select Index(Übersicht) → Personal Data, then select the tab "Shibboleth" and search for Cluster on that page to find

http://bwidm.de/entitlement/bwUniCluster

or

http://bwidm.de/entitlement/bwForCluster

(these are the names of the Entitlement, not links).

In case your Entitlement is missing, please contact the support of the university you are a member of. The bw Clusters rely on your university to provide the correct information about your ongoing affiliation and cannot solve the problem.

Missing bw Group

You can also check if your compute project group still exists by selecting the tab "Groups" on the same page as described above.

Lost TOTP Secret

Please avoid this problem by creating a backup TAN list and keep it in a safe place - e.g. in printed form in a folder in your office.

To create a backup tan list, use the registration server used by your cluster. You will be asked a current TOTP password from your device.

    → see Registration/2FA#Token_Management

Please contact us via authenticated login in the Support Portal and not via Email.

We will only be able to deactivate your current secret, which will enable you to create a new one without having to enter a TOTP.

For the next steps, follow the relevant wiki page: https://wiki.bwhpc.de/e/Registration/2FA

In short:

a) Delete the old token, reload the web page and verify that all tokens have been deleted. b) Create a new smartphone token and test it (if the QR code is missing check your browser's add-ons/ad-blockers) c) Create a backup Tan List, print it on paper and keep in a safe place for cases like this

Note: Users from KIT Karlsruhe who are using a cluster which uses https://login.bwidm.de/ to register the service will need to contact KIT support to have the TOTP reset

TOTP Secret Disabled

After a certain number of unsuccessful TOTP attempts, your TOTP will have accumulated too many errors if no successful login resets this.

In this case, you will have to open a ticket at the Support Portal for us to re-enable the TOTP.

Some programs used to open a ssh connection with some configuration options cause the client to keep trying to re-login in the background but fails because this mechanism cannot account for entering a TOTP. Please check configuration of your software for such behavior.

Forgot Password

You can re-set the ssh password on the registration server used by your cluster

    → list or registration servers also at: Registration/2FA#Token_Management


ZAS Permission Missing (bwForClusters only)

This can have one of the following reasons:

  • You have not yet successfully become a member of your compute project group
  • Your account has been disabled by an RV owner or manager and no longer belongs to the compute project
  • The compute project you are a member of has not been renewed and has expired
  • There is a ZAS malfunction

You can see the status of your own compute project or a project membership at https://zas.bwhpc.de/en/zas_info_bwforcluster.php via the points "RV collaboration" or "My RVs".

Writing a Ticket

Before writing a ticket to the Support Portal, please check if your Entitlement is missing - in which case you should contact your own university support.

Please provide the following information:

  • which cluster you have tried to access
  • your username
  • your eppn