Ivy is a secure computing environment for researchers consisting of virtual machines (Linux and Windows). Researchers can use Ivy to process and store sensitive data with the confidence that the environment is secure and meets HIPAA, FERPA, CUI or ITAR requirements.

Overview

Ivy consists of both virtual computing environments and secure storage. In order to obtain access to either system, users must

1. Submit an account request,
2. Complete the Information Security Awareness Training, and
3. Ensure their personal computer meets all High Security VPN requirements.

• Requesting Access
• Security Training
• High Security VPN
• Virtual Machines
• JupyterLab Notebooks
• Data Transfer In/Out of Ivy
• HIPAA Compliance

A summary description of the Ivy environment suitable for grant applications is available here.

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Requesting Access

University of Virginia tenure stream and academic general faculty, research faculty, research scientists, and postdoctoral associates may request an account on Ivy. UVA graduate and undergraduate students are not permitted to request accounts—this must be done by their faculty advisor(s).

Access to Ivy resources is project-based, limited to PIs and their designees, and requires approval. Once a project is approved a PI and her/his researchers must sign a RUDA (one for every researcher on each project).

Request an Ivy Account

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Security Training

In order to use Ivy, researchers must complete the High Security Awareness Training (HSAT). This training takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Please complete the training at the following link: https://in.virginia.edu/hsat-training.

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High Security VPN

The High Security VPN (HSVPN) allows researchers to connect to Ivy securely both on and off grounds. In order to use the HSVPN, users must ensure that their personal machines meet the following requirements. More information on HSVPN compliance can be found on the ITS website: https://in.virginia.edu/vpncheck

1. Install the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client.
   This can be found at the UVA ITS Software Gateway. Be sure to install the version of VPN Client HS 4.6 that is compatible with your personal computer’s operating system. More detailed instructions for installing the VPN client can be found on the ITS website.

2. Install Opswat.
   Opswat checks if your computer is compliant with HSVPN requirements. Opswat can be downloaded from the UVA ITS Software Gateway.

3. Install Anti-malware software (Windows Defender recommended).
   Anti-malware software must be installed on your machine. Windows Defender is behavioral-based antimalware software and meets UVA’s HSVPN requirements. Windows Defender can be downloaded from the UVA ITS Software Gateway.

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Connecting and Signing In

1 Authentication

2 Duo MFA

3 High Security VPN

Once you have completed these three steps, you will be connected to the secure Ivy network. From there you can connect to a Virtual Machine, or use a web browser to access JupyterLab.

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Virtual Machines

A virtual machine (VM) is a computing instance dedicated to your project. Multiple users can sign in to a single VM.

Virtual machines come in two platforms, Rocky 8 Linux and Windows Server 2019. Each platform is available in numerous instance types. Refer to the grid below for specifics.

Type	Specs	Cost
Mini	2 cores / 2GB mem	$4/month
Small	4 cores / 16GB mem	$12/month
Medium	8 cores / 32GB mem	$48/month
Large	16 cores / 64GB mem	$96/month
Xlarge	16 cores / 124GB mem	$176/month

Once created, your instance will be assigned a private IP address that you will use to connect to it (in the format 10.xx.xx.xx). VMs exist in a private, secure network and cannot
reach outside resources on the Internet. Most inbound and outbound data transfer is managed through the Data Transfer Node (see below).

Connecting to your VM

Before connecting to your VM, you must run the High Security VPN. Make sure that you have the VPN client installed on your laptop/desktop.

Next, you will need to know two pieces of information:

• The type of VM that you have, either Windows or Linux;
• The IP address of your VM (e.g., 10.xxx.xxx.xxx).

The steps for connecting to the VM will depend on the type of VM and, to a lesser extent, the operating system of your laptop/desktop (i.e., MacOS or Windows).

To connect to a Windows VM from a Mac, you will need the Microsoft Remote Destop application which you can download here .
Windows laptops/desktops already have the Remote Desktop Connection application installed.

Steps to connect to your VM

Follow the steps below for the type of VM that you have:

In addition to connecting to a Linux VM through a web browser, you have the option of connecting with an ssh client. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start the High Security VPN
2. Open the ssh client on your laptop/desktop (Terminal application on a Mac or Command Prompt on a Windows PC) and type: ssh mst3k@10.xxx.xxx.xxx, where mst3k is replaced with your user ID.
3. When prompted for a password, use your Eservices password.

Software

Every virtual machine (Linux or Windows) comes with a base installation of software by default. These help researchers by
providing the basic tools for data processing and manipulation. Additional software packages are pre-approved and available for installation
upon request. See the lists below for options.

Preinstalled Software

Python/R Packages - Anaconda Python and R packages are available to users through the normal pip, conda, and CRAN and library installation methods.

Additional Approved Software (Available by Request)

If you require additional software not listed, you must submit a request. Requests are reviewed by the UVA ISPRO office for security
and regulatory compliance and, if approved, will be installed for you.

To request installation of optional software packages, please use the web request form provided through this link:

Request Ivy Software

Installing Python Packages on Your VM

Creating a Conda Environment

Researchers often require Python packages that are not included in the base installation of Anaconda. Users can install additional Python packages on their VMs using conda environments. Conda environments allows users to install packages in isolated environments to avoid version conflicts with other users on the VM.

Windows

1. Launch “Anaconda Prompt” from the Start Menu.

2. From the prompt, issue the command:

   conda create -n my_env package1 package2

   where my_env is the name you wish to give your new conda environment, and package1 and package2 are the names of the Python packages you want to install.

3. To activate and use your new environment, issue the command:

   conda activate my_env

Linux

1. Log into your VM via SSH or log in through your web browser and launch the Terminal.

2. From the prompt, issue the command:

   conda create -n my_env package1 package2

   where my_env is the name you wish to give your new conda environment, and package1 and package2 are the names of the Python packages you want to install.

3. To activate and use your new environment, issue the command:

   conda activate my_env

Creating a Conda Environment with a Specific Python Version

If you require a specific version of Python, you can create a new conda environment with:

conda create -n my_env python=2.7

Installing Packages

After creating your conda environment, you can install additional libraries with pip and conda.

Installing Packages with pip

• Use pip from the command line to install individual packages:

  pip install numpy

• You can search for a package:

  pip search panda

• To see which packages you have installed already:

  pip list

• You can install packages listed in a requirements.txt file (one package per line):

  pip -r requirements.txt

• To save a list of your currently installed packages in a requirements.txt file:

  pip freeze > requirements.txt

Installing packages with conda

conda works similarly to pip.

• To install a package:

  conda install scipy

• To search for a package:

  conda search scipy

• And to list all packages in your environment:

  conda list

Once installed on your VM, packages will persist and you will not need to install them again. You will only need to import them again in your code.

Storage

Ivy VM has a pool of over 2 petabytes of Network Attached Storage shared amongst users. A PI specifies the storage space s/he would like to have when requesting access to Ivy. Virtual machines do not come with any significant disk storage of their own.

Scheduled Maintenance

Beginning Sunday, April 14, your Ivy virtual machine (VM) will be rebooted on the 2nd Sunday of each month between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. EST while RC engineers install security updates. Any sessions running during this period will be terminated. Windows and Linux VMs will be rebooted at the same time.

If you have any questions or problems with your software applications after the security updates have been installed, you may contact our user services team.

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JupyterLab Notebooks

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Data Transfer In/Out of Ivy

Moving sensitive data into the Ivy VMware platform is possible through a secure Globus DTN (data transfer node). The Ivy DTN is connected to a pool of secure storage called “High-Security Research Standard Storage”, which in turn is connected to Ivy VMs. Only active research projects using Ivy virtual machines can use this service.

How to Connect to the DTN and Transfer Files

Before transferring files to Ivy, you will need Globus installed on the computer you are transferring data from. Globus can be downloaded from https://www.globus.org/globus-connect-personal.

1. Ensure that you are NOT connected to the HSVPN. Data transfer will not work if you are connected to the HSVPN.

2. Open Globus in your web browser: https://app.globus.org/file-manager. When logging in, select University of Virginia and log in with Netbadge.

3. Once you are in the Globus File Manager, select the two-panel view by clicking the two-panel button beside the Panels button in the top-right corner of the page. This should open a second panel on the page, so that you have two side by side.

4. In one panel, click on the Collections field and select your computer. You can then click to the directory that contains the data you want to move, or type the path to the directory in the Path field. Click the files or folders you want to transfer to select them.

5. In the remaining panel, click on the Collections field and search for and select the UVA IVY-DTN. Select the storage share to which you want to transfer data. (Unless you are part of multiple Ivy projects, you should only see one storage folder.)

6. Click the Start button beneath the first panel (should be highlighted) to begin the data transfer.

7. Once the data transfer is complete, you will be able to access the data in your VM by clicking the High-Security Research Standard Storage shortcut on your VM’s desktop.

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HIPAA Compliance

The Ivy platform is HIPAA-compliant by design. From the UVA Institutional Review Board for Health Sciences Research (IRB-HSR):

Researchers must understand that, in general, the more difficult parts of HIPAA compliance are less technical (networks, computers, and data) than they are human and how users interact with these systems and data. The mishandling of data – such as storing them on insecure devices or in insecure places – jeopardizes confidential patient data and UVA’s ability to remain a trusted keeper of those data.

All data imported into Ivy must be treated as highly sensitive data. Data and results exported from Ivy must be protected
and managed appropriately according to UVA’s data classification
guidelines. Guidance regarding these guidelines and
data types is available from UVA Information Security, Policy, and Records Office (ISPRO) by emailing
it-security@virginia.edu.