Time on Rivanna/Afton is allocated as Service Units (SUs). One SU corresponds to one core-hour. Multiple SUs make up what is called an allocation (e.g., a new allocation = 1M SUs). Allocations are managed through Grouper (requires VPN connection) groups that should be created by Principal Investigators (PIs) before they submit an allocation request.
Eligibility and Account Creation
Each PI should create his/her own Grouper group using the ITS Group Management Service. New groups will require two owners who hold active roles at UVA, as well as a third departmental owner. The PI may designate one or more group administrators but must remain a member of the group. Collaborators with UVA Eservices accounts, regardless of status, can be added to the Grouper group once it has been created. (Collaborators outside of UVA must request a temporary, sponsored Eservices account.) Grouper group names should consist of lowercase letters, digits, or underscores only and must begin with a letter. Please do not use spaces in the group name.
Each PI is ultimately responsible for managing the roster of users in his/her group although PIs may delegate day-to-day management to one or more other members. When users are added or deleted, accounts are automatically created. Group owners will be required to perform an annual attestation of group membership. If group owners do not complete attesting to the validity of their group, the members will be automatically removed from the group.
Note that If you need to set up a new group or modify a group that was created after November 28th, 2023, go to Grouper. Legacy MyGroups groups created before November 28th, 2023, can be accessed through the “Legacy MyGroups” folder on Grouper.
For new groups, specify "This group will be used for Rivanna/Afton access" in the description section of the Service Now request form to expedite group creation. You will need to add yourself as a member to the group in order for us to fulfill any allocation request related to this group.
Allocation Pricing
| Type |
SU Limits |
Cost |
SU Expiration |
| Standard |
None |
Free |
12 months |
| Purchased |
None |
$0.01 |
Never |
| Instructional |
100,000 |
Free |
2 weeks after last training session |
A service unit (SU) resembles usage of a trackable hardware resource for a specified amount of time. In its simplest form 1 SU = 1 core hour, but the SU charge rate can vary based on the specific hardware used. Resources like GPUs and memory may incur additional SU charges.
Allocation Types
Standard Allocations
Standard allocations require a brief summary of the research project along with an explanation of the computations to be performed. Standard allocations must be renewed annually along with a synopsis of results from the original allocation. There cannot be more than 1 PI per Grouper group. Standard allocations expire 12 months after they are disbursed.
Available to: Eligible PIs
Allocation Purchases
Time on Rivanna and Afton can also be purchased using an FDM. Purchasers are given a higher priority in the queue and their SUs never expire.
Available to: Eligible PIs who need priority access and premium service.
Instructional Allocations
Instructional allocations provide limited access to Rivanna and Afton and are available to UVA instructors who are teaching a class or leading a training session. Faculty who wish to request an instructional allocation should choose a Grouper account name using the class rubric, e.g. cs5014. Service units will be automatically purged 2 weeks after the class ends unless the instructor requests an extension. Instructors are required to submit a fresh instructional allocation request—either a new request or a renewal request—at the start of each semester.
Available to: Faculty who intend to use HPC resources in their class.
Read the full policy and guide for instructors.
