Sometimes it can be a daunting task to get all the Kerberos and SSH configurations right on your first attempt at using the PDC systems. Nearly every day PDC Support receives a number of help requests and questions from researchers who have run into configuration problems. So PDC has introduced an alternative way of logging in to our clusters by using Docker containers with pre-configured Kerberos and SSH files.
What is Docker?
Docker is a tool used to deploy and run single or many applications within what are known as containers. Containers are packed with all the parts that are needed to run an application, such as the actual application, any relevant tools, libraries or other necessary information. Each Docker container is delivered as a single package with all the necessary material included. This means that the person using the Docker container does not have to worry about installing any new tools/libraries or configuring them before using them. Since everything is preloaded, the applications inside the containers are ready-to-use and can be executed regardless of any customized settings on the host machine.
Later in this blog article, we will talk about a Docker container that we have developed for the purpose of logging in to PDC clusters.
