1. Investigation authentication using AAF for the CVL on NeCTAR
Version 0.1

2. Review of current CVL creation and connection on NeCTAR
(2)
(3)
NeCTAR cloud
AAF
Login through home institution
Failed
Users
interface
(1) HTTP OK
(4)
(5)
NeCTAR dashboard
User NeCTAR project
(create instances, manage resources ...)
(6)
(7) SSH
VNC
Launcher
CVL Instances

3. Where we are going to use AAF in NeCTAR CVL
Question: which authentication we are talking about?
- Authentication to create nectar instance?
. Login to NeCTAR dashboard (AAF has already been used).
. Login to CVL (NeCTAR) dashboard?
Create and manager CVL only instances and resources. Who is going to create the
CVL dashboard?
- Authentication to access CVL nectar instance either from launcher, or vncviewer,
or command ssh?
. Using password authentication.
. Using key authentication.

4. Options to use AAF authentication for CVL on NeCTAR
Option 1: Login to NeCTAR dashboard to create CVL instance (AAF has already been used, mission is accomplished :-)).
Option 2: Create a new CVL NeCTAR dashboard to manage and create CVL only images and to use AAF (possible, but is it feasible?)
Option 3: Create a secure HTTP CVL portal to use AAF then to redirect to CharacterisationVM project in NeCTAR dashboard.
Option 4: Change the current CVL instance mode, to allocate a pool of CVL NeCTAR instances to form a virtual cluster. CVL manages user credential, security, resources and backup facilities. User accounts need be approved and created by an authorized person or CVL administration. Users can came and go to use CVL facilities but users don't own the CVL instances, which is similar to the MASSIVE mode, a centralized authoritative mode.
Option 5: AAF is irrelevant once an instance has been created from Option 1, handing over an instance to a CVL user or a team.
Option 6:

5. Proposal 1: Authentication without AAF using VNC launcher
(2) Create user account
(user identity, user group, ssh key, etc.)
CVL project
Images
Pre-installed CVL drivers for
(Neuroimaging, structural biology, energy materials)
Resources
Database
CVL Administrator
NeCTAR
API for
Computer
Storage
Image
(4) Check user credential
CVL login servers
(1) Register
CVL VNC Launcher
(5) VM IP address, loging name and password
Normal users
(6) VM login
(3) Start launcher and user login
(7) VM desktop

6. Proposal 2: Authentication without AAF using web portal
(2) Create user account
(user identity, user group, ssh key, etc.)
CVL Administrator
NeCTAR
API for
Computer
Storage
Image
CVL WEB login portal
CVL project
CVL Images
Resources
Database
(1) Register
(3) User login
Normal users
(4) VM IP address, loging name and password from encypted login code
(5) Start VNC Launcher, manually copy IP, name password to launcher
(6) VM Login
CVL VNC Launcher
(7) VM desktop