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Concepts

This document defines terminology in CSC Notebooks service.

CSC Notebooks is a CSC cloud service for interactive web based applications

Application template

  • Created by Admin
  • Defines Application container image and configuration
  • Defines resource limits (such as memory)
  • See the source code for images for technical details

Application

  • Predefined content for one learning session
  • Based on a Docker container - either JupyterLab or RStudio
  • Created by Workspace manager based on Application template

Application session aka Session

  • One running copy of an Application
  • Started and managed by User
  • Has lifetime set by Application

Workspace

  • A container for Applications and Users
  • Tied to a Cluster
  • Has an Owner
  • May have Co-owners
  • Has a lifetime
  • May contain persistent folders (Workspace shared, Users' my-work). See Storage in CSC Notebooks
  • Has a maximum number of Applications (10 by default)
  • Has a limit for total memory for concurrent sessions

My Work folder

  • Private directory per user per workspace, storing data between Application session launches
  • Available in the Application session (if enabled by Owner) as $HOME/my-work
  • Is tied to a Workspace
  • Has lifetime tied to a Workspace

Workspace shared folder

  • Shared directory available to all users in a Workspace
  • Is writable only by Workspace manager
  • Is tied to a workspace
  • Has lifetime tied to a Workspace
  • Note that notebook files should not be executed within "shared" but rather moved to "my-work" folder

Join code

  • Unique Code generated for each workspace
  • Workspace owner distributes this code for users to join the workspace

End user

  • A Workspace member or a user of public Applications
  • Is authenticated
  • May launch Application sessions
  • Has access to public Applications
  • May be part of Workspaces
  • Has access to Workspace Applications through membership

Workspace owner

  • User that owns Workspaces or has been assigned Quota to create Workspaces
  • Principal of the Workspace
  • Creates Workspace and the content in the Workspace for the workspace members
  • May invite Users to become members in a workspace by sharing the Join code
  • May promote members to Co-owners
  • May demote Co-owners to members
  • May add Applications based on Applications templates

Workspace co-owner

  • Can create content in the Workspace
  • May promote members to Co-owners
  • May demote Co-owners to members
  • May invite users to become members in a workspace by sharing the join code
  • May add Applications based on Applications templates

Admin

  • System administrator at CSC
  • Has full rights in the system

Cluster

  • A resource for executing the Application sessions
  • In practice: some sort of Kubernetes cluster in CSC cloud
  • Configured by Admin
Last update: August 15, 2023