How to Join

The NGS is free to use for academics in the UK. Follow this process to join: 

1. Apply for a personal UK e-Science Certificate from the UK Certification Authority
2. Download your certificate into your browser (you will be notified and instructed by email)
3. Apply for an NGS account via the online application form and join optional/suitable VOs
4. Backup (Export) your Certificate and Private Key from your browser (how-to)
5. Run the Certificate Management Wizard to setup your computer's Grid settings
6. Get started using the NGS tools 

Joining notes:

• uas.ngs.ac.uk/apply.php(Step 3) The application form will automatically obtain your certificate from your browser (you need your certificate in your browser).
• (Step3) The online application form requires you to enter details of your research and your reasons for using the NGS. All applications undergo a light-weight peer review process (usually a couple of days, up to 1-2 weeks for substantial requests). If you have any difficulties during the application process or haven't heard anything after 2 weeks, please contact the support centre. Initial applications requesting less than 1000 CPU hrs from researchers working on a UK project will automatically be approved without peer review. (Requests for CPU hours in excess of 5000 hours may require extra consideration at this time).
• Individual users may check their current CPU usage using the account details page (you need your certificate in your browser).
• Please read the terms and conditions of use before proceeding with your application.

The user registration system is provided by the National Grid Service, under the management of STFC, who operate in accordance with the Data Protection Act in collecting user data for the sole use of the UK National Grid Service.

If a site wishes to join the NGS and contribute resources, please see the site joining guide, which details the requirements necessary to become a partner or affiliate site of the NGS. The Site application form can also be found there.

VOs can be created for existing or new projects and organisation. The NGS can help setup a project's VO using the NGS VOMS server. To apply to have a VO hosted on the NGS VOMS server, a authoritative representative* of the VO should complete the VO Hosting application form. Following submission this will be assessed by the NGS, through the Management Board which meets weekly to be approved or not as an NGS 'blessed' VO. Following approval then the VO Manager may add his users and the NGS will undertake to negotiate with resource providers for support of the VO. This is illustrated below.

* An 'authoritative representative' is one who is able to provide documentary evidence on request, of responsability on behalf of the project or organisation that the VO will represent.

The VO membership form will ask for:

• The VO's name. This must be a DNS style name to which the VO is affiliated, for example, "ngs.ac.uk" which is the name of the NGS catchall VO.
• The contact details for the VO Manager who is responsible for the VO and its membership e.g. the PI of a research project. This person should already have a UK e-Science digital certificate.
• The VO Security Contact (the person that the NGS will contact in the event of security concerns/event).
• An Acceptable Usage Policy(AUP). A VO may choose to adopt the default NGS AUP.
• Acceptance of the VO Operations Policy as described here: https://edms.cern.ch/document/853968
• A short description of the VO and its purpose used to inform the community at large.

The NGS is able to recognise grid users based upon membership lists by polling NGS VOMS servers. For example, the "gin.ggf.org" VO has been granted special arrangements for the purposes of testing the VOMS authorisation infrastructure.

• See the list of VOs already registered with the NGS here
• For more detail see the ngs WIKI

Registering your VO with other Grids

• GridPP
• EGEE
• OSG