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OVX

OVX is a server infrastructure developed by Nvidia that built to support access to 3D visualization, simulations, and AI inference, the foundations for building digital twins. Our implementation on HiPerGator utilizes L40 GPUs, each with 48gb of memory, to provide reliable, available, and low-latency remote desktop virtual machines that are configured for compatibility with the most cutting-edge tools and programs for digital twins.

Requesting OVX Resources

Before any group can start using OVX, they must be provided with an allocation of resources on OVX, and then a pool of VMs (virtual machines) that utilize the GPUs. Eligibility for access is currently determined by a group's current resources on HiPerGator; this is to say that prospective groups must have storage, CPU, and GPU resources already purchased and available to them equal to or exceeding the quantity they wish to utilize on OVX. As OVX resources are limited, requests must be reasonable and provide justification for use.

To make a request, submit a ticket at Research Computing's support portal with the following information:

  • What group is submitting the request
  • Permission from the PI of the group, if necessary
  • The number of VMs you wish to create
  • This represents the number of simultaneous connections you may have
  • The GPU resources for each VM
  • GPUs can be split between VMs in factors of 2, such as 1/2 or 1/4 of a GPU to a VM. Splitting GPUs may be desirable if resources are limited, but multiple VMs are required.
  • Recall that each L40 GPU has 48 gigabytes of VRAM.
  • The CPU resources for each VM (aka 'cores')
  • The memory for each VM
  • The local storage for each VM
  • Blue storage is encouraged to be utilized in general cases. The local VM storage should not be large, and should not exceed 100 gigabytes. Local storage will be cleared when a user logs off a VM.
  • The GatorLink IDs of each individual that requires access
  • A description of the use case that requires OVX
  • Please provide as much relevant information as necessary.

Once a ticket is submitted, please allow for a period of time for the request to be considered and processed. Research Computing will make any final discernments regarding how many resources or VMs should be utilized, which is based on demand and total usage of OVX.

Accessing OVX with Omnissa Horizon

Once a request is approved and processed, OVX VMs will become accessible through remote desktop sessions utilizing the Horizon software. To download and access OVX, follow the following steps:

  1. Download Horizon for your operating system here.
  2. Ensure you are either on the UF network, or are connected to the UF VPN.
  3. Open Horizon and click on the "Add Server" button. When prompted, enter the following address: horizon.rc.ufl.edu
  4. Enter your UFL login credentials.
  5. You should see a screen displaying the VMs you have access to. Open a remote desktop session by clicking on the VM you wish to use.
  6. When finished, locate the three dot menu in the top right of the remote desktop overlay and select "Log Off" in order to terminate your session.

Note

Bear in mind that OVX does not provide allocations based on time, so a VM that is connected to will be blocked out from use by anyone else until the connected user logs off. Note that selecting "Disconnect" simply disconnects the user from the remote session, and the VM will remain active until the user selects "Log Off". This must be done from inside an active connection.

Utilizing Digital Twin Tools

Currently, most of the digital twin resources available on OVX may be accessed through the individual methods of each tool's distributors, such as Nvidia or Epic Games. A non-exhaustive list of some popular tools and programs are listed below.

Omniverse Kit Apps

Prebuilt Omniverse Kit apps are usually individually distributed, but the official Kit template programs maintained by Nvidia are packaged as part of the kit-app-template repository. To access the template programs, git clone the repository and run the repo.sh file following the tutorial instructions on the GitHub page. As Kit programs heavily utilize the cache, on OVX it can be helpful to create a symlink from your default .cache directory to a location on Blue instead. This will prevent your Home storage from filling.

USD Create and USD Explorer are template apps available through the kit-app-template repository. They are relatively simple Kit apps that are designed to be built upon and customized to the needs of the user. They provide an interface to interact with 3D USD environments, and can be expanded upon with custom Python and C++ extensions. Once the templates are installed, users can access the .kit files associated with them to add and remove extensions and define each app's functionality.

Isaac Sim is a prebuilt Omniverse Kit app that is distributed by Nvidia. The simplest way to access the program is by downloading the Linux version available here. Containerized versions are also available, but must be adapted from Docker to Apptainer. It is also technically possible, but not recommended, to install Isaac Sim through pip.

Unreal Engine

Unreal Engine can be downloaded through the Epic Games launcher, available here, which will require the use of an Epic Games account. While this provides the most straightfoward access to resources and plugins, it may be desireable to instead build Unreal from source, which removes the launcher dependency. You can learn more about this process here.

When running Unreal, you may need to change the mouse settings of Horizon in order for mouse capture to work properly in-engine. In Horizon, change the mouse settings to use the screen position instead, which will allow Unreal to use the proper mouse sensitivity. This is due to how Unreal captures the mouse, and is an ongoing issue with most remote desktop programs and Unreal.

Unity

Research Computing is still working on Unity compatibility at this time. Use of Unity will require users to attain their own individual licenses for use.