Security Considerations for Deploying Compute Nodes in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2

Updated: October 2010

Applies To: Windows HPC Server 2008 R2

The topics in this section describe security considerations related to the deployment of compute nodes in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2.

The following topics provide information related to using the Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE) for deployment of compute nodes:

• Understanding Security Considerations for the PXE Boot Process in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2

• Control the Way the Head Node Responds to PXE Boot Requests in HPC Server 2008 R2

The following topic provides information about an option that is available in compute node templates (used for adding compute nodes from bare metal). The option described in this topic makes it nearly impossible to log on to the compute node using the built-in local Administrator account, so that any local administrative access occurs only through an account you create and place in the local Administrators group on the compute node:

• Create a Compute Node Template that Limits Local Administrator Access

The following topic provides information about a way to configure compute nodes that allows users to perform tasks by connecting through Remote Desktop to an interactive console session:

• Configure Compute Nodes to Allow Connections to Tasks through Remote Desktop with Windows HPC Server 2008 R2

Additional references

• Windows HPC Server 2008 R2: Security

• For information about workstation nodes, see Requirements for Adding Workstation Nodes in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=202684)

• For information about the Add Software Updates Wizard under “Cluster management,” see What's New in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=201562)

• Apply Software Updates (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=201564)

• Checklist of Security Settings That Can Be Tightened with Windows HPC Server 2008 R2