User Guide

To ensure effective communication please update your contact information, e.g., email, phone number, etc. 

We strongly encourage you to list your mobile phone number as your Work Number so that the CHESS Operators can reach you, if necessary, during your beam time.  

1. Log into CHESS User Portal,
2. Access your profile by clicking on your name in the top right corner of the screen,
3. Choose “Profile” and update the relevant fields,
4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save.

Only Users listed as collaborators on a proposal, and with a profile in the CHESS User Portal, will be able to have remote and/or in-person access to CHESS.

1. Log into CHESS User Portal,
2. Click Go to Dashboard,
3. Click View Submitted Proposals,
4. Click the Eye Symbol to the right of your current proposal,
5. Review the box titled Investigators,
6. If you need to add or remove a collaborator, please email CHESSUserOffice@cornell.edu.

All Users are required to review the information provided in this User Guide in preparation for remote and in-person experiments at CHESS and complete the CHESS User Exam.

1. Log into CHESS User Portal,
2. Click Go to Dashboard,
3. Click on Take the CHESS User Exam,
4. Complete the exam.

All users who come on-site must read this User Orientation and Safety Training Guide and score 100% on the In-Person User Exam that follows before any work at CHESS can begin.

1. Log into CHESS User Portal,
2. Click Go to Dashboard,
3. Click on Take the In-Person User Exam,
4. Complete the exam.

All CHESS Users will need their own computer account to collect data and participate in an experiment. Since CHESS is part of the Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-based ScienceS and Education (CLASSE), these computer accounts are typically referred to as “CLASSE accounts”.

If you are an owner, creator, collaborator, or principal investigator of a scheduled Beam Time Request (BTR) that has taken the CHESS User Exam, you should have received an email from CLASSE IT to set up your password and log into the account. The account will be valid through the experimental run and can be extended upon request using the CLASSE-IT Service Request Form. Your CLASSE account will be listed in your profile in the CHESS User Portal.  

Below are the steps to create and activate your CLASSE account:

First, please verify that you are listed as the Owner, Creator, Principal Investigator (PI), or Collaborator on a scheduled BTR by following these steps: 

1. Log into CHESS User Portal,
2. Click Go to Dashboard,
3. Click View Submitted Proposals,
4. Click the Eye Symbol to the right of your current proposal,
5. Review the box titled Investigators,
6. If you need to add or remove a collaborator, please email CHESSUserOffice@cornell.edu

Then:

1. If you have not done so, take the CHESS User Exam. Please refer to Take the CHESS User Exam. 
   • Successfully completing the CHESS User Exam automatically triggers the creation of a CLASSE account.
2. Check your spam folder for an email from service-classe@classe.cornell.edu with the subject line “New CLASSE computer account created”.
   • There will be instructions to activate your account within that email.
   • If you can't find the email, click here to manually activate your CLASSE account by creating a new password.

Please note: your CLASSE account will expire after the end of the experimental run. If you do not need your CLASSE account until your next beam time, then no action is required. Your CLASSE account will be automatically renewed when you complete your CHESS User Portal requirements at that time.

https://www.classe.cornell.edu/duo. 

This Duo management portal walks you through the process of enrolling with CLASSE Duo and installing any necessary clients and should take about 5 minutes.  

CHESS uses NoMachine Enterprise Client as an easy-to-use connection interface to allow access to a station computer remotely. 

Please note: you will need a CLASSE Account to connect remotely. Please refer to Activate your CLASSE Account in this guide before following the steps below.

Instructions on how to install and configure the software are HERE.

• Please test the remote connection at least a week before your scheduled remote beam time.  You can test your connection without interfering with CHESS experiments on a dedicated test computer as described HERE. You will obtain access to the actual station computer controlling the experimental equipment when your remote beam time starts. Your access to the station computer will end when your beam time ends. You will be able to access your data after the beam time ends. Please refer to Data Retrieval after Experiment. 

Please see the Shipping page for detailed instructions on shipping TO and FROM CHESS.

https://www.chess.cornell.edu/users/shipping

The User Office has moved to the first floor in Room 147. 

• Upon arrival, please report to the CHESS User Office area located on the first floor. Follow the signs down the ramp and then the directions on the doors.
  • Here we will take care of temporary parking permits and card access to the building.
  • If this is your first time at CHESS, the CHESS Operator will give you a brief tour and overview of the experimental area when you arrive. This should take about 20-25 minutes.

Please do not arrive prior to your beam time starting time -- other groups may be using the beamline before your beam time starts.

For GPS purposes, the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source can be found at:

161 Synchrotron Drive

Ithaca, NY 14853

GPS Coordinates: 

N 42° 26.654'
W 076° 28.228'

There will be signage near the building to direct you to the User Check-In area (also known as CHESS User Office or CHESS Reception).

You can find more information about Travel and Lodging here:

https://www.chess.cornell.edu/users/travel-lodging

Wilson Lab is expanding! We are adding on an additional experimental hall over the next two years. Parking and Building access have changed.

• Parking - Users will have a reserved area to park in the Wilson Parking Lot. "ME" Parking Permits are required for our southeast parking lot on Synchrotron Drive between 8 am-5 pm Monday-Friday. There is additional parking available with a parking pass in the lots labeled ME here. We have a limited number of passes available for Users (maximum of 2 per group) which can be requested during check-in. Parking passes need to be returned at check-out. Other parking options can be found via Cornell Transportation.
• Building Access - Some doors will be inaccessible during this run. The main User Entrance will be via the loading dock, you will see signs directing you here from the reserved User Parking area. The fifth-floor entrance across from the Cornell Athletic Fields will remain open as well.
• Loading Dock Automobile Access – The loading dock will need special coordination to access via automobile. Please email CHESSUseroffice@cornell.edu to coordinate loading dock access. I.e. dropping items off via car for your experiment.  

During your experiment, you can request support from a CHESS operator and CHESS scientists through our online REmote ACcess Help (REACH) system. REACH is monitored 24 hours/day during the experimental run.

To be notified in the event of weather-related closures or other emergencies, visitors to Cornell’s Ithaca campus can sign up to receive CornellALERT text notifications by texting “CornellVisitor” to 226787. You can stop receiving messages at any time by texting “STOP” to 226787. Go to Cornell Emergency Management for more information.

Information regarding the status of the accelerator and updates that are important for all CHESS users can be found on the CHESS status page here.

Moreover, each beamline has a beamline specific status page:

• Beamline 1A3 (SMB): http://new-status.chess.cornell.edu/ID1A3
• Beamline 2A (PIPOXS): http://new-status.chess.cornell.edu/ID2A
• Beamline 3A (FAST): http://new-status.chess.cornell.edu/ID3A
• Beamline 3B (FMB): http://new-status.chess.cornell.edu/ID3B
• Beamline 4B (QM²): http://new-status.chess.cornell.edu/ID4B
• Beamline 7A (HP BioSAXs & BioSAXS): http://new-status.chess.cornell.edu/ID7A
• Beamline 7B2 (HP Bio MX & FlexX): http://new-status.chess.cornell.edu/ID7B

Data collected at CHESS beamlines are written to a centralized data acquisition and storage system known as CHESS-DAQ. This system consists of a dedicated high-speed network that connects the experimental stations to hundreds of terabytes of enterprise-class redundant disk arrays, as well as an offsite magnetic tape library for long-term archival.

Instructions for retrieving your data from CHESS-DAQ can be found HERE. The recommended method is Globus.

Users will receive an email from the CHESS User Office to solicit feedback on the experimental run using a brief form. Your feedback is very valuable for improving the user experience at CHESS.

Please submit the form after your experiment has concluded.