Getting Started with GeoWeaver on GMU’s OpenOnDemand

In this blog, we’ll walk through how to launch and use GeoWeaver through George Mason University’s OpenOnDemand platform to automate your AI and data science workflows.

🚀 Unlock Automation, Save Hours, and Accelerate Your Data Projects

If you’re a data scientist, AI engineer, or research enthusiast at George Mason University, GeoWeaver can be your secret productivity weapon. Hosted on GMU’s OpenOnDemand platform, this tool helps automate and manage data workflows—from model training to repetitive analysis—streamlining your entire pipeline.

🔍 Why GeoWeaver?

GeoWeaver is designed to save you time by eliminating tedious tasks and simplifying workflow management. With just a few clicks, you can:

• Launch environments
• Write and execute Python scripts
• Visualize workflows
• Manage the entire AI/ML development lifecycle

All without switching between tools.

Bonus: GeoWeaver automatically stores code history, allowing easy version tracking and reproducibility of your workflows.

🛠️ Getting Started: Step-by-Step

1. Log in to OpenOnDemand

Visit GMU OpenOnDemand and log in using your Mason credentials.

2. Launch the GeoWeaver App

Click on the GeoWeaver icon from the app list.

3. Configure Your Job Parameters

Fill in the form as per your requirements. Here’s a sample configuration:

• Node Type: AMD
• Partition: Interactive
• Time Limit: 1 hour
• Cores: 8
• Memory per Core: 4GB

4. Launch the Session

Click Launch.
A new card will appear under your interactive sessions. Wait until the status changes to Running.

5. Open the GeoWeaver Portal

Once the “Connect to GeoWeaver” button appears, click on it.

GeoWeaver will open in a new browser tab. 🎉

🔐 Steps 6–10: First-Time Password Setup

If this is your first time using GeoWeaver, follow the steps below to set up your environment password.

6. Open Hopper Shell Access

From the OpenOnDemand dashboard, go to Clusters > HOPPER Shell Access.

Wait for the terminal to initialize.

7. 🔐 Password Setup

Run the following commands in the terminal:

source ~/geo_env/bin/activate  
gw reset_password

You will be prompted to enter a password and retype it to confirm.

8. Login via GeoWeaver App

Go back to the GeoWeaver app. Click Linux/Win/Mac Computeres > Localhost > Python Icon in the lower right toolbar.

9. Enter the Password

In the prompt, enter the previous password, and click Confirm.

10. Final Check

If you see a list of Python environments below the toolbar, it means everything is good and ready to go!

🎉 You’re in!

Now you’re ready to run scripts, build workflows, and automate your research/projects with ease.