Create a conda environment for an instance group

Create a conda environment or link to an existing conda environment that the instance group uses. When creating a conda environment, the Anaconda distribution instance is automatically deployed and created. When linking to an existing conda environment, the instance group becomes an associated instance group of the Anaconda distribution instance.

1. From the cluster management console, click Workload > Instance Groups.
2. In the Basic Settings tab, click the option to link to a or modify conda environment for the instance group.
3. Enter the conda environment details:
   1. Select an Anaconda distribution. If the distribution does not appear here, learn how to add a distribution.
   2. Choose either to use an existing distribution instance, or specify a new distribution instance.
      • Click Use an existing Anaconda distribution instance and fill in the following information:
        • Anaconda distribution instance: An existing Anaconda distribution instance.
        • Environment install file: A conda environment name or create one form a yaml file.
        Note: When using an existing Anaconda distribution instance in an instance group, the notebook execution user must have read/write access to the Anaconda distribution instance's deployment directory. When using an existing conda environment in an instance group, the notebook execution user must have read/write access to the environment directory, located in the $DEPLOY_HOME/anaconda/envs/environment_name directory (where $DEPLOY_HOME is the deployment directory for the Anaconda distribution instance).
      • Otherwise, specify a new distribution instance and fill in the following information:
        • Instance name: Name of the distribution instance. If you are creating an instance group template, the instance name must contain at least one template variable: $sig_name or $sig_consumer, for example: conda_$sig_name.
        • Deployment directory: An absolute UNIX path to a unique deployment directory. If you are creating an instance group template, ensure that the deployment path contains at least one template variable: $sig_name or $sig_consumer, for example: /opt/conda_$sig_name/.
        • Consumer: Consumer of the distribution instance.
        • Resource group: Resource group for the distribution instance.
        • Execution user: An OS user. If you do not specify an execution user, the cluster administrator is used.
        • Environment install file: A conda environment name or create one form a yaml file. If you are creating an instance group template, the conda environment name must contain at least one template variable: $sig_name or $sig_consumer, for example: conda_env_$sig_name.
4. Optional: Click the Environment Variables tab and then Add a variable to set any environment variable.
   Environment variables that are set for the Anaconda distribution apply to the distribution instance. You can overwrite existing values by adding the same environment variable and setting a new value or you can add new environment variables.
5. Click Save.