Topics

1) Network News: The Great Address and Domain Name Conversion
2) Network News: Conversion to DHCP addresses for PCs and Macs
3) Windows News: New print-server; status of file server changes
4) PC News: Update your Antivirus Software
5) Web News: Brochure pages and personnel listings from database
6) General News: Student Workers; Helpdesk
7) General News: Equipment for checkout
8) General News: Update your SSH clients
9) General News: Course Accounts
10) General News: Open-relay status of smtp.service changed
11) Unix News: Cerius2 available of pepe
12) General Tips: Did you know that...?
13) General News: The Great Flood of 2001

Newsletter Archive:

        http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/compsupp/Newsletter/

Due to the many hyperlinks, COMPNEWS is best viewed on the web
at the above URL, or by going to the main Chemistry page and
clicking on Internal --> Computer Support --> The Newsletter Archive



1) Network News: The Great Address and Domain Name Conversion:


As discussed in detail in the last issue of COMPNEWS, we have to change IP
addresses for all computers in the Department. At the same time, we will
leave the MPS domain (Math and Physical Sciences) and switch into the new
CHEMISTRY domain. As you already know, this is not a project that we want to
do, but rather something that we need to do in order to prevent future
networking problems with the OSU campus network.

This project is arguably the biggest one we've ever undertaken. We've been
planning this transition for many weeks, and there are still details that
need to be worked out.

The conversion will start on

       Monday, March 19, 2001

in the evening. We expect to have the chemistry Unix server back online by
Tuesday morning, as well as most assimilated Unix machines. The transition
phase for PCs and Macs will likely last a few days. Once all computers have
been migrated, there will be very few changes or consequences.

Please make sure you've read the special issue of COMPNEWS describing the
transition in detail. Time is fast running out; if you have a
department-related need to run special services on your desktop computer, you
need to contact us NOW.


2) Network News: Conversion to DHCP addresses for PCs and Macs:


As part of the above mentioned project, we are in the process of converting
the majority of all desktop Windows PCs and Macs from static addresses to
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) addresses (also see COMPNEWS issue
33). IP-addresses have become a precious commodity in the Department.
Dynamically assigned addresses will allow a more efficient use of the
available pool of addresses. Only server-type machines will retain static
addresses (the server category includes all Unix machines).

For information how to configure DHCP on PCs and Macs, go to

   Internal --> Computer Support --> Chemistry Department Related Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) --> 
               How do I configure my PC or Mac to use DHCP?

Again, if you think you need a static address for a department-related need,
you need to contact us NOW.


3) Windows News: New print-server; status of file server changes:


As announced at the end of February and discussed in COMPNEWS issue 33, one
of our NT4 servers, "chem-nt" has been retired. Over the past 5 years,
chem-nt has served files, web pages, databases, and most recently has been
the main print server for the departmental printers.

The new print server for PCs and Macs is a Windows2000 server called
"print-server". As discussed in issue 33, since Microsoft has renamed their
line of operating systems from WindowsNT to Windows2000 (and will rename it
again, to WindowsXP, in the next release), we have changed the naming scheme
for our servers accordingly.

An updated Windows printing FAQ

         Internal --> Computer Support --> Chemistry Department Related Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
           --> How do I print from Windows PCs?

explains how to print to the central printers through print-server.

The new Windows fileserver (Bulletin News Dec. 1, COMPNEWS issue 33) will go
into production very soon; stay tuned for updates. The old fileserver,
chem-nt1, will then be upgraded and renamed.


4) PC News: Update your Antivirus Software:


Most of the virus/worm problems we have experienced in the Deptartment
lately, like the MTX bug, have been found on faculty/research group PCs that
were not adequately protected by antivirus software and regular updates of
virus definition files, and that were not directly administered by Computer
Support. Groups that don't update their antivirus software not only endanger
their own computer systems and data, but can potentially harm other computers
on the network, and cause (a largely unnecessary) drain on Computer Support's
time and resources.

We install up-to-date Antivirus Software on all computers we maintain, and we
configure it to automatically download new virus definition files regularly.
In general, prevention is a lot easier than cure.

PLEASE make sure your computers are using up-to-date antivirus software, and
update those virus definition files regularly (at least once a month), either
manually or via automatic scheduler if your software supports this feature.
If you don't, you may harm yourself and other people.


5) Web News: Brochure pages and personnel listings from database:


Since early January, the "Faculty and Research Interests" section of our web
pages has been displayed dynamically from a database. The change was
transparent, as the database displays the faculty brochure pages exactly the
same as the static pages were displayed before. However, if you have HTML
references in your home pages to your Chemistry brochure description, you had
to change the URL string

  /resource/pubs/brochure/NAME.htm

to

  /cgi-bin/brochure?Faculty=NAME

as announced in January. The advantage of the database is that changes to
faculty information (title, phone number, office, research description, list
of publications, email address, etc.) need to be made only once, in the
database, rather than on 10 or more different web pages.

Similarly, faculty research interests, faculty divisional lists, faculty and
staff phone lists (with office numbers, etc.) and shop affiliations are now
displayed dyamically from a database.


6) General News: Student Workers; Helpdesk:


Since the beginning of January 2001, Nick Leali has been working as our 3rd
undergrad student worker. The other two student workers are Mutsuko Fukushige
and Waqas Quraishi.

We have established a help desk in the Computer Lab 2105 NW that will be
staffed by our students; their hours (and their pictures) are posted above
the desk. They should be able to take care of routine issues in the Lab. We
also dispatch them to work on PC and/or Mac problems elsewhere in the
Department.

One of the goals of the helpdesk is to have the student workers handle user
questions; they will forward only those problems to us that they cannot solve
themselves.


7) General News: Equipment for checkout:


We announced the new LCD projector and laptop in the last COMNEWS, and both
items have been in hot demand since then. This has prompted us to put
together an "Equipment" web page; go to

  Internal --> Computer Support --> Equipment available for checkout

To reserve equipment from Chemistry Computer Support, either send email to
support@chemistry.ohio-state.edu, or stop by 2105 NW. Equipment is loaned out
on a first-come, first-serve basis, and while we do not require reservations
previous to checking out equipment, it is recommended. Equipment is for
chemistry related use only, and may only be used by faculty, staff and
students who have faculty permission to use the equipment. When you come to
2105 NW to pick up the equipment, you will need to fill out an Equipment
Checkout Sheet (ECS) and have it initialed by one of us. Please note that any
staff member or student worker can reserve, check out, and check in the
equipment for you.

The following equipment is available:

       Digital Projector and Laptop
       Digital Camera
       Cart with Macintosh
       LCD Panel with Superbright Overhead Projector
       Vacuum
       Zip Drive


8) General News: Update your SSH clients:


If you still use an old SSH client, such as F-Secure V1.0 for Macs or PCs,
you should upgrade to newer clients. Many of the old clients are buggy.
Free SSH clients with SSH2 support are now available not only for PCs, but
for Macs as well.

The Great SSH Primer has an updated list of free and commercial SSH
implementations; see

  Internal --> Computer Support --> The Great SSH Primer


9) General News: Course Accounts:


If you are an instructor and you need Windows and/or Unix accounts for the
class you are going to teach, please email us a list of names (First, Last)
and SSN#s well in advance of the beginning of the quarter. Don't make
individual account requests via the web form if there are more than 3
students. Lists of names from the MARX system are acceptable. We would like
at least one full week for bulk account creation whenever possible.

The first week of each quarter is the busiest and most hectic time during the
year. If you come to us with a list of 30 students on the first day of
classes and want the accounts the next day, we will most likely not be able
to help you.


10) General News: Open-relay status of smtp.service changed:


As you have probably heard, OIT has changed the relaying policy for their
mail server, smtp.service.ohio-state.edu.

Open mail relays are mail (SMTP) servers that accept e-mail from anywhere on
the Internet and happily send it on to other Internet mail addresses. Open
mail relays have made it possible for individuals to spam users with unwanted
bulk email, usually for commercial gain, while hiding their true identity by
including bogus return addresses.

OIT had a no-relaying policy as early as Fall 1999 (see our relaying FAQ),
but this was apparently just words without an actual implementation. You can
probably thank OIT and the thousands of other sites that still allow email
relaying for today's abundance of email spams.

We stopped relaying email through our server in December 1999. For more
information, see our relaying FAQ under

         Internal --> Computer Support --> Chemistry Department Related Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
               Why can I not relay email through chemistry anymore?

OIT's relaying information is at

  http://www.net.ohio-state.edu/openrelay/


11) Unix News: Cerius2 available of pepe:


Profs. Prabir Dutta and Pat Woodward have purchased Cerius2 4.2 MatSci for
use by the entire Department. The following modules are currently available:

        CASTEP_GROUP
        CASTEP_INTERFACE
        CRYSTAL_BUILDER
        DIFFRACTION-CRYSTAL
        IR/RAMAN
        OPEN_FORCE_FIELD
        SORPTION
        SURFACE_BUILDER
        VISUALIZER_MS

Version 4.2 is the current version of Cerius2. Cerius2 will continue to be
available on nobelium, but frozen at version 3.8 (modules CRYSTAL, GAUSSIAN,
VISUALIZER). Cerius2 has been discontinued on hosts mendelevium and
lawrencium.


12) General Tips: Did you know that...?


 ... you're are supposed to send all requests and problem reports to

        support@chemistry.ohio-state.edu

     and NOT to individual members of the support staff? Otherwise, you
     might not get any response if one of us is sick or on vacation.

 ... you're supposed to logoff the PCs and workstations in 2105 NW when
     you're done? Otherwise others can get access to your account and your
     files. Don't lock the screen, don't shut down the computers.

 ... you should use the color printer (Tektronix Phaser) only for color
     printouts? If you have b/w printouts, please use the laser printers
     (2105nw, hotstuff). If you have a 40-page document with one figure in
     color, you should print the entire document on one of the laser printers
     and then print only that one page on the color printer.

     We will start charging for use of the color printer in the future!

 ... you're NOT supposed to prop open the door to 2105 NW, especially in the
     evening, overnight and over weekends? If the keycard reader breaks, the
     door needs to remain closed. If we find that the door was propped open,
     the people responsible will be held liable for any theft or damage.

 ... we have a Gaussian-98 (g98) manual now? It's available for viewing in
     2105 NW. Please don't remove it from the Lab.

 ... you need to regularly update virus checking software on PCs in your
     research group and/or make sure that automatic updates are scheduled?

 ... you should regularly check for Windows updates and/or Service Packs
     if you run your own Windows computers?

 ... we have Security and Virus information on our web pages under

        Internal --> Computer Support --> Security and Virus Information  ?

     You should read "A few computer security recommendations" on that page
     and act accordingly.

 ... you should run a personal firewall on your Windows computer(s) at home?
     (Did you know that this was one of the recommendations in the document
     mentioned above?)

 ... the URL for the Chemistry Department is

        http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/ ,

     NOT chemistry.ohio-state.edu? If you list the wrong URL in your mail
     signature file, please correct it.

 ... the OSU Acceptable Use Policies for computer equipment, along with
     Department Policies, are on the web under

        Internal --> Computer Support --> Policy Statements  ?

     By using University and Department owned equipment, you agree to abide
     by these rules and policies.

 ... room 2109 NW, formerly  known as the "Graphics Office") has been
     converted into a machine room for all central computer equipment (Unix
     server, Windows servers, disk storage, backup devices, research group
     compute servers)?


13) General News: The Great Flood of 2001:


You have probably heard of the Great Flood and the damage it caused to
research labs, offices and computers in the Department. If not, here is a
brief account of the highlights:

   http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/compsupp/Docs/water.html