Topics
1) Windows News: Recent login and U: share problems resolved
2) General News: Printer accounting and charging
3) Security News: Recent security problems and their solutions
4) General News: New Departmental Web Pages
5) General News: Chemistry conference room calendars going online
6) General News: Accounts required to use computers in the Lab 2105 NW
7) Unix News: Hardware additions on the Unix Server
8) Network News: Faster campus connection
9) Lab News: Software and Hardware Updates in 2105 NW
10) Windows News: How to handle problems accessing your U: share
11) General News: New Campus Email System
12) General News: New FAQs available
13) General Tips: Did you know that...?
Chemistry Department Related FAQs:
http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/compsupp/Faqs/
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) Windows News: Recent login and U: share problems resolved:
Over the course of several weeks in February, we had recurring problems with
users not being able to log into their Windows accounts in the Chemistry
domain and/or not being able to map their U: shares. These problems were
especially troublesome in the morning hours.
The reasons for these problems are very complicated, and it required many
interactions between us, Physics (they run the Windows2000 Active Directory
Root on behalf of OSU) and OIT to finally fix them. There have been no more
login and mapping problems since March 1, and we're confident that this issue
has been solved for good.
We want to thank all of you for your patience during this period of
instability. This has been a very frustrating experience for all of us...
2) General News: Printer accounting and charging:
The Department is going to charge for pages printed on the central printers
in the Computer Lab 2105 NW. Printer accounting will be phased in over the
next two months. After an initial testing phase, monthly bills will be sent
to research groups.
The charges will be as follows:
color printer: $0.10 per page
b/w printers: $0.03 per page
These charges may be adjusted up or down to represent the "real" cost of
consumables (toner, color wax, maintenance kits) as much as possible, and
they will hopefully lead to more thoughtful use of the printers by students.
3) Security News: Recent security problems and their solutions:
Early in January, several Windows NT and 2000 computers were compromised via
remote access of local administrator accounts that did not have passwords.
There was definitive proof of the compromises because of the presence of the
files "root.bat" and "root.reg" in the C:\WINNT\System32 directories. This
exploits has been used in the past to give outside attackers much broader and
more convenient access to systems. The exploit sets up a backdoor telnet
service on the computer, installs distributed denial-of-service attack agents
that can be remotely controlled to attack hundreds of other computers in a
coordinated fashion, tries to spread to other local computers without
administrator passwords or unprotected writeable network shares, and even
tries cracking weak administrator passwords on other local computers.
Apart from the obvious risk to any data or research results kept on those
computers (which in and of itself should make you shudder), compromised
systems attacking other computers represents an increasing risk of legal
liability for the University (negligence on the part of the owner of the
computer). Also, having to reinstall those computers causes a significant
drain of our resources.
--> If you install your own Windows NT or 2000 systems, YOU MUST SET STRONG
ADMINISTRATOR PASSWORDS. You MUST NOT leave any passwords blank. Writeable
network shares MUST be password protected.
A few weeks later, in the wake of the next email virus du jour, it turned out
that there were still Windows computers in the Department that had no
antivirus software installed, or that had outdated virus definitions (despite
months of effort trying to raise awareness and walking from computer to
computer).
--> Windows computers MUST run virus checking software, and the virus
definitions MUST be updated regularly.
If groups set up and maintain computers largely independent of Computer
Support's knowledge/input, the group's computer administrator MUST follow
basic guidelines about safe computing so as not to endanger their own
computers and other computers on the network. These guidelines and a wealth
of other information is available on our web pages under
Internal --> Computer Support --> Security and Virus Information
It needs to be pointed out that the departmental firewall is necessary, but
insufficient to keep computers secure.
We have used this opportunity to rewrite the Computer Security Policy (local
access only) for the Department. It contains many common-sense practices that
must be followed. We urge you to read it as well as our Security and Virus
information page.
Another good resource for computer security is
http://www.jmu.edu/computing/runsafe/.
In light of the continued unsuccessful battle against Windows viruses,
the following charging scheme has been established:
- $25 per computer if you request that we install/update your virus
definition software and perform a general security check
- $250 per computer that becomes compromised because of lacking or
outdated virus definition software or other actions or configurations
which are against our security policy and lead to a comprise
This charging scheme has been approved by the chairman and the business
manager of the Department.
For instructions on VirusScan (Windows platform) and Virex (Mac platform),
see
Internal --> Computer Support --> Chemistry Department Related FAQs -->
--> VirusScan & Virex Installation/Configuration FAQ
4) General News: New Departmental Web Pages:
The Chemistry web pages were completely redesigned, with input and guidance
from the publications committee--Philip Grandinetti, Michael Chan, Dehua Pei,
Pat Woodward, Jon Parquette, and Melissa Weber (from the College Office). The
new pages went live on Friday, December 21.
Differences and highlights of the new design:
- Style Sheets should be turned on for full effect
- JavaScript enhances the viewing experience but is not necessary
- Faculty brochure pages are still at
http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/brochure?Faculty=LASTNAME
- Lack of frames means that links sent for internal pages will result in
full chemistry site navigation.
- Much effort was taken to maintain functionality with all browsers and all
settings (ie. no style sheets, no JavaScript, no cookies).
- Also much effort was taken to streamline organization and still maintain
many important links on the main page.
- Image sizes were made as small as we could reasonably make them and not
sacrifice their clarity and appeal. Also images were used only where they
enhanced the viewers' experience at our site.
- Great effort was taken to be consistent in fonts and background and
foreground color schemes. For colors, we have chosen blue (#003399),
khaki (#cccc99), grey (#cccccc) and limited use of scarlet (#990000) for
emphasis. We used Arial, Verdana, or Helvetica for fonts, in sizes
ranging from 8 to 14pt bold-face.
All web pages should be converted to the new design now. Please notify us if
you find any lingering problems or pages that still need to be updated.
General comments and suggestions are, of course, also welcome at any time.
5) General News: Chemistry conference room calendars going online:
The Chemistry conference room calendars are going online, beginning Spring
Quarter 2002.
Until now, reservations have been made by making entries into the calendar
books located in 1118 MP. Having the calendars online should be more
efficient, allowing authorized users to view the calendars and make entries
via the Web, using the browser of their choice. This should eliminate the
need for a trip to 1118 NW to sign up in the books.
Online calendars for rooms 101 CE, 1023 MP, 1120 NW, 2015 MP, and 2136 NW
have been created via Calcium Calendaring software (and the info that was in
the books transferred to the online calendars from March 2002 onwards). The
calendars are accessible via the Web (go to
http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/cgi/calendar
to start, then click on the link for the appropriate calendar).
Anyone may view the calendar content for these rooms; however, in order to
create/delete events on these calendars, it is necessary to have a Calcium
account with appropriate permissions. Many of you already have Calcium
accounts (for making equipment requests on other Calcium calendars). We will
be glad to make additional Calcium accounts for those that need them. At
present, all faculty/research groups have accounts, and we are in the process
of creating additional accounts for staff members (e.g., secretaries and
others) that may need accounts so they can reserve time on these calendars
for faculty members for whom they work, etc.
If you need an account and do not have one (or you are not sure if you have
one), please email us at support@chemistry.ohio-state.edu with your request.
More info on how to create calendar entries using this online system is
available on our web pages under
Internal --> Computer Support --> How to reserver a conference room
During the transition period between now and the beginning of Spring Quarter,
if you need to have an online room reservation made, please email either
DeAnna Martinez (dmartine@chemistry.ohio-state.edu) or Barb Bennett
(support@chemistry.ohio-state.edu), and we can help you.
We are also looking into synchronizing the Calcium user database with the
Unix account database so that you don't have to remember another password.
Stay tuned for more announcements.
6) General News: Accounts required to use computers in the Lab 2105 NW
In order to use the computers in the Graduate Computer Lab 2105 NW, students
need individual user accounts for the Windows PCs and Unix computers. If you
teach a class, please do NOT tell your students to go to 2105 to use the PCs
if they don't have accounts. If your students are supposed to use the Macs,
which currently don't require accounts, please inform the students that they
need to authenticate with their osu.edu usernames/passwords before they can
access the network. If you want Unix and/or Windows accounts for your
students, please send us a list of names and SSN#s one week before classes
start.
7) Unix News: Hardware additions on the Unix Server:
In December, we upgraded the main Unix server chemistry.ohio-state.edu to
allow for more disk capacity. Two new Ultra-160 SCSI chains and three new 36
GB disks in a new rack-mountable 9-bay disk enclosure were added. The total
available disk space after the upgrade is 458 GB, 225 GB of which are owned
by research groups. Many file systems were enlarged and/or relocated to allow
for better parallelization of I/O, eliminating hot spots and increasing
overall throughput.
See the article "chemistry Unix server upgrades (January 16, 2002)" in the
Bulletin News section for more information.
We also purchased a new backup device, an 8-cartridge DDS4 stacker (with 20
GB of uncompressed capacity per cartridge), to facilitate backups of the ever
increasing amounts of data on the central Unix server. Until recently, we
only had 2 standalone DDS3 tape drives available (12 GB uncompressed capacity
per cartridge).
8) Network News: Faster campus connection:
In early January, we replaced the old firewall, a proprietary product
called a "Karl Bridge", with a new firewall that is substantially
faster and more flexible. As a result, the network connection to the
campus backbone could be increased from 10 MB/s to 100 MB/s.
After extensive testing and a short shake-down period, the firewall and an
identical backup unit are in production and working extremely well. We have
been making small additions and adjustments since then and will soon
implement further security measures that were made possible with this new
device.
The overall structure of the departmental network is still the same as
described in the Bulletin News article "Current network topology (September
11, 2000)".
9) Lab News: Software and Hardware Updates in 2105 NW:
We have installed Adobe Acrobat 5.0.5 (with Distiller). SciFinder Scholar,
Beilstein Commander and Chime have been upgraded to the latest versions. For
a list of current software on PCs and Macs in the Computer Lab 2105 NW, see
Internal --> Computer Support --> PC and Mac Information
Hardware and software has been added to one of our Lab Macs to allow the use
of our Polaroid ProPalette 7000 filmrecorder/camera (the "Slidemaker") on the
Mac platform. Chemistry Department users interested in using the
filmrecorder/camera on either Mac or Windows platforms should contact
Computer Support.
Also, remember that the camera for the filmrecorder must be reserved using
the appropriate Calcium Calendar (go to
http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/cgi/calendar,
log into your calcium account, and select the "Filmrecorder Camera" calendar
to make your reservation for the camera. If a given research group does not
already have a calcium account, and needs one, please let us know.
10) Windows News: How to handle problems accessing your U: share:
The vast majority of problems accessing U: shares are caused by temporary
glitches on users' computers and not by the Windows file server.
We have written a new FAQ that explains how to fix these issues yourself:
Internal --> Computer Support --> Chemistry Department Related FAQs -->
--> What should I do when I have problems accessing my U: share?
This FAQ also explains how to report problems with your U: share.
11) General News: New Campus Email System:
During winter quarter break, OIT installed new hardware and software for the
campus e-mail system. The system became available for internal testing on
January 7 and will be implemented campus wide during spring break. Users can
continue to access e-mail using client programs such as Eudora Pro and
Outlook and can also leave e-mail on the server or download it to a
computer. Quotas for storing e-mail on the server -- of 30 megabytes for
full-time faculty and staff and 15 megabytes for all other users -- will be
implemented. Quotas will be evaluated during the next several quarters to
balance system needs with those of the campus. E-mail programs provide tools
for managing mail on the server; assistance is online at
http://www.oit.ohio-state.edu/tsc/ (search on mail management) or at 688-HELP
or mailto:8help@osu.edu. Additional methods of sending and receiving e-mail,
such as Web-based mail, will be added by the end of the academic year.
Additional information is available online.
For more information, see http://www.oit.ohio-state.edu/infopages/email.html
12) General News: New FAQs available:
A few recent additions to the "Chemistry Department Related FAQs" section:
VirusScan & Virex Installation/Configuration FAQ
What should I do when I have problems accessing my U: share?
What do I need to remember when I switch from Homenet/Web.net to another
ISP?
What image creation, viewing and manipulation programs are available on the
Unix server?
How do I stop the Unix server from autologging me out, asking me for my
"erase key" and "terminal type"? (and a few more tips)
How do I optimize my email client? (aka "The Email-client Uber-FAQ")
How do I determine the size of my mail spool?
13) General Tips: Did you know that...?
... the printer "hotstuff" in 2105 NW has been plagued by paper jams
over the last few months and will likely be phased out soon? We're
planning to replace it with a more modern printer.
... you're not supposed to remove shortcuts, remove software or install
any software on the PCs in the Computer Lab 2105 NW?
... if you use one of the Macs in the Computer Lab 2105 NW, you need to
authenticate with your osu.edu username/password before you can use
an application that accesses the network (such as SciFinder)?
... staff members should not attempt to install new software on their
computers themselves? Usually such attempts result in broken systems,
and it often takes hours to fix them.
... you 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, on vacation, or very busy
with other tasks.
... our FAQs on the web pages contain lots of information about
recurring problems? Check them out under
Internal --> Computer Support --> Chemistry Department Related FAQs
If you have a question that looks like something that somebody else may
have asked already, try checking the FAQs first.
... we perform daily backups of Unix home directories and email spools on
the chemistry Unix server, as well as daily backups of all U: shares on
the Windows file server? There are NO BACKUPS of files on individual
PCs, Macs or Unix workstations.
... if you get a message from someone telling you that IBM or another
computer company just released info about the latest and most terrible
virus, or one that says that this warning is very new and to SEND IT TO
EVERYONE YOU KNOW! this message is very likely a hoax? See
Internal --> Computer Support --> Security and Virus Information
... laptops being taken in and out of the Department represent a huge
security exposure against which our firewall and other tools are
powerless? Unless you have secured your laptop, have disabled
unnecessary services, have kept up with patches and are running a
personal firewall, it is only a question of time until disaster
strikes.
... you need to remember your passwords? See FAQ "Why do I have so many
accounts/passwords?" The most frequent reason why users think the DPR
system is broken is because they can't remember their password, or they
don't know which password to use. Please read this FAQ.
... we cannot tell you your current passwords on Unix or Windows? Passwords
are stored in encrypted form. We can only change them. If you want to
have a password changed, please stop by in person and bring an ID.
|
