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| Undergraduate
Computing Lab Policy and Procedures
208
Ketter Hall and Trailer D [Introduction] [Initiating a Computing Session] [Running Applications] [Connection to your Engineering Unix Directory] [Printing] [Local Printing] [Operating System] [Laboratory Hardware] [Check the Status of the CIT- Supported printers] Welcome to the Ketter Hall PC Computing Laboratories, located in 208 Ketter Hall and Trailer D. These labs are open to all Civil Engineering undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff. Entry to the labs is controlled by electronic locks, to which all above-mentioned parties will have access via UBCARD. Room 208 will normally remain closed, except during periods when the lab is reserved for classes. If you do not currently have UBCARD access to these rooms, please fill out this form. Your access number will be placed on a list which will be downloaded to the lock the following Wednesday. Your affiliation with the Department of Civil Engineering will be verified before you are allowed access to the labs. Please
report problems to Mark C. Pitman.
Include the machine name and the nature of the problem. You can determine
the machine name by typing "net name" <return> at the
DOS command prompt. To run an application, use the following procedure:
Most applications, when launched, will use a directory on the local drive as default workspace. If you are creating a new file, you may use either the default space, the c:\temp directory, a zip disk, or your Unix home directory (see p.4 for instructions on making a Unix connection). Again, if you are saving your work on the local drive, remember to move your work to a safe location when you finish your session. NO guarantees are made with respect to the integrity of data left on the local hard drives. For
specific instructions related to applications, consult the TA for the
course which requires you to use that application. Connection to your Engineering Unix Directory A protocol allowing Unix connectivity through Windows NT drive letters has been implemented on the SENS Unix cluster. This feature allows access to your Unix account through Windows NT Explorer. Making this connection will allow you to easily copy your work from a local hard drive to your Unix account for storage, printing, etc, without relying on FTP to transfer files. Please take advantage of this feature. Your data will be backed up daily by Engineering Computing Services, and is accessible from any of the computers in the labs (or other similarly configured PC's). Most users of this system will have this connection established by default if the correct account application procedure has been followed, and if your local password matches your Engineering Unix password. If this is not the case, use one of the following procedures to establish your connection: Windows NT Explorer Method
You will be prompted for your Unix password. It is good practice to create files on the local drive (using the applications' default working directories), and at the end of your session, to copy your files to your Unix directory and delete the local copies. The next time you log in (from any PC in the lab), just repeat one of the above procedures and your files are again available. You can copy your file(s) to the local machine (c:\temp or the applications' working directory), or you can open and work with the files directly in your Unix directory. Again, no guarantee is made as to the security of any files left on the local drives; therefore, remember to always copy your most recent work back to your Unix directory.
When you have finished your session, make sure you close your connection by logging off from the Windows NT session. To log off, use the following procedure:
As
always, printing and print management poses unique challenges to network
administrators. The University at Buffalo CIT Department does a good job
of making distributed printing facilities available to all members of
the university community. High quality printing is available at the satellite
computing facilities in Bell and Baldy Halls, as well as in the Computing
Center adjacent to Fronczak Hall. Paid printing is available in room 212 Ketter Hall. You need to submit payment of $5.00 (for 250 pages) or $9.00 (for 500 pages) to Cheryl Runk in Room 212. Your access to the printer will then be enabled. To enable the Ketter Hall printer within your user account, simply find the printer folder on your desktop, enter the folder, and right-click the icon labeled "Printer in 212 Ketter". A context - sensitive menu will appear. Find the menu item labeled "Install" and click on it once. You now have access to the printer from your Windows applications. Note: if you haven't installed any of the other printers (Bell, Baldy, Computing Center), you may access them in the manner described above. Print jobs will be printed with a banner page listing your user name, as well as printing time and date. Jobs will be available for pickup between 8:30am and 5:00 pm from Monday through Friday when the University is open. Please DO NOT try to obtain print jobs at any other time, unless arrangements are made with an instructor or TA. Printing to the Public Printers Select your desired printer from your application's print menu, then select "Print". Currently, public printers available from Ketter 208 include "Bell Xerox PS", "Baldy Xerox PS", and "Computing Center PS". Your print job will be queued to the public printer of your choice, and your local username will appear on the cover sheet. Check
the Status of the CIT - Supported printers The
lab server operating system is Microsoft
Windows NT Server 4.0. The workstations are configured with Windows
NT Workstation 4.0. This workstation/server combination has proven
to be an effective platform for the current generation of 32 bit engineering
and general purpose applications which are becoming the state of the art
in Civil Engineering practice. Currently, the labs (208 Ketter and Trailer D) contain the following desktop hardware:
All PC's are connected via Ethernet to the University at Buffalo Network, and to the Internet. This arrangement allows for access to the distributed Unix computing and printing facilities administered by UB's Department of Computing and Information Technology, and by the School of Engineering's Computing Services. |
