======================== SSCC News, January, 1998 ======================== Inside this issue... SSCC Training Schedule for Spring Semester VMS Changes: Updates VMS Operating System Upgrade Implementation of Improvements to SSCC's Network Now Underway ------------------------------------------ SSCC Training Schedule for Spring Semester ------------------------------------------ All SSCC training sessions require preregistration. If less than three people have preregistered for a course one week prior to its start date, the class may be canceled. To preregister for a class, either send mail to SSCCLASS indicating which class(es) you plan to attend or register through SSCC's web page form (www.ssc.wisc.edu/Sscc/Training/trainreg.htm) You will be reminded about your preregistration through e-mail a day or two before the class begins. Date Time Topic Room Instruct. ---- ---- ----- ---- --------- 1/15 1:00-3:00 Creating a Web Page for a Course 7413 McDermott 1/28 10:00-11:30 Moving Data on 9-track Tape to Other Media 4411 Flory 2/3,5 11:00-11:50 Getting Started with STATA on UNIX 7413 McDermott 2/10 1:00-2:30 Using the PINE Mailer on UNIX 7413 Wald 2/19 11:00-12:30 Preparing Presentations with PowerPoint 3218 McDermott 2/20 2:30-4:00 Using the EUDORA Mailer 3218 Ross 2/24 1:00-3:00 WiscWorld (inc. FTP) for Windows from Home 4452 Wald 2/25 2:30-4:00 Reading/Sending E-Mail Attachments w/ EUDORA 3218 Ross 3/3 1:00-2:00 Reading/Sending E-Mail Attachments w/ PINE 7413 Wald 3/4 2:30-4:00 Moving Data on 9-track Tape to Other Media 4411 Flory 3/5 9:30-11:00 Getting Started with SAS on UNIX 4452 Hayes 3/17 9:30-11:00 Point/Click Extracts/Merges of Census Data 7413 Fassnacht 3/18 9:55-10:45 Working with ARRAYs in SAS 4452 McDermott 3/20 1:00-2:30 Designing and Creating Posters and Flyers 3218 Lenz 3/31 11:00-12:00 Working with SAS Formats including Dates 4452 McDermott Note: Any session scheduled in 7413 or 3218 (SSML) is a "hands-on" session. Descriptions for each of the training sessions listed above may be found in SSCC's web page (https://www.ssc.wisc.edu/Sscc/Training/trains98.htm). -------------------- VMS Changes: Updates -------------------- The previously announced changes for VMS - removing commercial software on SOC3 and SSCB and limiting the use of 9-track tapes - are now underway. We began delivering 9-track tapes currently stored in the Computer Room to their group leaders earlier this week and should have them all delivered by the end of the month. A self-serve "station" for running interactive tape jobs should be set up by the end of next week. After October 31, 1998, interactive tape processing will be the only way to run 9-track tape jobs as Operator assisted/batch procedures for mounting and reading 9-track tapes will be eliminated. Other important dates: o All commercial application software except SPSS will be removed from SSCB and SOC3 on June 30, 1998. This includes SAS, LISREL/PRELIS, LISCOMP, and WORDPERFECT. These programs (except LISCOMP, which is no longer available for VMS) will continue to run on EAGLE. SPSS will be removed October 31, 1998, the date its license expires. o You need to convert version 3 SPSS system files created on a VAX computer to either ALPHA EAGLE SPSS system files or to SPSS portable files by October 31, 1998 when the SPSS license expires. See SSCC's web pages (https://www.ssc.wisc.edu) for up-to-date information on upcoming changes planned for VMS. Broadcast contains a message indicating when the pages get updated. ---------------------------- VMS Operating System Upgrade ---------------------------- VMS's operating system was upgraded from version 6.2 to 7.1 earlier this week. MAIL on VMS now conforms to all Internet standards, including the ability to send and receive binary attachments. Refer to "How-to Decode and Encode Mail Messages" (How-to #2) for details. Note that VMS PINE users need to use EAGLE to read their mail until we do a software upgrade on SOC3 and SSCB which will take place on January 21. ------------------------------------------------------------- Implementation of Improvements to SSCC's Network Now Underway ------------------------------------------------------------- Major improvements to the building's computer network which have been announced previously in SSCC News are now underway. We are moving our building's connection to the campus ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) network. This provides us with a faster (155 Mbps vs. 10 Mbps Ethernet) connection to campus and the rest of the Internet. The network improvements require several configuration changes on some computers in the Social Sciences building. Some of these changes will require an office visit by SSCC staff. We are also in the process of upgrading the building's network backbone from FDDI to ATM, increasing its bandwidth from 100 to 155 Mbps. Substantial future increases in the bandwidth of our building backbone are also possible with ATM. As a part of the same project we are installing faster Ethernet switches on every floor. All PCs will have their own dedicated 10 Mbps Ethernet connection.