PCs for Running Long Jobs
We now have two PCs available for running long jobs. They are primarily intended for people who don't have Linux accounts, but you are welcome to use them. They do have GAUSS which is not available on our Linux servers. One PC is reservable for 24-hours and the other for five days. Both PCs have dual core 3.4GHz processors with 1Gb of Ram and run the same software that the other lab PCs run. These PCs, along with reservation calendars, are located in SSCC's Group Project Room, 3218A. The usage rules are simple:
- You may only have one reservation pending AND only on one PC, but when your reserved time ends you are welcome to sign up again.
- You may reserve up to 24-hours on the PC labeled “One-day” and up to five days on the PC labeled “Five-days.” Friday through the weekend counts as one day.
- If your job is still running when it is time for someone else’s job to start, your job will be terminated.
Remodeling Complete for 3218 Computer Classroom
In case you missed the announcement last month, the newly remodeled computer classroom in 3218 Sewell Social Sciences has re-opened. It includes a classroom with 30 PCs which is available for use as a lab when classes are not being held and a group projects room where students can work on computers together.
We have added web pages for instructional support with information for both students and instructors including a calendar which displays when the classroom is reserved. We are already receiving reservation requests for Spring semester so if you plan to use the classroom next semester, contact Ann Lewis before your spot is taken.
Automated Purging of Messages in SPAM and TRASH Folders
We reduced total mail disk space usage by approximately 12% after running our new tool for the first time that purges mail messages in "spam" and "Trash" folders that are over 14 and 30 days old respectively. Reducing message volume in spam folders not only saves disk space but also speeds up mail delivery because the larger the folder, the longer it takes to deliver mail to that folder.
Tip: Increase Mail Performance by Keeping Sent Folder Small
As with spam and Trash folders, reducing message volume in your Sent mail folder can also improve your mail program's performance. Before a message gets sent, the mail program must first put a copy of the message in the program's Sent folder. The larger the Sent folder, the longer this takes. A simple way to reduce the size of your Sent folder is to periodically move the older messages to another folder. For example, you could set up folders representing each quarter or month of the year and move sent messages to these folders. Note that mail programs may use different names for the Sent mail folder. Thunderbird and Outlook Express names the folder Sent unless you change its name.
Be Secure when using the Building Wireless Network!
Building-wide wireless Internet has been available for quite some time now and for those of you using it, there are a few things to keep in mind in order to keep your data secure. Unless you are visiting a site that uses SSL (look for a yellow lock in your browser), such as your bank, none of your information is encrypted and could easily be viewed by a mischievous user. This means that someone could see what web pages you are visiting and potentially read your email.
The solution is to encrypt your data whenever you are using wireless by using a VPN connection. Both SSCC and DoIT provide VPN access, but we recommend SSCC's as it is easier to use. By using SSCC's VPN you ensure that nobody can view your data while connected to the building wireless. If you have further questions, please contact the consultant.
New Version of X-Win32
If you log onto PRIMO and use X-win32 on your office PC, we did a remote update to version 8 on Wednesday. The old version stopped working earlier this week when the campus site license was renewed. If you need to update the software manually, SSCC Publication, Connecting to SSCC Linux Computers using X-Win32 has instructions. The publication also has instructions on how to migrate any old customized sessions you may have set up in the old version.
RSS |