Stata/MP Upgraded to 32 Cores
We've upgraded our Stata/MP licenses to go with our new servers, so Stata can now use up to 32 cores. This means computationally-intensive tasks that can take advantage of parallel processing will run up to twice as fast as they did with our previous license, or up to 32 times faster than with regular Stata/SE.
Instructions for using Stata/MP can be found in Running Stata/MP at the SSCC. Only Linstat has 32 cores available, but Stata/MP will take advantage of as many cores as it can on Winstat and Condor.
Time to Switch to Palo Alto GlobalProtect
If you use VPN and haven't already replaced Cisco AnyConnect with Palo Alto GlobalProtect, now is the time to do so. We anticipate that Cisco AnyConnect will stop working at about the end of the calendar year, and we want to make sure everyone has switched before the holidays. Instructions for installing GlobalProtect can be found in Connecting to the SSCC Network via VPN. Once you've installed GlobalProtect, be sure to uninstall Cisco AnyConnect.
The End is Near for Windows 7
Microsoft has announced that it will end support for Windows 7 in January, 2020. This means Windows 7 will stop receiving security updates at that time, which will make it a major security risk. According to campus policy, computers running Windows 7 should not be connected to the campus network once Windows 7 is no longer being updated.
That is 13 months away, but we want to bring it to your attention now so you can plan for it. We will be in touch with departments to make plans for upgrading their remaining Windows 7 machines to Windows 10, which may require replacing very old machines that cannot run Windows 10. Individuals should plan on updating their personally-owned computers to Windows 10 as well. Contact the Help Desk if you have any questions. Our goal is to complete this transition during the summer of 2019.
New Lock Systems Coming for the Computer Labs
We will be replacing the very old locks on our computer labs (4218, 3218, and 2470 Sewell Social Sciences Building) with a new system that takes advantage of the RFID chip in your UW ID card. Rather than swiping your card through a scanner and entering a PIN, all you'll need to do is bring your card near the reader and the door will unlock for you.
To make the transition, everyone who wants after-hours access to the computer labs (available to grad students, faculty, and staff) will need to bring their UW ID to the SSCC Help Desk so it can be scanned and entered into the new system. We'll let you know when we're ready to start this process, and we'll give you plenty of time to do so before we actually switch over to the new locks. Stay tuned.
Spirion?
If you've noticed Spirion running on your SSCC-managed PC and wondered what it is, it's just a new name for IdentityFinder (first introduced in May 2017's SSCC News). This is a program that periodically scans your computer's hard drive for identity information like Social Security numbers that really should be stored in a secure location. We're required to run it by campus policy, but it should not interfere with your work. If you ever notice it behaving oddly or taking up a lot of CPU time, let us know so we can fix it.
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