Service Outage on Saturday, October 10 7:00AM-8:00PM
On Saturday, October 10th, from 7:00AM to 8:00PM, SSCC staff along with UW Physical Plant Technicians will replace the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) in the SSCC server room. This will allow the servers to run longer in the event of a power outage, and allow us to continue expanding our services.
While the UPS is being replaced there will be no power in the server room. We will bring in alternate power for the email servers so email will be available, but all SSCC services other than email will be down. This includes Winstat, Network Drives, VPN, Linux Servers, Condor, Beowulf and SSCC-hosted web sites (including web mail). You will be able to log into PCs in the Sewell Social Sciences Building, but you will not be able to connect to them via Remote Desktop because VPN will be down. The SSCC computer labs will be closed.
If there are files you need to work with on Saturday the 10th, copy them to the local hard drive of your computer. Just remember to put them back on the network when the outage is over so they'll be backed up nightly. If you currently use web mail to read SSCC email, you'll need to install an email program on your computer (most likely Thunderbird or Outlook Express) to read mail on Saturday.
If you have any questions or concerns about this outage, please contact the SSCC Help Desk.
H1N1 and Computing from Home
The SSCC has many resources for working from home which could be very useful in the event of an H1N1 pandemic--or if it's just you who gets sick. However, we strongly suggest figuring out how to use them ahead of time.
The easiest to use and the most flexible is Winstat. Winstat gives you access to all your files on the network and the software you need to work with them. It's also very easy to set up. See Using Winstat or Using Winstat (For Members in the School of Education).
You should be aware that in the event of an H1N1 pandemic we probably would not have enough licenses for everyone who wanted to use Winstat. Thus we suggest you have a backup plan in case you can't log in to Winstat.
If you have a computer in the Sewell Social Sciences Building, you can connect to it remotely. This will give you access to SSCC network drives and any software installed on your PC. See Connecting to Your Office Computer Using Remote Desktop (Windows). However, you must first set up your PC to allow remote access, and that must be done while sitting at the PC. We recommend that you do so now, so if you find yourself sick and unable to come in to your office you'll already have remote access to your PC. Also keep in mind that your computer must be powered on for you to connect to it.
If your computer is not in the Sewell Social Sciences Building, speak with your local IT staff about the possibility of connecting to it remotely.
If you just need access to your files on the SSCC network, you can establish a VPN connection to the SSCC network (see Connecting to the SSCC Network via VPN) and then map the same drives you see while working in the building (see Mapping a Drive to a Network Share). You can also access your files using SFTP (see Using SFTP). If your files are on the SoE network, speak with the SoE Help Desk about remote access.
If you log into the Linux servers, you can easily install X-Win32 on your home PC for direct access.
Please take a few moments as soon as possible to identify which resources you would want to use if you were unable to come to campus, and try using them from home. If you run into any problems the SSCC Help Desk will be happy to assist.
SSCC Training
There are still many SSCC classes available. These include NVivo with Your Own Data, Introduction to WordPress (a program that makes it very easy to set up a basic web site), Introductory Matlab Training and several SAS classes. For details and to register visit our Training Schedule.
Help Desk Email Now Comes From helpdesk@ssc.wisc.edu
As we continue to transition from "Consulting" to "Help Desk" you'll see that email from the Help Desk now says it's from helpdesk@ssc.wisc.edu.
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