Overview of Central Computing Facilities

Introduction

Computing and Communications Services (CCS) provides many academic and administrative computing facilities. These facilities offer a wide range of services to employees, faculty, and students. This document summarizes the principal facilities.

Central Electronic Mail Server (Mailbox)

Students who are registered in the current semester are automatically allocated a central e-mail account. You can verify the account name in the Infoweb computer accounts service. The employees may obtain an account on the central e-mail server Mailbox on request only. E-mail addresses on Mailbox are of the form jdoe@uottawa.ca for the employees and the students are pre-determined in the form jdoeXXX@uottawa.ca where XXX are randomly generated numbers. Mailbox supports the POP and IMAP protocols, meaning that mail folders are stored either on your microcomputer (POP) locally or on the central e-mail machine (IMAP). Binary files and French accents can be sent and received using the standard Internet protocol MIME. All e-mail accounts have the 50 MB capacity of disk space.

No one e-mail client software package can meet the needs of all users. Consequently, we recommend and support several packages for Windows (PC-Pine, Outlook Express, Netscape Messenger), Internet browsers (UOttawa Webmail), Macintosh (Mail Drop, Outlook Express, Netscape Messenger), and UNIX (Pine). You can obtain pre-configured versions of the microcomputer software from the CCS site or from the Central Novell File Servers. CCS has compiled a criteria matrix outlining the characteristics of the recommended software. The matrix is available on the CCS web site.

Central Novell File Servers

CCS maintains centrally-managed Novell file servers. These powerful servers provide the basis for access to microcomputing applications, hard disk space, and shareable printers across campus. Regular software upgrades ensure that the most up-to-date packages are installed.

Each user receives a disk allocation of 20 MB at no charge. You can also purchase additional space in blocks of 10 MB, at the rate of $0.50 per MB per year.

UNIX Servers

Each user receives a disk allocation when an account is created. If you need additional disk space, you can purchase disk space in blocks of 10 MB, at the rate of $0.50 per MB per year, or $0.25 per MB per year when one gigabyte or more is purchased by calling at 562-5800 ext. 6555.

aix1

aix1 is the standard UNIX (AIX) host (IBM RS/6000 Model 390), available to all employees, faculty and graduate students. Installed software includes C compilers, FORTRAN, PERL, SAS, SPSS, LISREL/PRELIS, PINE/PICO, Tin, Netscape Navigator, Kermit and Lynx. Users receive a disk allocation of 20 megabytes (MB) at no charge.

aix2

aix2 is the standard UNIX (AIX) host (IBM RS/6000 Model C20), available to all undergraduate students. Installed software includes C compilers, FORTRAN, PERL, SAS, SPSS, LISREL/PRELIS, Kermit, PINE/PICO, Tin, Netscape Navigator, Lynx and ASPEN. Users receive a disk allocation of 10 MB at no charge.

matrix

matrix is a UNIX (AIX) host (IBM RS/6000 Model 390) available to all employees, faculty and graduate students of the Department of Mathematics. It is to be used exclusively for scientific computing within the Department. Installed software includes MAPLE, MATLAB, Mathematica, MINITAB, TeX, LaTeX, XDVI, C compilers, FORTRAN, IMSL FORTRAN librairies, SAS, PINE/PICO, Tin, Netscape Navigator, Kermit and Lynx. Users receive a disk allocation of 5 MB, however, up to 20 MB of space is available at no charge if required.

tesla

tesla is a UNIX (AIX) hosts (IBM RS/6000 Model 390) available to all employees, faculty and graduate students of the Faculty of Engineering. It is to be used exclusively for scientific computing within the Faculty. Installed software includes MAPLE, MATLAB, Mathematica, MINITAB, TeX, LaTeX, XDVI, C compiler, FORTRAN, IMSL FORTRAN libraries, SAS, PINE/PICO, Tin, Netscape Navigator, Kermit, Lynx, FIDAP and OPNET Modeler. Users receive a disk allocation of 5 MB, however, up to 20 MB of space is available at no charge if required.

warhol

warhol is a UNIX (AIX) host (IBM RS/6000 Model 43P) available to all employees, faculty and graduate students of the Department of Physics. Installed software includes MAPLE, MATLAB, Mathematica, MINITAB, TeX, LaTeX, XDVI, C compilers, FORTRAN, SAS, PINE/PICO. Users receive a disk allocation of 5 MB.

MVS/ESA Mainframe

The administrative mainframe is an IBM multiprize 3000 Model H70 OS/390. It supports mission-critical applications such as the SIS (Student Information System) and the MSA financial system (payroll, for example)

Contact your departmental account administrator to obtain an account on CICS.

The Network

Access to CCS facilities and to the Internet is available over the University's campus backbone. We have wired virtually the entire campus for Ethernet. However, T1 connections link remote locations such as the Health Sciences Building on Smyth Road. Other locations are connected through IMB wireless connections.

To obtain a network connection, you will need a computer, an Ethernet (network) adapter installed in your computer, and a connection to a wall plate in a University office. If we have not already wired your office, you can get connected.

Contact the Computing Help Centre for additional information.

Metaframe

Metaframe is the server in use at the new student computing facility housing over 100 workstations . This new lab located at Montpetit Hall, rooms 140 and 141, provide a computing environment for students. There are also two discussion rooms equipped with one PC each. Those rooms can be reserved with the consultant on duties at the help desk. Two laser printers and a colour laser printer are at this facility. (Please refer to the RELMON section later in this document.)

Available software includes: TCP3270, WS_FTP v5.05, PC Pine, Netscape Communicator 4.73, ShockWave and LiveAudio plug-ins, Windows media player, Adobe Acrobat Reader v4.0, MS Office 2000, FirstClass v5.506, SPSS v9.0, SAS v6.12, WordPerfect Office 2000, SSH client v3.0.0, WinZip v 8.0, Norton AntiVirus 7.6 (running on the PDC).

The lab at Montpetit Hall, rooms 140 & 141, is open twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. However, you must be in the building by 11 P.M. to be able to work overnight. Visit the Computing Help Centre with a valid student card to obtain an account.

Dial-up Services

To dial into the central facilities CCS offers a graphical access through the SLIP/PPP dial-up.

The SLIP/PPP dial-up facility, available exclusively to employees and faculty with a Mailbox account, offers the advantage of the Windows or Macintosh graphical interface. This SLIP/PPP dial-up service is free. However, you require the following hardware: an IBM-compatible running at least Windows 98, or a Macintosh, a modem supporting speeds from 14,400 to 56,600 bits per second, and a phone line. Access to the central facilities and graphical access to the Internet becomes possible from the convenience of your own home.

Dial-up access to central Novell services is not available.

The SLIP/PPP dail-up number is 613-564-0509.

World-Wide Web

The Internet, and more specifically the World-Wide Web, has become an indispensable information, public relations, and marketing tool. The University's Campus-Wide Information System (CWIS) continues to increase in size and popularity as more people are exposed to Web technology. This facility is available to all users at no charge.

With a graphical web browser, such as Netscape Navigator, you can access the University's home page at http://www.uottawa.ca/. You are also encouraged to create a personal home page.

To create personal Web pages, employees, faculty, and graduate students require an account on aix1. Undergraduates must obtain an account on aix2.

Recommended and supported software include the text-based UNIX Web browser Lynx, and the graphical Web browser Netscape Navigator for X- terminals hooked to UNIX, and IBM-compatible and Macintosh microcomputers. Microcomputer software upgrades are available from the CCS site at /downloade.html

TSM (Tivoli) Central Backup

With the installation and configuration of software, we can automatically backup your computer or file server at a scheduled time. You no longer need to purchase an expensive tape backup unit or copy files onto diskettes. Backups run unattended. All you have to do is leave your computer on. You have full control to restore the backup.

You require an account on the central backup facility. Contact the Computing Help Centre for additional information. TSM clients for Windows, Macintosh, and various flavours of UNIX are available on the CCS site.

RELMON Central Printing

A system of laser printers and print servers is strategically located throughout campus for general use. This system supports the two industry-standard page description languages: PCL and PostScript. You can send print jobs from the UNIX servers, DaVinci, and from the central Novell file servers.

Payment is made with photocopy cards that you can purchase from library locations. Laser printer charges are presently $0.09 per page for standard black and white printing. The cost is $0.11 a page for printing on 11" x 17" paper (printer at Fauteux Hall). The cost is $0.30 a page for printing on the colour laser in Thompson Hall.

Twenty-one RELMON printers are installed at the following locations:

Colonel By Hall, between rooms B103 and B105;
In Montpetit Hall (3 printers, 2 black & white, and 1 colour);
In front of rooms 0022 and 0023 in the basement of Marion Hall;
In the Law library, on the fourth floor of Fauteux Hall (one regular and one legal size);
In room 081 of Vanier Hall (3 printers);
In front of the Writing Centre in the basement of Simard Hall;
In room 086 of Tabaret Hall;
In room 249 of Lamoureux Hall;
In room 0036 of Morisset Hall (Morisset Library); and
In room 2157 of Roger Guindon Hall and in the hallway close to the library;
In room 307 at 85 King Edward;
In room 100 SMD at the Cube;
See MAP.

Usenet News

Usenet is a distributed bulletin board system. Users of Usenet News exchange views and information by writing articles (e-mail), which are then transmitted automatically among the computers in the network. Once posted, an article can by read by others. Articles are organized by topic area into newsgroups, or collections of non-private electronic mail messages on a given topic. If appropriate, additional groups can be created as a forum for discussion for specific courses or interest groups.

This facility is available at no charge to all users. Recommended and supported news readers include tin for UNIX, WinVN for IBM-compatibles, and Nuntius for Macintosh microcomputers. Microcomputer software upgrades are available from the CCS site, or from the Product Maintenance automated software installation utility for users of the Central Novell File Servers.

Accounts on Central Computing Facilities

Each individual student who is currently registered has his / her accounts, i.e. Infoweb, Mailbox, MNT140, associate faculty lab, pre-allocated. The accounts can be verified in the Infoweb.

Employees and faculty members can obtain accounts on all central computing facilities on request and some restrictions are applied to particular accounts. For mainframe accounts such as CICS, SIS, MSAS, TSO, please contact your departmental or service administrator to obtain authorization from the owner of the application such as SIS, ADMIS, HRS, HMSS, KAMS etc.

Account creation requests can be made by filling out an electronic Request for Computer Account form. The Chairperson or the Administrator of the Department must approve all sponsored and departmental accounts.

We require the following personal information:

name;
department;
employee number;
phone number;
the first three and last three numbers of your SIN;
date of birth; and
the userid you would like to use as long as it is available.

All userids should follow the convention:

minimum of five characters;
maximum of eight characters;
userid in form jsmith.

You can send account requests to the Computing Help Centre in the following manner:

go to http://www.ccs.uottawa.ca/cybersos/;
telephone 562-5800 extension 6555;
fax the account request form to 562-5139;
through INTRA mail at 35 University Street; and
by filling out the electronic help request on the CCS web site

Please note that all account creation requests require a processing time of up to 48 hours.

Training

CCS offers a wide range of professional computing workshops at economical prices. We can also create and customize workshops to meet your specific needs.

Employees, faculty and students are eligible for workshops. The workshop schedule and an electronic version of the workshop registration form are available on the Web through the CCS web site

Scanning and Conversion

A free scanning and conversion service is available (for university work or study purposes) at the Montpetit Hall computing lab (125 University, room 140). Images (photographs, for example) and text (optical character recognition) can be scanned and saved in a variety of formats. The current limit for scanning is 20 pages per week per request. As well, we can convert from Macintosh to IBM-compatible and vice versa and save data files to a variety of popular data formats. Please supply your files on a diskette and include a second diskette for conversion. Requests can take up to 72 hours (three working days) to complete. The Computer Centre does optical scanning of exams and should not be confused with the scanning service offered by the Computing Help Centre. In addition to multiple choice exams, we can transfer your coded data on optical marking forms. You can purchase these forms at the University computer store Cosmos located at the University Centre.

Consulting

CCS offers a free consulting service. Consultants can perform a needs analysis and provide recommendations to computing problems. You can reach them through the Computing Help Centre.

Support

A support group, contacted through the Computing Help Centre, is available to troubleshoot and diagnose hardware and software computing problems. The list of supported products is available on the Web.

How to Find Out More

You can obtain additional information from the CCS web site. Alternatively, you can contact the Computing Help Centre electronically at http://www.ccs.uottawa.ca/cybersos/, or by telephone at 562-5800 extension 6555. The Computing Help Centre is in room 050a (basement of Thompson Hall at 35 University).