IAB Computer Resources

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IAB Computer Resources

• An Introduction for New
• Graduate Students

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Overview

• Difference between IAB and BW
• IAB web site
• Mercury
• Computer security
• Grad Student web site
• Grad Student list-serve

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The IAB web site Home Page
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The IAB web site

• www.iab.uaf.edu
• Computer Resources page
• Getting started
• Safe Computing
• Help with UA Gmail
• Helpful Links
• How-tos and FAQs
• Computer Lab

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The IAB web site Computer Resources
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Help with UA Gmail
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HOW-Tos and FAQs
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The IAB web site Faculty, Staff and Students
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The IAB web site Faculty Staff and Students
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Biographical Information

• A database is only as good as the data in it.
• Use the form at www.iab.uaf.edu/facstaff/submitbio
  .php to send your info to me.
• Send us a photo (fyiab_at_uaf.edu).
• Stop by my office (416 Irving I) or Maries (302
  Irving I) for a photo if you dont have one handy.

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Biographical Information
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Questions about the IAB web site?
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Mercury

• Mercury is the BW/IAB server
• Free to all BW grad students
• Free if required for a BW course
• 10/semester to others

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Mercury Overview

• Mercury runs on the Novell Netware operating
  system (rather than Windows or Mac OSX).
• What does it do? Mercury is the IAB/BW server
• File server
• Web server
• FTP server
• Application server
• Required to use the Windows virtual machines in
  the computer lab in 303 Irving I.

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Get an account

• See Carol Piser for application form
• x7671 or x6294
• fncap1_at_uaf.edu
• 211 Irving I
• Account will be set up usually within 24 hours.
  Youll get an email with a temporary password
  when it is.

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Install the Novell client (Windows) on your own
computer

• Go to www.iab.uaf.edu/comp/getclient.html
• Follow instructions (print them, since you will
  need to reboot).
• Server name mercury.bio.uaf.edu
• See IAB Computer Resources on the web for more
  information.

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First reboot after installing
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The Novell Login Screen 1
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The Novell Login Screen 2
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The Novell Login Screen 3
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Mercury Network Drives

• Networked Drives when you log onto Mercury, you
  will see a number of network drives under My
  Computer. These are directories on Mercury.
• M\ is your personal space
• Store individual or non-shared stuff on your M\
  drive.
• P\ is a public drive, accessible to anyone with
  a Mercury account, and readable to the world.
• User space is backed up daily, so it is a good
  place for important files.
• User space is limited (50 MB default).

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Mercury Network Drives
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FTP Server

• FTP File Transport Protocol
• Your M drive is a password-protected FTP site.
  Use this for storing files that you want to
  access from another computer.
• ftp//first_last_at_mercury.bio.uaf.edu/
• The P drive is an anonymous FTP site anyone in
  the world can see it, but not write or save to
  it.
• ftp//mercury.bio.uaf.edu

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Mercury Disk Full and User limits

• You may get an error message saying that the disk
  is full when you try to save a file.
• This does not mean that disk is full, but that
  you have filled up your Mercury disk quota.
• Please first delete unneeded files and folders.
• Call Jock to increase your quota size, if needed.

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Mercury salvage deleted files

• Right-click on the red N in your system tray.
• Choose Netware utilities, then Salvage
• UAF_MERCURY
• USER
• Users
• firstname_lastname (your user account)
• Find the deleted file and select Salvage
• Files are periodically purged, so do this as soon
  as you can.

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Mercury salvage deleted files
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Mercury Personal Web Sites

• Anyone with a Mercury account can have a personal
  web site.
• Create a folder called public.www on your M\
  drive.
• Anything in this folder is automatically posted
  to the web.
• The URL is www.iab.uaf.edu/firstname_lastname.
• Detailed instructions are at www.iab.uaf.edu/comp/
  instructions.html

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The importance of a personal web site for
graduate students

• Communicate your research to colleagues.
• Publish your CV online, especially when looking
  for a job after graduation.
• Media (and employers) check out these sites
  looking for credible scientists.
• Share photos of your cabin or your climbing trip
  in the Alaska Range with friends and family
  (optional, some photos may detract from your
  professional image)

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A student web site
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Another student web site
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Yet another student site
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Questions about Mercury?
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BW Computer Lab

• 303 Irving I
• 15 iMacs with Windows VM

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Initial Mac screen
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Open the VMware Fusion
Click the VMware Fusion icon on the dock
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Open the Virtual Machine
Double click on the IABLAB VM
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Windows Virtual Machine
You must have a Mercury account to proceed.
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Log in to Mercury
Use either your personal login or a class login
(e.g. BIOL461 or WLF201).
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Log in to Mercury
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Log in to the Workstation
Password is ygoloib
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Full Screen Mode

• To make the VM full screen, click on the
• icon in the upper right corner
• To get back to a window, press
• Control-Command-Enter

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Mercury Network Drives
Your Mercury drives will be available to to save
files. Anything saved to the computer will be
lost.
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Applications not on the dock
Not all of the Mac applications are on the dock.
To see what is available, click on the
Applications icon on the dock.
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Suspend the Virtual Machine
Suspending the VM will save the current state. If
you are done, you should log off rather than
suspend, so your account doesnt get compromised.
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Log off the Windows Virtual Machine
When you are done, you should log out of Windows
using the standard log off procedure.
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Any questions about the computer lab?
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Security Overview (Windows)

• Be paranoid!
• Keep OS up to date
• Keep browsers up to date
• Install Anti-virus and Anti-spyware and keep them
  up to date
• Use a Software Firewall.
• Use Disk Cleaner, Disk Defragmenter
• ALWAYS password protect ALL accounts on your
  computer with strong passwords

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Security Overview (Mac)

• Macs are safer than PCs, but not invulnerable, so
  be paranoid.
• Keep OS up to date.
• Keep all browsers up to date.
• Install Anti-virus and keep it up to date.
• Use a Software Firewall.
• ALWAYS password protect ALL accounts on your
  computer with strong passwords.

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Accounts and passwords

• Windows has a hidden Administrator account
• Check your Administrator account to see if it has
  a password by trying to log in to it with no
  password.
• Add a password if it is your personal computer.
• If it is an IAB computer, call me and I will set
  it to the IAB admin password.
• Make sure that any other accounts have passwords.
• Use strong passwords!

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Strong passwords

• Many viruses and worms use a dictionary lookup
  table
• A strong password is one that cannot be guessed
  by viruses with dictionaries
• No words or names
• Include varying case, numbers and punctuation
• Examples
• F_at_1rB_at_nks not OK for UAF email
• Mrci7yo! (My rusty car is 7 years old!)
• PurpleLobster21 (2 unrelated words with a number
  and a symbol)

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Password Safe

• One of the problems with strong passwords is
  remembering them.
• Use Password Safe to store passwords in an
  encrypted database.
• Download from passwordsafe.sourceforge.net

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Password Safe screenshots
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Questions about computer security?
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Grad Student Web Site

• http//mercury.bio.uaf.edu/gsa/
• Currently maintained by Mariana Bulgarella.
• Linked from the Biology and Wildlife home page,
  or go directly to the link above.
• Volunteers to help maintain it are needed. See
  Mariana.

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Grad Student Web Site
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Grad Student List Serve

• There is a UAF list-serve called Biograd-L
  currently maintained by Tumi.
• To sign up for this list, go to
  https//lists.uaf.edu8025/mailman/listinfo/biogra
  d-l
• There is also an IAB Group Mail tool that is
  password-protected if you need to send group
  mail, see Jock.

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Questions about anything?