#0100 Academic
Information Technology Guide
Introduction
The Academic Information Technology Guide focuses on academic users of
computing, multimedia, and information technologies at San Diego State
University. The guide shows the academic user the wide variety of computer
facilities, their locations and hours of operation, and software and hardware
available to them. Because computing is constantly evolving, the guide
provides the user with the Internet web address (URL) to most of the computer
information. These web sites are updated with the latest information and
can provide the academic user with information on any recent changes.
Section Contents:
Central Academic Mainframe Computers
The central academic mainframe computers at SDSU are a Sun Sparc SunFire
4800 (rohan.sdsu.edu) and a Sun Enterprise 450 (moria.sdsu.edu).
ROHAN and MORIA are located on the first floor of the Business Administration
and Mathematical Sciences building at the central operating facility
of University Computer Operations (UCO).
Both computers are managed by Library and Information Access.
ROHAN is a very large, high performance, mainframe host computer
running SOLARIS 8 as its operating system. Its current configuration
consists of 8 CPUs with 8 GB of memory, one T3 Hardware Raid 18 x 73
GB, five internal 18 GB Drives. and a DDS4 DAT tape drive.
Users have access to paid laser printing in LL-200. ROHAN
allows 1200 simultaneous port logins for its approximate 24,000 accounts.
MORIA is a small mainframe host computer running SOLARIS 8 as its
operating system. Its current configuration has 4 CPUs with 1 GB of
memory, 90 GB of disk storage, DDS3 DAT tape drive, and access to the
same printers as ROHAN.
These host computers (main computer systems to which multiple users
are connected) are available to academic users through SDSUnet connections.
However, while ROHAN allows general use, MORIA is reserved for research
usage (see Obtaining a Computer
Account). ROHAN has a limit of 2 hours of CPU time and 256 MB of
virtual memory. MORIA, with CPU timelimit set at 1 month and 1 GB of
virtual memory, can accommodate most larger research projects. Those
projects needing more resources will be referred to the SuperComputer
Center at UCSD. For further information on ROHAN, see Handout #0200
Guide to Using ROHAN available on-line and in LL-200.
Other academic mainframe computers also managed by Library and Information Access are:
| www-rohan.sdsu.edu |
Academic Computing Web Server |
| proxy.sdsu.edu |
Proxy Server |
| news.sdsu.edu (gondor.sdsu.edu) |
Newsgroup Server |
- Web service and streaming audio/video (100 streams) for ROHAN is
served by www-rohan, a Sun Ultra 80 (2 x 450MHz Ultra SparcII CPUs,
1GB RAM).
- Proxy.sdsu.edu is hosted by a separate Sun Enterprise1 Server (143
MHz Ultra Sparc CPU, 256 MB RAM).
- Usenet news on news.sdsu.edu is hosted by a PIII 500 MHz system
server running Redhat 7 Linux.
The academic mainframe computer managed by Instruction Technology Services
is:
| blackboard.sdsu.edu |
Distance Learning Server |
- Distance Learning on blackboard.sdsu.edu is hosted by Sun Ultra 80
server ( 4 x 450 MHz CPUs and 2 GB RAM.)
Note: None of these academic mainframe computers allow user accounts,
except courses.sdsu.edu for discussion groups.
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Software and Manuals
Some of the software available on ROHAN includes ARC/Info, BMDP, C,
C++, Common LISP, FORTRAN, IMSL, LATEX, LYNX/MOSAIC/NETSCAPE (Internet
Access via WWW), ELM/MAIL/MH/PINE (Email packages) and use of EUDORA
(POP3 supported Email package), MATLAB, MAPLE, MINITAB, EDT/EMACS/PICO/SOFFICE/VI
(text editors), ORACLE, PASCAL, SPSS, TEX, TIN (USENET newsreader),
and X-WINDOWS. Typing apropos package (where package is one of the above)
at the % prompt will provide additional information. MORIA has the same
software as ROHAN with the addition of SAS.
Manuals for software available on ROHAN and MORIA are available at
the Reserve Book Room (RBR) in the LA-2201.
The RBR maintains a collection of operation and instruction
manuals for campus hardware and software. Faculty, staff, and students
can checkout the manuals for 3 days by presenting their valid ID Card.
If you need information on checking out these manuals, call 594-6740.
A list of the manuals can be obtained at the Reserve Book Room counter
or from the PAC.
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Operating Hours and Downtime
The computers normally operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Exceptions include brief periods during holidays, and scheduled periods
devoted to system testing and preventive maintenance. In general, system
testing periods are scheduled during early morning hours when the fewest
users are likely to be disrupted. UCO notifies users of system availability
and planned changes in system status through messages on each computer.
Such messages are normally displayed at log-in time, but may be displayed
at any time.
In the event that there is an emergency announcement to be made regarding
computer downtime, messages will be placed on ROHAN and MORIA. Information
on scheduled downtime is displayed via the message of the day at log-in
time.
In addition, academic users can call the University Computer Operations
Information Line at 594-4296 for information on mainframe operating
status, and open computer labs and their hours and locations.
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Obtaining a Computer Account
You must have an account number and password from SDSU to use the
Sun Sparc SunFire 4800 (ROHAN). Account application forms
are available at the Student Computing Center (LL-200).
- Students - Any active student can add their own account on ROHAN.
Login
to the WebPortal and
click on the button titled Get a ROHAN/Email account. An account will be added
for you. The account information will be displayed on the screen, and will be emailed to your email address
on file with the WebPortal. If you need assistance, go to the Student Computing
Center in LL-200. Student accounts will be active for the duration
of their SDSU affiliation.
- Faculty - Faculty can obtain class accounts or faculty accounts
on ROHAN by completing and signing a #0510 ROHAN
Computer Account Application (pickup and return of forms is handled
in LL-200). Accounts are usually available within two working days, contingent upon
system availability and workload. Class accounts are active for one semester.
Faculty accounts are active for the duration of their SDSU affiliation.
- Academic Staff - Staff (working in a department that reports to
Academic Affairs) can obtain academic staff accounts on ROHAN by completing
and signing a #0510 ROHAN Computer Account Application
(pickup and return of form is handled in LL-200). Accounts are usually available within two working days, contingent upon
system availability and workload. Academic
staff accounts are active for the duration of their SDSU affiliation.
- Department/College Web access - SDSU Academic
Departments and Colleges interested in providing a Home page but
do not have a location on a Web server in their college, can obtain
a special account on ROHAN. By completing and signing a #0515
Department/College ROHAN Computer Account Application for World Wide
Web access form (pickup and return of forms is handled in LL-200), Academic Departments and Colleges can develop and store
this type of Home Page file. Accounts are usually available within two working days, contingent upon
system availability and workload.
- Student Organization Web access - SDSU Student
Organizations interested in providing a Home page, but do not
have a location on another Web server, can obtain a special account
on ROHAN. Their Faculty advisor can obtain an account for this purpose
by completing and signing a #0516 Student Organization
ROHAN Computer Account Application for World Wide Web access form
(pickup and return of forms is handled in LL-200). Accounts are usually available within two working days, contingent upon
system availability and workload.
You must have an account number and password from SDSU to use the Sun
Enterprise 450 (MORIA). To obtain an account, users must justify their
needs in an Email request to nash@rohan.sdsu.edu.
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or to Academic Computing Information and Help
Passwords
Users will receive a password along with their username when obtaining
an account. Users may change their passwords (see Handout #0200
Guide to Using ROHAN on-line and in LL-200 for instructions).
If you lose your password, follow one of these procedures:
MORIA users will follow the same procedures for lost passwords.
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Disk Space Allocations
ROHAN accounts are allocated 50 MB of disk storage.
Requests for additional space can be made at the Student Computing Center in
LL-200 or by emailing
the ROHAN Account Coordinator. To estimate how much
disk space is required,
use the size of the file that you need the increase for as a guideline
for your increase or ask for an additional 20 MB. Also, if your
needs are just 24 hours in duration, you can store the file in the /tmp
directory. The /tmp directory is for temporary storage ONLY! These files
are periodically deleted and are not backed up.
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WWW Options (Home Pages, Virtual Hosting, and Streaming Media Quota)
Because WWW processes are run as a tandem operation between the ROHAN
and WWW-ROHAN servers, your account is only web enabled after its first
24 hours of activation. SDSU Academic Faculty, Staff, Students, Departments
and Student Organizations wanting to host a home page in their ROHAN
account, can see the Guide to Making a Home
Page on ROHAN for further steps.
Virtual Hosting is available on ROHAN for department and student organization
accounts. For example: if you currently have a web page at URL - http://rohan.sdsu.edu/~infosys/index.html,
an alias can be set up so that users can go to an easier URL - http://infosys.sdsu.edu.
For virtual host setting up procedures, see Virtual
Hosting on ROHAN.
Streaming Media Quota is available to ROHAN accounts users via the
WWW-ROHAN server. To have this option activated for a ROHAN account,
the SDSU Academic Faculty or Staff sponsor will need to request Streaming
Media Quota activation via Email to
accounts@rohan.sdsu.edu after their account has been established.
The following policies are currently in effect for Streaming Media Quota:
- Accounts/Storage space for streaming media files will be allocated
directly to SDSU Academic Faculty and Staff, but not directly to students.
Priority will be given to instructional uses by faculty.
- SDSU Academic Faculty and Staff Account Sponsors may request Accounts/Storage
space by emailing the ROHAN Account Coordinator.
The space will include a streaming video allocation quota.
- SDSU Academic Faculty and Staff Account Sponsors will be notified
of their username, password, and basic copyright responsibilities
when the Accounts/Storage space is ready for access. Copyright issues
over and above basic responsibilities will be addressed on a project-by-project
basis.
- Normal streaming video allocation quota will be 1 Gigabyte of storage
space. SDSU Academic Faculty and Staff Account Sponsors may request
additional storage space by emailing the ROHAN Account Coordinator.
Requests for an increase in streaming
video allocation quota will be granted at this time, unless space
on the server is limited, or the request is for an unusually large
allocation. Discussion by the ROHAN System Manager will be held with
the SDSU Academic Faculty and Staff Account Sponsor prior to a request
being denied.
- Materials and techniques will be created to assist streaming media
developers and/or account sponsors to use the most efficient techniques
for creating and archiving their streaming media files.
See the ITS
Multimedia page at SDSU for further information.
- File Usage reports will be generated at the end of every semester
(Fall, Spring, & Summer) to inform the SDSU Academic Faculty and Staff
Account Sponsors of space and file utilization.
- If a file has not been used in two years, the SDSU Academic Faculty
and Staff Account Sponsors will be requested to remove or archive
the file.
- If a file in the storage space for streaming media files is of non-
streaming media format, the SDSU Academic Faculty and Staff Account
Sponsors will be requested to remove or archive the file.
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Internet Access
If faculty or staff want dial-in access to SDSU, it is necessary to obtain a TACACS
account from Telecommunications and Network
Services (LL-200, 594-5261). Students will need an account with
an ISP (Internet Service Provider) for Internet service. See the
Remote Access Services section. See
the Internet
- The Information SuperHighway section of this guide for further
information on the Internet and its associated networks.
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Email Access
ROHAN supports electronic mail (Email) and allows access over the
Internet. You automatically have Email with your ROHAN account that
can be accessed by one of ROHAN's Email packages (ELM, MAIL, MH, EXMH,
or PINE), POP3 support for Eudora software or via
ROHAN Webmail. See above procedures for
obtaining an account. See Handout #0200 Guide
to Using ROHAN for further information on ROHAN's Email packages.
See the Campus Email
Services section for further information on Eudora software.
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Printouts
User output can be directed to laser printer
queues. The following guidelines should be noted and followed when directing
output to a laser printer queue
- The paid laser printer queue is called laser. Jobs can be
paid for and printed at the Student Computing Center (LL-200).
Laser printing is available at
.10 per page (after one hour print requests not authorized and
printed are automatically deleted). Note: LL-200 has a DART station
to add value to your AztecCard.
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Handouts
Handouts on a variety of subjects to inform and assist academic users
in using computers are available.
Handouts are available
through the ROHAN web server.
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Computer Room Tours
Group tours of the computer room may be arranged by faculty and staff
by calling the UCO Director, Robert Newhouse, at 594-6906. Tours may
be arranged Monday through Friday with a maximum of twelve persons per
tour. The tour includes minis, peripherals, and communications
equipment.
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