NEWS

Printer Changes in 4218 and 2470 Computer Labs

Wednesday, February 8, between 7-9 a.m. we will be replacing the printers in the 4218 and 2470 computer labs. You will need to delete and recreate any Windows print shares you currently have defined for SSCC4218, SSCC4218_PS, or SSCC2470 before you will be able to print successfully to these printers after the changes take place Wednesday. This is because different print drivers are needed. It only takes a minute to delete and create print shares. Instructions are provided in SSCC's Publication Setting Up Network Printers in Windows.

You don't need to make any changes to print to these new printers from Linux or if you use a Mac.

Conserving Disk Space

Over the past two years the SSCC allocated some 400GB of project disk space, compared to 75GB for the prior two-year period. We currently have enough space to meet the research needs of our members, but this space cost about $100,000. (Enterprise-level disk space costs much more than consumer-level disk space.) Reducing the growth rate of disk usage in order to make that space last as long as possible is a high priority for the SSCC.

Individual members can do their part by managing the files in their home and project directories. Most members have files that can simply be deleted, and others can be archived or compressed. Two new publications discuss tools for managing your disk space:

Soon we will be sending reports to owners of project directories to help them identify large files that are good candidates for removal or archive. We will also be working with SSCC agency/departments to identify project directories that are no longer needed. Meanwhile, please take a few moments to see if you can reduce your disk space usage using the tools suggested in our two new publications.

New Archival Service for SSCC Members

One good way to conserve disk space is to archive files you are not currently using but don't want to delete. We have CD/DVD writers in the 2470 and 4218 computer labs for just this purpose. To make things even easier for you, we are happy to announce a new archival service where we will archive files for you. Here's how it works:

  1. Go to the Windows Y: drive, open the folder called "archive", and create a new folder using your user name.
  2. Copy the files you want archived to this folder.
  3. Then go to our Request Archiving web page and fill out a very short request form. It's that simple!

A few things to keep in mind:

  • The Y: drive is completely public. Do not place any confidential or sensitive data on the Y: drive--you'll need to archive confidential data yourself.
  • We cannot guarantee that your CD or DVD will be ready by a given time or date.
  • Please limit archiving requests to 4 GB or less.
  • This service is only for files related to University business.

Files on the Public Share to be Deleted after 30 Days

The public share (Y:) on SSCC's Windows PRIMO domain is a place for storing files temporarily (much like /temp/fivedays on Linux). Over time the disk has been filling up because more and more files are being left there permanently. In order to better utilize the space for its intended purpose, we are now deleting any file that has not been accessed in over 30 days. Also, keep in mind that because Y: on Windows and /temp/fivedays on Linux are for temporary file storage, they do not get backed up.

SSCC Spring Training

SSCC's spring training is well underway. February offerings include three Stata classes and an ArcGIS class. Also, we're offering individual appointments to discuss switching from Eudora to more reliable email programs like Thunderbird and Outlook Express. For details and to register for SSCC training classes, please visit our training web page.

Introduction to NVivo 7 Workshop in March

The Wisconsin Center for Educational Research will be hosting a full day demonstration and a full day hands-on introduction to QSR's NVivo 7 in March, led by QSR's founders, Tom and Lyn Richards. With an entirely new interface and many new functions, NVivo 7 is the upgrade for both NUD*IST (N5 or N6) and NVivo (1 or 2). SSCC will be upgrading to version 7 on the Winstat terminal servers when the software becomes available, hopefully this month.

Visit http://tqm.wceruw.org/NVivo7conf.html for more information and to register. There is a registration fee.

Note that Chris Thorn, from the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research, will be teaching a free three-hour workshop on NVivo 7 for SSCC members on April 12. For details and to register for this workshop, please visit our training web page.