SSCC News for March 2001

Inside this issue...

Wincenter Now Accessible Through Internet Explorer
Dreamweaver Now Available Via Internet Explorer
New UNIX Compute Server
SSCC Spring Training Opportunities
Other Training Opportunities

Wincenter Now Accessible Through Internet Explorer

It is now possible to run Terminal Server (Wincenter) sessions within Internet Explorer through the Microsoft Terminal Services Advanced Client. The TSAC is an ActiveX control that runs in Internet Explorer 4 and later versions. (It will not work with Netscape.) Invoke Internet Explorer and go to http://ntweb.ssc.wisc.edu/tsweb and start the process to launch a Wincenter session. Choose wincenter1 or wincenter2 in the server drop-down box and then choose a screen resolution in the size drop-down box. Click the connect button and a Wincenter session will start. The first time you visit this website you may be prompted to install the ActiveX control.

This connection method provides a quick, easy, and secure way to access SSCC Terminal Servers. PC users may find this helpful to run applications that exist on Wincenter but not on your individual PCs. Remote agencies/departments can utilize the functionality Wincenter provides without the need for SSCC Staff visits to install local client software. Access to Wincenter from home is possible provided you have a high-speed broadband (DSL, cable modem) connection.

Dreamweaver Now Available Via Internet Explorer

Macromedia Dreamweaver 4, a high quality HTML editor, is now available to SSCC users on WinCenter. Unfortunately Dreamweaver does not always function properly when running Wincenter using an X-Terminal or other Unix machine, or using X-Win32 on a PC. Certain windows disappear, giving the appearance that Dreamweaver has frozen. However, it does function properly when Wincenter is accessed using Internet Explorer. Thus anyone who wants to use Dreamweaver should use Internet Explorer to connect to Wincenter, as described in the article above.

New UNIX Compute Server

We are very pleased to announce the availability of a new UNIX computer called HAL. And, no, HAL is not named after the infamous computer from the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey." HAL is named after Hal Winsborough, Professor Emeritus of Sociology and founder of the Social Science Computing Cooperative.

HAL is a 500 Mhz AlphaServer DS20 with two processors and 2.5 Gb of RAM which will provide an ideal place to run large STATA jobs and other programs that require lots of memory. At least for now, SAS will not be licensed on HAL. The SAS license is very expensive and we want to monitor usage to see if the license is needed. For a complete list of software availability, type "soft -a" at the UNIX prompt.

Below is a comparison of various SSCC UNIX computers:

        CPU      CPU Speed                  /tmp
        Speed    Relative    No.    RAM     Space
Server  in Mhz   to 300Mhz   CPUs   in Mb   in Gb   SAS  STATA  SPSS
-----   ------   ---------   ----   -----   -----   ---  -----  ----
ELAINE     466         2.5      1     640       4   Yes   Yes    No
GUY        300         1.0      3    1280       8   Yes   Yes    No
HAL        500         3.0      2    2560      10   No    Yes    No
MARIAH     466         2.5      1     640       8   Yes   Yes    No
NORMAN     466         2.5      1     640       4   No    Yes    Yes
WINGRA     133         0.2      1     160       6   Yes   Yes    No

(You can view an up-to-date table comparing SSCC UNIX computers by typing "computers" at the UNIX prompt.)

Notes on relative speed column:

The relative speed column is a little misleading because it does not take into account that GUY and HAL have multiple CPU's and can therefore handle more simultaneous jobs than the other computers.
HAL is now the preferred machine for large STATA jobs. NORMAN is a great alternative though when its load is low.
GUY is still the preferred machine for SAS jobs. ELAINE is a good alternative for members of the Department of Sociology. MARIAH is a good alternative for members of the Center for Demography.

SSCC Spring Training Opportunities

There are still lots of training opportunities this Semester. Remaining sessions include "Making your Web Page Accessible" (more sections added to meet demand), "Introduction to Excel", "Intermediate Stata", "Advanced Features in Word", and "Getting the Most from the Eudora Mailer". Visit SSCC's web pages for details.

Other Training Opportunities

L&S Learning Support Services offers a number of classes that might be of interest to SSCC members. There is no fee for L&S faculty and staff to attend these courses. Registration is required, and can be done on the web or by calling (26)2-1126. Classes are held in Van Hise Hall.

Classes being offered in the next month include the following:

Web Page in a Day - DreamWeaver 3. March 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Checking Your Web Pages for Accessibility. March 14, from 10:30 - 12:00 a.m.
Quick and Easy thematic Web Activities. March 20, from 1:30-2:30 p.m.
PowerPoint for Classroom Presentations: Introduction. March 21, from 1p.m. to 4 p.m.
PowerPoint Features : Graphics. March 22, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Creating Image Galleries for the Web. March 28, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Hot Potatoes: Creating Interactive Exercises for Your Course Web Site. March 29, from 1-2:30 p.m.

Some of these classes have prerequisites. You can find more information about the courses, including descriptions and prerequisites, at LS&S's web pages.

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