University Information ServicesManaged Cluster Service (MCS) and Desktop Services

Computer Laboratory

Thursday 9th October 2014

Introduction

• Brian Simpson

• Desktop Services Manager

• Portfolio of DS brands

• Liaise with differing depts and Colleges

• Dr. David McBride

• Unix Specialist in Information Services

• Responsible for MCS LinuxAsk Questions at any time

History

• University Information Services - 2014

• Previously University Computing Service – founded in 1937

• Part of the CL until 2001

• Separated teaching and research from computing services

• Now merging/merged with MISD (administrative computing)

• Centre of IT support and computing services

• Based at both the Roger Needham Building and also the New Museums site ( satellite service desk and training rooms)

Managed Cluster Service

• Available for all staff and students of Cambridge University

• Networked PCs (Windows/Linux) and Macs

• Applications (only in MCS rooms), printers, scanners

• DS-Filestore – mapped drive and accessed by unmanaged machines

• DS-Files – access outside the CUDN

• DS-Print – managed and unmanaged printing (print from own device)

• UCS Training runs on the MCS – NMS, RNB, depts

Operating System and Applications

• Windows 7

• Over 150 applications – browsers, office packages, statistical packages, departmental software

• MCS Linux, based on Ubuntu 14.04 (64-bit)

• Mac OSX 10.9

• Differing software dependent on OS, but versions try to stay the same across differing systems.

Where is the MCS?

• 19 departments – across the University including the CL

• 26 Colleges

• UCS public rooms – Titan teaching rooms, Phoenix Teaching rooms

• Continuing to expand

• Centralised cohesive approach

• Available 24/7 - 99.5% uptime

Access to the MCS

• All CL students are given Desktop Services accounts automatically

• Access credentials and password early this year!

• Common UIS password (Hermes and Raven)

• http://www.ucs.cam.ac.uk/accounts/passwords

DS-Filestore

• We host network-accessible storage space for all MCS users:

• U: on MCS Windows machines

• /home/crsid on MCS Linux and Apple Macs

• 3GB standard – CL students may get more space

• Shared space – CL run applications and use pigeon holes

DS-Filestore – access from outside

• You can also access this space from non-MCS machines:

• CIFS: //filestore.ds.cam.ac.uk/ (inside cam.ac.uk only),

• SFTP: sftp.ds.cam.ac.uk

• DS-Files: https://dsfiles.ds.cam.ac.uk/

• DS-Web: Publicly-accessible personal webpages.

• Just put what you want to go online into your public_html/ folder.

• Immediately accessible here: http://people.ds.cam.ac.uk/crsid/

• We back this data up regularly.

• … but you should keep your own backups of stuff you really care about.

DS-Print

• Printing facilities from any computer connected to the CUDN

• DS-Print Printers are available in all MCS rooms

• Print from your own machine via a print client – Linux in development

• Common balance - CL

• Self serve print credit – e-credit

• Printers overtaken by MFDs (print/copy/scan)

MCS Linux — Specifics!

• All of the PCs in the Intel lab dual-boot Linux.

• /home is served across the network via CIFS from the DS-Filestore

• Some peculiarities! (It's a Windows server behind the scenes)

• Permission bits don't work quite as you'd expect.

• You may be used to running, “sudo apt-get install …”

• This won't work. (You don't have administrative access.)

• … however, if you'd like something added, just ask.

• You can also install tools and applications in your own home-directory.

• Hopefully you won't need to, as we've already spent lots of effort trying to ensure that everything you're likely to want is already included.

MCS Linux — Remote login servers

• We also supply a number of remote-login servers accessible via SSH.

• These have virtually identical configurations to MCS Linux desktops.

• Dedicated physical hardware

• Two general-access login servers, SNAP and PUFF

• Use: ssh crsid@linux.ds.cam.ac.uk

• We also provide CL users their own dedicated remote-login machine, RYATH.

• Use: ssh crsid@linux.cl.ds.cam.ac.uk

• If your network connection is fast enough, you can run graphical applications on our servers.

• … provided you have an X server running on your local machine.

Future Developments

• Remote Access to a desktop - applications

• Extra storage space – “dropbox” style sync

• Printing enhancements – Linux

• New UIS Desktop services

Contacts

• Support and help

• UIS webpages – www.uis.cam.ac.uk

• UIS Service Desk - service-desk@ucs.cam.ac.uk

• Management or development queries

• DSG Manager – dsg-manager@ucs.cam.ac.uk

Questions