GMCS 425 Computer Science Lab – Fall07

07Sept07

Policies for Lab Users: 

1.                  Lab Hours: M-Th 9:30am – 10pm; Fri 10am – 4pm; Sat 10am – 4pm (when a Lab Monitor is present)

2.                  No food or liquids in GMCS 425    Please leave on table at entry.

3.                  Students must already have an account, sponsored by a CS faculty member, to use the lab equipment.

4.                  Be neat and pick up after yourself.  There is a trash can in the room, use it.

5.                  Be sure to save your work on the H: drive since it is the only drive with backed-up information.  Do note save on the C: drive.

6.                  Before you leave your station, you should save your work and logoff.

7.                  Printing is by the “Pay for Printing” system with output available in GMCS422

8.                  These systems are dual boot (Linux and Windows XP pro).  They start as PC Windows XP and can change to Linux using a soft restart (press power button once) and select from menu.

9.                  The computer equipment in GMCS 425 is administrated by the Sciences Computing and Electronics Center (x-44881) These IT support professionals are aware of the evolving campus Management Vulnerability Plan (MVP) to ensure this Lab and its policies are consistent with good Network Security practice.
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/cos/cosscec.shtml

10.              Users should be aware of the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for SDSU
http://security.sdsu.edu/policy/aup.html which is repeated later.

11.              Do not touch the back of the computer systems.  There are USB connectors on the front of each computer for your use and there is no authorized reason for you to touch the back of the computers.

12.              Users should be familiar with Library & Information Access / On-Line Guides http://scc.sdsu.edu//guides/guidesindex.html

13.              If you have your own notebook computer, use its wireless network capabilities to obtain network access to the SDSU system.  Wireless adapters can be purchased at Fry’s for $10 or so.

14.              Configuring Wireless Windows XP/XP Professional for DHCP/ Wireless
http://scc.sdsu.edu/wireless/wireless.html#configuringXP

15.                 SDSU Baseline Access Training & Support (BATS) offers free courses from Instructional Technology Services (ITS) each year on a wide variety of software and tools.  For the current fall workshops, see
http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~bats/register/PDFschedule/BATS_studentFa07flyer.pdf

16.              Since many CS courses using the campus machine, rohan.sdsu.edu, you may wish to familiarize yourself with
http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/refdoc.shtml
Especially Guide to Using ROHAN
http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/0200rohan1.html

17.                 Note:  Access to rohan.sdsu.edu must use software that establishes a Secure Shell Connection.  Software is available for download for the popular platforms (Mac and PC Windows) http://scc.sdsu.edu/software/software.html
Nifty Telnet: Software for remote connection to a server. Offers Secure Shell connections. Platform: Mac
SSH: Terminal connection client that uses encrypted communication. Also allows for secured FTP transfers. This version is for non-commercial use only. Platform: Windows
Linux connections should have Secure Shell installed.

 

Policies for Lab Monitors:

 

0) All student Lab Monitors have accounts on the systems.  Note: it is not your responsibility to help users with computing access.  This information should be provided by the CS Faculty member who sponsored the student’s account.

 

1) The first lab monitor each day has the responsibility to pick up the lab key from GMCS 413, let themselves in and proceed through the Standard Start Process (below), keep door locked until the start process is completed.


Standard Start Process:
a) Go to each system, tap on the keyboard and make sure the system is powered on
b) Login to the machines to ensure they have network access
c) Make sure the lab is neat and tidy.  This should have been done by the lab monitor at the end of the previous day.  If you start the day with a messy lab, report this to Dr. Stewart, stewart@sdsu.edu
d) Inspect each monitor and if needed clean it.  Water and a paper towel are adequate.

e) Unlock the door

 
2) If there is a problem in the lab, contact sciences help desk consult@sciences.sdsu.edu   and  call  4-4881 (10am-4pm, M-F).  Leave a message if it is after hours.  Also notify the CS office GMCS 413.

3) Do not leave the lab until the next lab monitor shows up.  If the next lab monitor does not show up, you must follow the End-of-Day process, below, lock the door and report the situation to the Computer Science Department office, GMCS 413.


Standard End-of-Day Process:
a) Give users a verbal warning of lab closing hours (say 1 hr beforehand and each 15 minutes after that)

b) Once users have all left, go to each system and make sure the last person using the system logged off.  If they didn't, log them off yourself using Start/->Log Off
c) Pick up the lab.  Remove paper that may be thrown around.  Push in the chairs.  A CLEAN LAB WILL CAUSE FUTURE USERS TO HELP KEEP IT CLEAN.
d) Lock the door

4) If you have a “situation” with a user that is abuse, call Campus Safety at the SDSU Police Department (x-441991) to have the user escorted away from the lab.  Do not confront the abuse user yourself
http://security.sdsu.edu/policy/aup.html


SDSU Computing Acceptable Use Policy

Approved by the San Diego State University Senate on April 3, 2001

http://security.sdsu.edu/policy/aup.html

Acceptable Computing Use

1.0 Computer users shall be liable for all activities on their accounts. All relevant federal and state laws and all University regulations shall apply. The University shall reserve the right to limit, restrict, or extend computing or communications privileges and access to its information resources.

2.0 Acceptable Use

2.1 University computing and communications resources shall be used for the University-related activities for which they are assigned.

2.2 Proper copyright permissions shall be obtained and sources shall be properly cited.

2.3 Users shall not engage in activities that compromise computer security, circumvent controls, disrupt services, or violate computer etiquette.

3.0 Legality and Enforcement

3.1 University policies shall not supersede federal or state laws. Illegal actions may result in prosecution.

3.2 Violations of University computing policies may result in the revocation of access or the discontinuance of an account or the loss of computing privileges.

4.0 Privacy. Computer files, electronic mail, and computing accounts are not absolutely private and may be subject to access by various authorized persons, as well as to access in compliance with the California Public Records Act.

5.0 Operational procedures shall be determined by the Instructional Technology committee of the Senate and reviewed on a periodic basis. Current operational procedures are available at http://security.sdsu.edu/policy/aup-operational.html.