Graduate Student Computing

Workflow

Initial Computing Selection

Supervisors are provided with a form to select which kind of equipment they wish to provide their new grad student.

The options are:

1. Thin Client
   • The infrastructure group will configure and install the thin client
2. School-provided Desktop PC
   • This option requires that the supervisor is subscribed to Research Support, who will do the installation
3. School-provided Laptop
   • This option requires that the supervisor is subscribed to Research Support and pays a one-time surcharge ($400 as of Jan 2007)
4. Advisor Provided Desktop (APD)
   • The supervisor or student will provide the machine and it may or may not be supported by the Research Support Group (RSG)
   • If supported, the supervisor can decide whether RSG will do the OS installation or whether the student will do it themself
   • If not supported, network installation will be done by the Infrastructure group
5. School-provided Mac
   • This option requires that the supervisor is subscribed to Research Support and pays a one-time surcharge ($200 as of May 2010)

Work order creation (ST)

• Debbie creates an ST and assigns it to Phil
• Phil reviews the ST - for items to be done by RSG:
  • he assigns it to Lawrence
  • he selects the appropriate equipment and notes it in ST
  • he removes his name from the ST
• Lawrence reviews RSG items and assigns it to the appropriate PoC

Initial paperwork deployment

The list of incoming grad students is maintained in a spreadsheet: IncomingGrads.xls (which can be found here: \\smb-files.cs.uwaterloo.ca\edocs\rsg\gradpcs ). From that, we generate a stack of welcome sheets for all of the incoming grads for that term and put them on each desk, preferably before the start of the term. The Welcome Sheet can be found here: GradWelcome-merge.doc . Note that this is designed as a Microsoft Office mail merge document that expects you have mapped the EDocs folder as Drive X:. Any updates to the spreadsheet should be done, and the file sorted in whatever order you wish, then saved and closed before opening the GradWelcome-merge.doc file.

Old - no longer used

As soon as the PoC knows where the machine will be going, they will put a document on that desk welcoming the student to the school and describing what equipment they can expect to be receiving. This is the PoC's opportunity to inspect the space and make sure it will be ready to receive the equipment.

You may edit these documents directly in the EDocs folder (which can be found here: \\smb-files.cs.uwaterloo.ca\edocs )

1. Thin Client
   • tc-notready-merge.doc : Thin-client not-ready sheet (merge)
2. School-provided PC
   • pc-notready-merge.doc: PC - Not Ready (merge)
3. School-provided laptop
   • lt-leave-merge.doc: Laptop leave behind sheet (merge)
4. Advisor Provided Desktop
   • apd-notready-merge.doc: APD Not Ready sheet (merge)

Equipment preparation

1. Thin clients
   • The CSI group will prepare and deploy the thin client
2. Grad PCs
   • See: GradStudentPCdeployment
3. Laptops
   • See: GradStudentLaptopDeployment
4. Advisor-provided desktops (APDs)
   • contact the supervisor and find out what they would like done by us to prepare the machine
5. Grad Macs
   • See: GradStudentMacDeployment

Equipment deployment

Paperwork

As above, there is a mail merge document to create all of the appropriate Workstation information sheets: GradWorkstation-info-merge.doc . It depends on the IncomingGrads.xls file being updated with the name of the workstation assigned, and that you have the EDocs share mapped as Drive X:. A copy of the sheet is generated for each student. It automatically includes the appropriate information for the type of machine being deployed.

Old (not used)

Once the equipment is ready, it is delivered along with the following paperwork:

1. Thin Client
   • (same as above - not needed if previous copy still there)
2. School-provided PC
   • pc-leave-trg.doc: School PC - Leave behind (Trevor)
3. School-provided laptop
   • none needed
4. Advisor Provided Desktop
   • apd-leave-trg.doc: APD leave behind sheet (Trevor)

PC Deployment Step-by-step

1. put sticker onto PC Deployment Sheet(s) from sheet of unused passwords (side of black check-out cabinet). Load up computer(s) for batch-deployment to the same area.
2. At the student's desk: Put machine, monitor, etc. on desk (or nearby, if occupied). identify wall jack number and wiring closet# from the jack.
3. ONA config. (laptop if possible, office if necessary). Can take anywhere from 10sec to 30 min if things are broken.
   • must have network set up, for the windows login to work.
4. system configuration at the desk
   1. Linux: add user: log in as cscf-adm; Gnome top-menu: System-> Administration -> Users and Groups -> Unlock keys icon -> Authenticate -> Add User Account
      • New User Profile: administrator
      • use password from sheet.
      • details of what Linux system looks like: UbuntuImageCreation (by Mike G; interim until Dave's group's docs are finished.)
   2. Windows: add user as admin: log onto local machine as cscf-adm; right-click on My Computer; select Manage; under Computer Management -> under System Tools -> Local Users & Groups -> Groups -> Administrators right-click -> select Properties -> "Object" text-field should contain: CS-GENERAL\username [save] -> asks for authentication; use youraccount-adm (eg., drallen-adm)
5. Add Display Barcode # and machine hostname to the ST
6. Add to inventory with room #
7. Add your time to ST & close.
8. Put PC Deployment Sheet in hardware lab in purple envelope over safe.
9. When student shows up, you, or anyone in RSG can hand him/her the PC Deployment sheet.

Mac Deployment Step-by-step

1. put sticker onto Mac Deployment Sheet(s) from sheet of unused passwords (side of black check-out cabinet). Load up computer(s) for batch-deployment to the same area.
2. At the student's desk: Put machine on desk (or nearby, if occupied). identify wall jack number and wiring closet# from the jack.
3. ONA config. (laptop if possible, office if necessary). Can take anywhere from 10sec to 30 min if things are broken.
4. system configuration at the desk
   1. Log into user account. Top Finder menu Go > Connect to Server... >
      • under Server Address enter "smb://smb-files.cs.uwaterloo.ca/homes" without the quotes. Click Connect button.
      • Enter the user's CS user password.
      • If the network drive icon is not displayed on the desktop; from top menu Finder > Preferences > Connected servers - check
   2. Top menu select Apple > System Preferences > Accounts > unlock Padlock > Password tab > Change Password button to have user set a new login password
      • change from Password tab to Login Items tab > click "+" button > under SHARED list click smb-files.cs > select the username directory. A drive icon will show on the desktop.
   3. Top Finder menu File > New Finder Window > Applications > Symantec Solutions > Symantec Scheduler >
      1. New button > Product Update:
         • Name the task "something here"
         • Choose a Product to Update - Virus Definitions
         • Set Frequency - weekly, Monday, 12:00 AM
      2. New button > AnitVirus Scan:
         • Name the task "something else here"
         • Select an item to scan - Macintosh HD
         • Priority - Medium
         • Frequency - weekly, Monday, 1:00 AM
   4. Top Finder menu File > New Finder Window > Applications > Thunderbird > immediately asks for user information - fill it in
      • It may fail to log in citing an incorrect protocol, but will find mail.cs.uwaterloo.ca
      • Top menu Tools > Account Settings >
        1. Server Settings > Security settings: SSL/TLS, Use secure authentication - don't check
        2. Outgoing Server (SMTP) > Security and Authentication: SSL, user name and password - check
   5. Test printing.
5. Add Display Barcode # and machine hostname to the ST
6. Add to inventory with room #
7. Add your time to ST & close.
8. Put Mac Deployment Sheet in hardware lab in purple envelope over safe.
9. When student shows up, you, or anyone in RSG can hand him/her the Mac Deployment sheet.

System Information Sheet

These sheets are printed and kept in a folder in DC2560G, so that they can be handed out by anyone in CSCF. They are currently stored with the folders of pending Purchase Orders.

1. Thin Client
   • not applicable
2. School-provided PC
   • pc-info-merge.doc: PC Deployment Information sheet (mail merge ready)
3. School-provided laptop
   • lt-info-merge.doc: Laptop Deployment Information sheet (mail merge ready)
4. Advisor Provided Desktop
   • apd-info-merge.doc: APD Deployment Information sheet (mail merge ready)
5. School-provided Mac
   • mac-info-merge.doc: Mac Deployment Information sheet (mail merge ready)

Optional/Other

1. GradCSPasswords