======================== SSCC News, April, 1996 ======================== This is the SCC News. This monthly electronic newsletter will keep you informed about recent changes on the SSCC computer networks. We hope this information will help improve communication between the SSCC computing staff and all of you computer users out there. Inside this issue... Ultrix to be Phased out August 1996 Reporting System and Network Problems After Hours Applications Software on PC LAN Network Connectivity Software on PC LAN Antivirus Software, F-Prot, now Available LIMDEP 7.0 NLOGIT Module Now Available on UNIX Time to make SSCC Training Session Requests for Summer ----------------------------------- Ultrix to be Phased out August 1996 ----------------------------------- All Ultrix computers (EUNICE, CDE2, HARMON, and IRP01D) will be phased out by the end of August, 1996. This change is part of the SSCC's long-range plan to reduce the number of supported operating systems and replace many older, slower machines with fewer, more powerful ones. The phase out will be spread out over the coming months. Machines will be shut down as their primary tasks are taken over by new machines. We encourage Co-op members to begin using other machines as soon as possible. Software that runs on Ultrix machines will be available on Digital Unix machines for the most part. SAS, SPSS, and LIMDEP are already running on Digital Unix. GLIM is on order. There are no plans to buy a Digital Unix license for WordPerfect or S-Plus. WordPerfect is available on SunOs and Windows, and a Windows version will soon be available for X-terminal users. S-Plus will only be available on SunOS. SSCC will purchase replacement computers running Windows or Digital Unix. Replacement strategy includes: CDE2, EUNICE, IRP01D SSCC is planning to order a multiprocessor DEC computer, with Alpha processors. The machine will run Digital Unix, the operating system running on NORMAN, WINGRA, and ELAINE. Also, both WINGRA and ELAINE will be upgraded with more memory. Collectively, these four computers will give SSCC more computing power than ever. HARMON A new PC running Windows 95 has been ordered. It will contain a 6X CD ROM drive, a 4mm DAT tape drive (compatible with the tape drive on HARMON), and a color flatbed scanner. The computer will be located in room 2470. In addition, we have taken delivery on an administrative computer and we may purchase a Unix file server. The administrative computer, called DUNCAN, is now performing a number of services for the other computers, including name service, network information services, and network time service (a new service that synchronizes the clocks of SSCC computers). The machine will also act as a printing and mail hub, and as a gopher and World Wide Web server. Previously, these services were performed primarily by EUNICE, but also by WINGRA and ELAINE. The file server would be a computer dedicated to serving data to Unix computers. Currently, EUNICE, CDE2, CDE2S, WINGRA, ELAINE, and particularly NORMAN perform this service. The file server will also be able to serve data to VMS and Windows computers. This should speed delivery of data and decrease downtime. Finally, SSCC is purchasing hardware and software to allow X terminals users in Soc. Sci. 2470 to run programs on a Windows NT server. SSCC has ordered a high performance PC and NCD's WinCenter software to allow many users to work on the PC simultaneously from the X terminals in room 2470. With the addition of the administrative computer, the file server, and the WinCenter software, the remaining Unix systems can concentrate on their primary function: performing statistical analysis. We welcome your comments on these changes. ------------------------------------------------- Reporting System and Network Problems After Hours ------------------------------------------------- The SSCC has acquired a voice mail box for reporting system and network failures during weekends and evening hours when staff or operators are not in the building. Dial 262-4975 to report problems. After you leave a message, an on-call staff person will be paged automatically. This system is for reporting after-hours emergencies and failures. It is not an extension of the SSCC's consulting service. ------------------------------- Applications Software on PC LAN ------------------------------- The SSCC's PC LAN is growing - both in the number of clients and application software. There are now over 60 PC's connected to the LAN. We recently installed the following software: o Microsoft Office Suite - includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access o Citation 7 - a bibliographical database manager o PowerVT - an advanced VT terminal emulator which we think you'll like better than the terminal emulator provided with the WiscWorld suite None of these three packages require a client licensing fee. You just need to contact CONSULTANT if you would like to access any of these. And, just as a reminder, we also have SPSS and STATA installed. These packages do require a licensing fee. --------------------------------------- Network Connectivity Software on PC LAN --------------------------------------- For users of Windows for Workgroups and Windows 95 we have versions of PC-NFS, the software that will allow a PC user to connect to VMS-hosted disks. The WfW program is called XFS32. It is essentially freeware and can be installed directly from the \\ssc-master\os\windows\xfs32 network share. However, the installation is not completely clean and you will need some instruction on how to use XFS32 so please contact Consultant to arrange for installation and a little introduction to the software. The Windows 95 version of PC-NFS is a licensed program called Interdrive 95. It is easily installed from the \\ssc-master\os\win95\Interdrive network share just by executing setup.exe. Because of licensing requirements we need to keep track of who is using Interdrive 95, so you must first contact Consultant for authorization to execute the setup program. ----------------------------------------- Antivirus Software, F-Prot, now Available ----------------------------------------- The University of Wisconsin-Madison now has a site license for F-Prot (antivirus software) for Dos/Windows, Windows 95, Windows NT, OS/2, and Netware servers. This site license was made possible through the cooperative efforts of several campus colleges and departments (including SSCC) who combined resources to purchase the site license. It can be used by all faculty, staff, and students of the University both on campus and at home. All versions can be accessed from the following web address: http://www.engr.wisc.edu/services/cae/facstaff/f-prot/f-prot.html ---------------------------------------------- LIMDEP 7.0 NLOGIT Module Now Available on UNIX ---------------------------------------------- LIMDEP's new NLOGIT module is now available on our SunOS machines. NLOGIT is a full information maximum likelihood estimator for two to four level nested logit models. NLOGIT is documented in chapter 25 of "Limdep Version 7.0 User's Manual" available in consulting and the CDE Data and Print Libraries. ------------------------------------------------------ Time to make SSCC Training Session Requests for Summer ------------------------------------------------------ We offered summer training sessions for the first time last summer and have decided to make this an annual event because they were so popular. We need your input on what training needs you have. So far, we have had requests for training sessions on Citation, a bibliographical database manager we recently purchased for our PC LAN, and connecting to the PC network from home. If you have any requests, please send e-mail to mcdermot. Below are the SSCC training sessions yet to be presented this semester. No preregistration is necessary for these sessions. Date Time Topic Room Instruct. ---- ---- ----- ---- --------- 4/11-4/23 2:30-3:45 SAS Programming Techniques & Efficiencies 4308 McDermott 4/25,4/30 2:30-3:45 Concatenating and Merging in SAS 4308 Winsborough 5/2 2:30-3:45 Table Lookup Techniques in SAS 4308 McDermott