Imager Technical Information

Title

modified: dd mmm yyyy

max

modified: 01 Nov 2007

• max is a general purpose Imager machine which has video editing software. Users should use the D drive to store their projects instead of the C drive since tech staff needs the C drive for maintenance.

Remote Access Policy for haggis and max

modified: 25 Oct 2007

• haggis and max are general purpose Imager machines. Users can remotely log on to them or use them in x660.
• The first person who logs on (remotely or not) owns the machine. The next person gets a warning message and cannot log on until the first person logs off. Please be aware and do not to press the reset button on these computers in case someone is logged on remotely.

Canceling Print Jobs

modified: 18 Oct 2007

• User X can cancel user Y's print job by running lprm on the cascade server. This command removes the first job in the print queue.

Account Expiration

modified: 04 Oct 2007

• There are 3 things associated with a person: the account, the home directory, and the imager filespace in /imager/people/. When a person's account expires, this procedure applies only to the person's imager filespace. Tech staff will have a semi-automatic way of deleting/archiving a user's imager filespace according to the user's type. When accounts are first created, they are assigned an expiration date. When the expiration date is reached, the supervisor receives a notification email requesting confirmation for account archival/deletion. After supervisor confirmation, the account will expire. The files will be chown'd to the supervisor in a "purgatory" archive for 12 months before they are permanently deleted. While students should make sure their important files are archived in the right place before they leave, this policy is meant to handle the reality that this does not always occur. The time period of 12 months was chosen since many paper deadlines are annual conferences, so it's likely that the need to hunt down files would happen within the year window. This policy covers both undergraduate interns and MSc students.
• Visitors/postdocs and PhD student accounts will never be automatically deleted. Yearly reminders of active visitor accounts will be sent to supervisors, since most collaborations continue for many years. When a supervisor decides that a visitor account is no longer required and should be deleted, they should to be archived with the same 12-month purgatory process as above. After PhD students graduate, accounts should stay active, although pressure to reduce disk usage can be applied (preferably by the supervisor). Rationale: PhD students spend a significant portion of their life here, and their email is listed as contact on (hopefully many) papers. In many cases they continue to collaborate with their former supervisor or fellow students.

Hardware Purchase Procedure

modified: 18 Oct 2007

• When purchasing new hardware, email Ming Lau, Glen Lee, and Ciaran Llachlan Leavitt with the specifications (mlau,glee,llachlan).
• When ordering a new machine, only provide Ming with the specs that you really care about, and tech staff will fill in the rest with compatible parts.

Sudo Access Policy and Joint Admin Model

modified: 04 Oct 2007

• The Joint Admin Model exists for Imager machines so that representatives have admin privileges as well as the tech staff.
• Sudo access is given to the Imager representatives for Linux, Windows, and Macs. This is currently Tibi for Linux and Christopher for Windows and Macs.
• Sudo access should only be used in urgent situations after hours when help desk is not available. Help desk must be used whenever possible.
• When sudo access is used, email help desk notifying them of what was done on the machine.
• Tech staff will keep track of sudo accesses and will report un-emailed incidents.

Update Policy and Conference Freezes

modified: 15 Nov 2007

• Update policy applies to Imager computers on subnet 54.
• The calendar on the Conference Freeze Dates page will list the freeze periods and the machines to be frozen during each period. If you would like your machine to be frozen for an upcoming conference please add your machine name, the conference, and the conference deadline to the calendar. Imager tech members will look at this page monthly to decide upon freeze periods. The page will also list conferences for which machines do not need to be frozen, and these conferences will be indicated as "no freeze". Tech staff will check the calendar for freeze periods and will not update the listed machines until the freeze period is over. No updates (including security updates) will occur on listed machines during their freeze periods.
• Vulnerability patching: During the freeze period, if there is a vulnerability that requires an upgrade, there are 3 options:
  • patch the machine and see if it works
  • take the machine off the network (no internet or cs access)
  • move the machine to subnet 54 which is the subnet for user administered boxes
• There will be a 48 hour notification on updates during non-frozen times. The updates will be tested on 'tom' first, and 'tom' will generate an email to imager-tech when it is upgraded.
• Look at the file /var/log/yum.log to see a list of recent updates to Linux machines.

Imager Filespace

modified: 28 Mar 2007

• The imager filespace is located at /ubc/cs/research/imager .

What changed with NetApps

modified: 26 Sep 2007

• NetApps documention link: http://www.cs.ubc.ca/local/computing/accounts/backups.shtml
• The above link contains information on how to use the backup/restore features on the new file servers.
• Recommendations for setting permissions: For most files = -rw------- (default, allows only you to read and write them.) C/C++ programs and other programs = -rwx------ (also default, allows only you to read, execute and write them.) See the man page on umask for information on how default permissions are set. For more information go to: http://www.cs.ubc.ca/local/computing/unix/permissions.shtml