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If you are planning to be gone during the summer, you will see some changes in computing services when you get back. If you are going to be around campus, here is a list of some of the changes you might want to watch for this summer:
- UA1IX will be shutdown (May 15). The name ua1ix.ua.edu will point to bama.ua.edu, so that some announced web and e-mail addresses will continue to work. However, the computer that is ua1ix.ua.edu will no longer be available, and all accounts, files, and applications on that machine will be gone. If you have an account on UA1IX, you should already have taken steps to move off this account. (See related article in March issue of SUN.)
- The Bidgood and Houser PATSites will close (May). These terminal and printer sites get very little use. Their hours of operation have been cut a number of times, and now they will be closed altogether. The Gordon Palmer printer site will not be affected.
- The University Libraries will be changing from the current mainframe system to a client-server system with web access. You will no longer use tn3270 software to access the library. Watch for more information near the (expected) mid-summer implementation.
- Faculty Technology Seminars will be offered by the Faculty Resource Center and Seebeck Computer Center (May, June, July). See related article this issue. Registration has already started.
- Migration off UA1VM continues. See related article this issue. If you are still using UA1VM and you have not yet started thinking about moving, its time to start.
- Year 2000. The project to make all administrative support software Year 2000 compliant continues (see related article in March issue of SUN). There may be more changes in software use or access over the summer.
- Accounts on bama.ua.edu that were created in the past year but have never been activated will be deleted (May). Bama accounts will be created in August for all freshmen and other new students. Watch for information on accessing the bama e-mail account database (LDAP).
If you are using UA1VM, and you haven't yet started moving off, here are some suggestions to get you started. NOW is a good time to take your valid ACT card to the Helpdesk and get an account on bama.ua.edu.
If you use UA1VM for your personal web page, you should definitely move your web page to another server. Web service from UA1VM is being cut back. Information on creating a web page on bama can be found on the bama helpdesk page at http://helpdesk.ua.edu/. If your department, class or organization has a web page on UA1VM, the person responsible for that web page should find out about getting an organization account on bama or another web server.
If you use UA1VM for dialup authentication, you should obtain an alternative authentication account as soon as possible. July 12 will be the last day for dialup authentication on UA1VM.
SAS and SPSS are both available on bama.ua.edu. Licenses for SAS and SPSS for Windows are available at reasonable prices, for those who prefer to move those applications to their PC. SAS is also available for Mac. (Both SPSS and SAS will continue to be available on UA1VM into Spring semester 1999, to give you time to move.)
The process is underway to replace the PROFS calendar system. Watch for further information on a new calendar server this summer. If you are using PROFS for e-mail, you should move as soon as you can. Most staff who were using PROFS for e-mail have already moved. If you have not moved, check with your network administrator or supervisor to find out what replacement is recommended in your area.
If you are a student using UA1VM for e-mail, you should move your e-mail to bama.ua.edu or an alternate server as soon as possible, and inform your friends of your new address. Faculty and staff still using UA1VM for e-mail should be investigating their options.
If you are a faculty member and you still have students in a class using UA1VM, you should call the Helpdesk and ask about alternatives (if you have not already done so). Most students now have accounts on bama.ua.edu.
The Faculty Resource Center (FRC) of Seebeck Computer Center is offering comprehensive weeklong technology workshops for faculty three times this summer, during the weeks of May 25-29, June 15-19, and July 20-24. These workshops are designed to give participants hands-on experience with a range of instructional technology-based tools. Participants are expected to bring their course content -- text, images, sounds, videos -- and a plan for the resources they intend to create during the week.
These workshops are free to UA faculty, but registration is required. To register, contact Tom Prein, FRC Coordinator, by phone (348-3764) or e-mail (tprein3@seebeck.ua.edu). Workshops will meet in the Learning Resource Center and the FRC in Seebeck Computer Center, and will run all day (8:30-4:30) with a break for lunch.
Visit the Faculty Technology Workshop website at for more information about the workshops. (Editor's note: The Faculty Resource Center is no longer a part of Seebeck Computer Center. For information about upcoming events, see their Web site at www.frc.ua.edu.)
Question: I'm confused about UA1IX and UA1VM. What is the difference between these two computers, which one is going away, and how am I affected by this change?
Answer: UA1IX (let's call it IX) is a small UNIX computer which a few people have been using for e-mail and dialup authentication. The last day to use IX is May 15. Every account on this machine has been notified by e-mail. Faculty, staff and students who need replacement UNIX service may move to bama.ua.edu, the new campus server.
UA1VM (let's call it VM to distinguish it from IX) is the main academic computer in use by many people, mostly for e-mail and similar Internet services, but also for programming, statistics and other academic applications. The general trend among Universities is to move academic services off of IBM mainframes (like VM) onto UNIX servers and PC platforms, which are cheaper to maintain and upgrade, and generally easier to use. Various faculty and technology committees made this decision on our campus some time ago, and we have been slowly moving in that direction. Our new UNIX server is bama.ua.edu. It has been in use for about nine months, and will replace VM totally within the next year.
So, both machines are going away, and if you use either machine you will need to take steps to move your files and applications. IX is going away very soon, and every account on that machine has been notified of this imminent change (from the UA1IX-L mailing list). If you use IX you should already have taken steps to move off. VM is going away next year, and if you use it you should be moving off. Start with your personal web pages and e-mail, and then think about what else you need to move and what your choices are. (See related article this issue).
NOTE: For more information about any question answered here, or to ask about something which might be answered here, send e-mail to Help.Desk@ua.edu