BioMicroCenter:NetworkInformation

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The BioMicro Center’s computing mission is to support a core set of bioinformatics applications and also to provide advanced computational, data storage, data security and data backup services.

From BioMicro Center home page.

Clusters

BioMicroCenter Clusters

Lab Qtrees in "DNA-NET"

Labs are offered file sharing space up to 100G on a multi protocol NetApp filer known as Bionet. This device supports SMB, CIFS and NFS connectivity to facilitate lab data management. This device is snap mirrored to another device on campus. See below to apply for these accounts.

Win Athena

Many labs in the Biology and BE have "organizational units" on MIT's WIN ATHENA environment. These "OU's " are a logical collection of multi user Windows machines that utilize MIT Kerberos username and passwords for sign on. Additional benifits include:

• Centralize monitored security updates
• Two Gigs of private free data storage
• Centrality deployed applications
• Roaming Desktop environment on other Win Athena machines on campus
• Security hardened operating system

Use of this system is supported and highly encouraged.

Accounts in "DNA-NET"

To request a DNA-NET account, please to sgoldman 'at' mit.edu with subject "new user" and the following information:

First/Last Name:
Athena Username:
Lab PI:
Department:
Room Number/Address:
Phone Number:

A lab presentation can be made of the environment.

You will receive a confirmation email when your account is created.

New users and labs are highly recommended to contact Stephen Goldman directly to discuss there data storage and networking needs. Stephen is located at:

name  : Goldman, Stephen B

email  : sgoldman<at>MIT.EDU

phone  : (617) 452-2595

address  : 68-316

department  : Department of Biology

title  : Systems Administrator

We will need to meet briefly so you may take control of your storage account.

• Stephen is the system administrator for the Department of Biology supports BE labs as well in conjuction with Aran Parillo, BE System Administrator.

Gateway to MIT Specific Resources - Certificates

Windows Installing certificates is a must at MIT.

Start with Internet Explorer- required for Outlook Express

• Go to http://web.mit.edu/ist/topics/certificates

The Site Certificate

• Select Install :

• For Internet Explorer – a dialog box will pop up – Install Site certificate – take defaults
• For Firefox – Check all three check boxes – take defaults-
• <DONE>

Personal Certificates-

• Enter your Kerberos name, Password and MIT Number-
• <DONE>

• <DONE>

Macintosh

• Go to http://web.mit.edu/ist/topics/certificates
• http://itinfo.mit.edu/article.php?id=8628 for Safari

TESTING

Go to the MIT Software page:

http://web.mit.edu/software/ select your operating system

• Download and install VPN CLIENT - Virtual Private Network Client- ( This is the test)- Highly recommend this program

After installing it - restart your machine-

This program is to be used off Network 18- MITNET to create a virtual circuit to MIT's Network)

This would allow access to the server off MITNET (sign on with email name and password) You want this functionality later.

Connecting to Network Resources

Windows Platform There are different ways to connect to network resources. Network resources for this conversation is Bionet inside "DNA-NET" or a Lab Server inside Win Athena. Both Macintosh and Windows machines can connect to either resources. The methods include from a :

• standalone private laptop
• standalone workstation
• workstation inside WIN ATHENA

To connect to a file server inside the Win Athena environment from a private Windows or Macintosh laptop or workstation. Users are required to change their WIN ATHENA password at this certificate enabled site

https://wince.mit.edu/changepasswd/index.jsp -

• When the page opens : in the middle of the page in BOLD TEXT: Confirm
• that the message reads:
• Change Password for User yourname@MIT.EDU
• Enter a password below the User Confirmation- twice- (recommend a good password it for this )
• For the reason - select - other - and add remote access.
• Select Submit-
• exit the page

Private Windows Environment

To map a drive:

The First Step is to configure your DNS settings. Goal - make sure your WINS settings have the "ENABLE NETBIOS over TCP/IP SETTING Radio button selected.UNCHECK LMHOST

Start- Control Panels- Networking-Local Area Connection-Properties-TCP/IP-Advanced-WINS - UNCHECK LMHOST, enable "ENABLE NETBIOS over TCP/IP- OK - RESTART

Connect to DNA-NET

• Right click My Computer
• Map network drive:
• Pick a drive letter: example Z:
• Folder: \\bionet.mit.edu\qtreename (or use IP address: )
• "Connect using a different username"
• You will be prompted for your username and password.
• Note the syntax :
• Username: yourname@dna-net.mit.edu
• Password: enter your password
• Finish

Connect to WIN-ATHENA

USER will need to know:

• Name of your lab server
• Default directory lab members attach to.

• Right click My Computer
• Map network drive:
• Pick a drive letter: example Z:
• Folder: \\name of your host@mit.edu\default drive (or use IP address: )
• "Connect using a different username"
• You will be prompted for your username and password.
• Note the syntax :
• Username: yourname@win.mit.edu
• Password: enter your password
• Finish

Connect to WIN-ATHENA Server - from machine in Win-ATHENA

USER will need to know:

• Name of your lab server
• Default directory lab members attach to.

• Right click My Computer
• Map network drive:
• Pick a drive letter: example Z:
• Folder: \\name of your host@mit.edu\default drive (or use IP address: )
• "Connect using a different username"
• Finish
• Look under "My Computer"

Macintosh DNA-NET

!!!Connect to DNA-NET with OSX !!!

• Press Apple+K in Finder to connect to server.
• Type in: cifs:\\bionet\qtreename
• Hit the + to save it
• select the path - depress - connect
• Confirm : workgroup or domain = DNA-NET
• NAME = your email name (important)
• PASSWORD = email password
• Select home directories and test access to the folder with you name on it.

Macintosh WIN-ATHENA

Connect to WIN-ATHENA with OSX

• Press Apple+K in Finder to connect to server.
• Type in: cifs:\\servername@mit.edu\datashare
• Hit the + to save it
• select the path - depress - connect
• Confirm : workgroup or domain = WIN
• NAME = your email name (important)
• PASSWORD = email password
• Select home directories and test access to the folder with you name on it.

OFF Campus with MIT VPN

• Download and install VPN client for your operating system from MIT Software Distribution
• Establish a VPN connection to MIT
• MAP the drive either by way of Windows or Macintosh

Description of folder structure

• admin - administrative documents
• backups - backups of shmoo, model and habanero
• projects -
• homedirs - home directories of lab members
• .snapshot - an archive of the whole network file share:
  • weekly - last week
  • daily - last two days
  • hourly - last two hours

Miscellaneous

Storage quota for the lab as of June 9, 2005 is 100GB.

Joining DNA-NET domain

• Need to have a working domain user account
• Use dna-net.mit.edu as domain name when joining

Local Administrators can install software locally. Automatic updates through MIT SUS (Software Update Services) server.

Hosts and websites

• bionet.mit.edu - FQDN for network file share
• Network Applicance help pages (real-time usage stats for bionet.mit.edu)

• Resources for system administrators

DNS and NAT on Bionet

Neither bionet nor nearstore have NAT entries on the Cisco. The MIT addresses are really MIT addresses. They also just happen to have interfaces configured on 192.168.4/24 and 10/8 [for the clusters]. Cisco does some magic when you ask it to resolve hosts for which it has a NAT entry. It actually intercepts the incoming DNS reply and re-writes the answer with the internal IP. - from Michael Vezza