Research groups

Copy of text sent to CCB Research Group IT Reps, 4/18 (Friday)

ChemIT is starting to true-up the Chemistry department's computer equipment inventory. For each research group, this primarily means confirming our inventory of non-private computers and printers. We would appreciate your assistance with this task, please.

We have two student employees, Alex and Jeannie, who are available for about a month to assist each group's IT Rep in completing this task. At a minimum, they can provide you with a copy of our current inventory information. If you'd like, they can also participate in the task of updating the particulars in the inventory list. This includes updating information, adding items missing from our list, and naturally removing items on this list but which are no longer in service. This is a good time to let ChemIT dispose of your old computing equipment!

Within the next week, please send an email to <ChemIT@cornell.edu> with when you are generally available in the afternoons of any work day but Thursdays, and how best to reach you (email, phone, visit to your room location). Alex or Jeannie will then meet with you, bringing a copy of the current inventory information for your group. And if you'd like their assistance, you can plan with one of them how best to coordinate his or her work. Please orient them to your spaces and help ensure they can safely move through your research areas. Thank you!

For any computer still running WinXP, ChemIT staff will work with you to either upgrade the system to Windows 7, or find alternative, adequately safe ways to run WinXP if a new OS is not possible.

These hardware inventory reviews must be done periodically, and we welcome your suggestions for improving how we do this work. And please let me know if you have any questions or concerns with this process.

Primary related document

• WinXP inventory and remediation.
• Protein Lab locks

Research groups

Note

Ensure we identify any instruments which have Windows-based operating systems embedded in the instrument equipment itself. These will thus not look like computers, per se, so a separate spreadsheet will be a good way to record them.

...

• Apparently the Dichtel group has 2 instruments which have WinXP embedded. Are they off network? (In general, it's OK for them to be networked to a dedicated computer, so they may have a (private) IP address).
• In other groups, there may even be WinNT embedded!

Mostly just for ChemIT staff

• Info on WinXP and other vulnerable systems (restricted access to ChemIT staff)
• In Remedy, use "Broadcasting"" in the Service field for inventory-related work.
  • This unique designation of ChemIT's inventory work is more important to us, report-wise or search-wise, than an accurate name. :-)

Helpful Tips & Notes

• Printing full records is easier for correction
  • When printing, omit records for 248 Baker
• Inventory is of the department's non-private computers and printers.
  • That is, those purchased with any kind of Cornell / research/ grant funds..
  • No personal systems. (Unless really rare exception, such as PI's personal system using a CCB (non-RedRover) network.)
• Bring the label maker to label machines
• Pay attention to multiple MAC addresses - virtual ones are not important
• IP addresses are not crucial unless they begin with something other than
  • 128.253
  • 10.253
  • 132.236
  • 10.236
  • 192.168 (some - check w/ Roger or Michael for group router range. Systems not on group router need to be recorded)

Windows

• Serial Number (if the sticker has fallen off or is inaccessible)
  • in CMD  --> type "wmic bios get serialnumber"

Mac OS

• (1) IP Address & (2) MAC (media access control, or network card) Address
  • System Preferences -> Network -> Advanced -> Hardware
  • Check MAC addresses for other networks (if there are any)
• Computer Name
  • System Preferences -> Sharing
• Serial Number & OS Version
  • About this Mac -> Double click "Version" text

Linux

• "ifconfig -a" or "/sbin/ifconfig" command gives the IP and MAC addresses

Windows XP-related pages

• WinXP inventory and remediation (ChemIT staff access only)
• P057 Windows XP remediation (NetID required for access so IT reps can see it, too)

High-level progress chart

• 248 Baker: All machines in 248 Baker have been inventoried and accounted for, although individual records in FMPro may be missing some information. Every machine listed in inventory in FileMaker was found during inventory, with the exception of virtual machines.

• 250 Baker: Inventory of ChemIT machines in 250 Baker is completed and up to date as of 5/13/2014.

Record any changes in IT reps in our spreadsheet, "CCB IT Reps, ChemIT", located at <R:\Chem IT\CCB people lists>.

And other faculty to consider connecting we should connect with, but not with a group (don't thus have an IT Rep): Burlitch, Fay, Ganem, Lee, McLafferty, McMurry, Meinwald, Sogah, Usher, Widom, Wilcox, Zax. Most have just their own computer (or two), unless otherwise indicated (such as a cluster in 248).