Connecting to remote Windows servers#

We have access to two sets of remote desktop Windows servers:

  • CCSS-RS (classic)

  • Cloud CCSS (beta)

Please be sure to do this:

  • use the L drive for all “Workspace” folders (i.e., the clone of the Bitbucket repository)

  • use the D drive for those that are large and need fast storage (but be aware that D drive is also wiped)

  • ALWAYS git commit and git push all changes before you logout, every time you log out.

Warning

Please note that anything saved in the C drive (Documents, Desktop, or Download folders) and D drive may be deleted at any time (reboot/security update), and there is no way to recover the deleted files.

Please be sure to follow all instructions, in particular the ones about mapping network drives.

You can connect to CCSS Cloud Computing via a web browser or via the a Remote Desktop (RDP) client. Note that for some strange reason, Windows users need to use a DIFFERENT RDP client than the one that comes with their system (and used for CCSS classic). See the instructions provided by CCSS and this link at Microsoft for the right client for your laptop’s OS. Web browser instructions are below, for convenience.

Mapping Network Drives

  • You should map the following network drive, following the instructions linked above (see the document “3. Cloud Storage”)

    • \\ccssilr.file.core.windows.net\lv39 to drive letter L: (you can call it “LDILab Drive”)

    • We will be using that drive letter often (including to replace the S: drive from the CCSS classic nodes).

  • When instructed, you may also need to map the old S-drive:

    • \\rschfs2x.ciserrsch.cornell.edu\share\LDIlab

    • Select “Connect using different credentials”

      • CISER username: ciserrsch\[netID]_RS (where [netid] is replaced by… your NetID!)

      • Check the box “Reconnect at login”

Signing out or disconnecting

  • If you have set a replication package’s code to run, do not sign out/ log off - disconnect.

  • If you are done for a few days, and have nothing running, then sign out.

Disconnecting

Close the browser tab, or close the application by the usual methods. This will leave your code running!

Warning

These instructions are here for informational purposes only. You should be using the CCSS Cloud servers at this time.

Follow instructions at CCSS-RS. Be sure to select the tab that corresponds to your laptop’s operating system!

Disconnecting

  • If you have set a replication package’s code to run, do not sign out/ log off - disconnect.

  • If you are done for a few days, and have nothing running, then sign out.

Signing out

It is important to sign out when you do NOT have jobs running. However, when you no longer have a job running, it saves everybody resoures. Your data will still be accessible when you sign back on.

Manually

  • Open Start Menu

  • Click on the Profile icon of your name on the left.

  • Select ‘Sign out’

Signout

Automatically

To configure your job to sign out automatically at the end, these are the instructions provided by CCSS:

*Use the code below at the bottom of the Stata "main" or "master" script to automatically sign out 

shell shutdown -l 

# Add to end of main or last script.
system("shutdown  -l")

%Use code below at end of MATLAB main script, or last script, to automatically sign out

system("shutdown -l")

%Use code below at bottom of Python/Anaconda script to automatically sign out

import os

os.system("shutdown -l")