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Windows Network Q&A

This Q&A is to answer some of the questions Kinesiology network users may have since the switchover from Novell to Windows network administration in May 2009:

1. How do I connect remotely to my drives?
   You can access the Kinesiology network off-site by using VPN (Virtual Private Network). Instructions can be found on Sitemaker under “Instructions,” or by clicking the links below (Kerberos authentication required). NetDrive and NetStorage no longer work eff. 5/3/09.
   1. Windows instructions
   2. Mac instructions


2. Why is VPN necessary?
   It's part of the new campus security practices. Instead of having servers open to everyone on the internet, they are only available on-campus. This greatly reduces exposure to vulnerabilities and viruses for the servers. The VPN connection makes your remote computer appear to be on campus, and therefore it can “see” and access the servers.


3. Is there a web interface, like NetStorage or M-File?
   No, there is not a web interface to retrieve files.


4. So I can't get to my drives without installing something?
   1. Actually, you can by using Virtual Sites, where you can get to all your usual data folders by clicking on Computer - Map Network Drive. Choose any drive letter you want. For the path, put in:

      \\umroot\kinesiology

      and it will connect you to the Groups, Labs, Users and Temp drives. This is great for people in the labs especially, since Virtual Sites also has all their software packages installed (like Matlab, SPSS and SAS). Your Kerberos password and Kinesiology passwords need to be the same in order for this to work though. (see #5 below)
   2. You can also do this from any U-M Sites computer lab.
5. Should my Kerberos and Kinesiology/Active Directory passwords be the same?
   YES. If they aren't the same already, you should change your Kerberos password to match your Kinesiology/Active Directory password. The A.D. password has strong complexity requirements, so having them the same poses no additional security risk. It also makes connecting to the Kinesiology servers remotely (or through Sites/Virtual Sites) much simpler, since you only need to remember one password.

You can change your Kerberos password to match your Kinesiology password at the U-M password change page.

Most likely, you cannot change your Kinesiology/Active Directory password to match your Kerberos, since the AD password has stronger password requirements than Kerberos.

6. If I accidentally delete something, or save changes I didn't want, can I go back to the other version without KinHelp having to restore from backup?
   Yes, as long as that file is on the network.
   
   1. If deleted, open My Computer and navigate to the folder that had the file you deleted. Right-click on the folder and choose Properties. From there, click on the Previous Versions tab, and you will see all the available backups of the folder. These snapshots are taken at 7:00am and 12:00pm everyday, and tend to go back about two weeks, depending on how much data is involved. Double-click on the version of the folder you want to restore from, and you can browse and copy the files and folders you want to restore.
   2. For inadvertent changes, open My Computer and navigate to the file you want to restore. Right-click on it and choose Properties. From there, click on the Previous Versions tab and you will see all of the available backups of the file. Click on the version you want. From there you can choose to Restore the file (which will overwrite the current version), or you can Copy it (which allows you to save the previous version in a new location, so you have both the current and the previous versions of the file).
   Of course, we can also restore from tape backup if what you need can't be found in Previous Versions. Just email KinHelp with as much information as possible about what you need restored (paths, folder and file names, etc.).


7. What happened to Application Explorer for installing software?
   Application Explorer was replaced with Run Advertised Programs, which can be found under Start › Control Panel. Mostly lab software can be installed from here, like Matlab, SPSS and SAS. When new programs become available here, an announcement will be emailed.


8. What if I forget my network password?
   KinHelp can no longer reset your password. You can change it yourself through the ITCS password reset page. If you use Exchange/Outlook for email, this will also change that password.

If you have any questions about (or problems with) any of these new features, please contact KinHelp at kinhelp@umich.edu or 764-4015.