[labnetwork] Getting files off older computers

[Demis D. John]

As others said, We also have an "intermediate" computer that sits between
our lab computers and the campus network.
In our case it's a Debian Linux server running the firewall etc.  So this
takes some active mangement, but has given us a lot of granular control
over how our network operates and how users can get their files.
It allows us to have some computers with full internet access, while tool
computers only have internal network access, and all computers can access
our Process Wiki regardless (for tool instructions etc.) & the Equipment
Signup site.  We can also allow Vendors to remote-access as needed, for a
short amount of time.

Our lab computers, including old Win3.1, WinXP etc. run an hourly script
that syncs ("rsync") new files to the Linux server.
Users can then SFTP into the Linux server and get their files.  It has some
scripts that set up SFTP access for each group, restricted to their own
folders on each tool only.
This does require someone to have some Linux experience, and we still
employ a consultant for very difficult cases.

In the lab, we disable the Windows Driver for the "USB Mass Storage" to
prevent users from using the USB ports.  Even for computers that don't have
restricted user accounts, this still prevents users from using the USB
drives.
-- Demis

----------------------------------------
           demis at ucsb.edu
*   Process Scientist Manager*
 UCSB Nanofabrication Facility <https://www.nanotech.ucsb.edu/>
----------------------------------------



On Tue, Sep 11, 2018 at 3:45 AM Robbins, Roger <Roger.Robbins at utdallas.edu>
wrote:

> RE: “Getting Files off older computers”
>
>
>
> The cleanroom at the University of Texas at Dallas has solved that problem
> by purchasing a new computer with a large capacity hard drive and attaching
> it to a network associated with the old computers.  The usage protocol
> allows the tool computer a two way link to read and write files.  So the
> user of the tool stores data to this hard drive and then links a desk top
> etc. computer to the large storage computer and downloads the data.
> However the desktop computer cannot upload anything to the storage disk.
> This allows access to the data but prevents viruses from infecting the
> cleanroom tools.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Dr. Roger Robbins
>
> UTD Process Engineer
>
> *From:* Keith Bradshaw <bradshaw1234 at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Monday, September 10, 2018 6:34 PM
> *To:* scott riekena <rsriekena at yahoo.com>; Goodnight, John <
> jgood at utdallas.edu>; Robbins, Roger <Roger.Robbins at utdallas.edu>;
> Pollack, Gordon <gordon.pollack at utdallas.edu>
> *Subject:* Fwd: [labnetwork] Getting files off older computers
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> From: *Kevin McPeak* <kmcpeak at lsu.edu>
> Date: Mon, Sep 10, 2018 at 6:52 AM
> Subject: [labnetwork] Getting files off older computers
> To: <labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu>
>
>
>
> Dear Colleagues,
>
> Here at the LSU cleanroom, we have several older computers (e.g Win XP and
> Win 7) which are not allowed on the network. These computers are connected
> to instruments (e.g. SEM and AFM) that we often need to get files from.
> Unfortunately, the instruments do not run on Win 10 (our network
> administrator won't allow Win 7 on the network as well).
>
>
>
> The current protocol to get images etc. off these older computers is to
> use a cleanroom owned USB stick to move the file to one computer in the
> cleanroom which is on the network.
>
>
>
> I do not like this protocol. It is very difficult to stop users from using
> their own USB stick, which could be infected. Also USB sticks grow legs.
>
>
>
> I suspect other facilities on the list have faced these same challenges. I
> am curious how you have resolved them. Thank you in advance for your input!
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Kevin
>
> --
> Kevin M. McPeak
> Assistant Professor
> Louisiana State University
> Dept. of Chemical Engineering
> 3307 Patrick Taylor Hall
> Baton Rouge, LA  70803
> email: kmcpeak at lsu.edu
> phone: 225-578-0058
>
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