[labnetwork] Getting files off older computers

[Nathan Nelson - Fitzpatrick]

Hi Kevin,

This is a very good question and I’m looking forward to reading all the responses that will come in.

We have a similar suite of tools running older Windows versions in our lab.  Our IT people have set up a Virtual LAN to let us network all of our tool PCs (including Windows XP and 7).  The Virtual LAN is barred from sending or receiving traffic outside of campus so we have greatly reduced worries about someone attacking vulnerable and un-patchable computer hardware.

To transfer into and out of the cleanroom VLAN we have a locally hosted instance of OwnCloud (https://owncloud.org ).  This sits on a server with one network card facing into the cleanroom network, and one network card facing out to the general campus network.

On all of the cleanroom computers we have installed a browser with the OwnCloud URL bookmarked, so a user will just login to their account through the Owncloud web interface and then uploading files is just a matter of “drag and drop”.  The files can be retrieved and downloaded on the user’s desktop computer using the same method (though the URL is different from the “in-cleanroom” URL).

I would be happy to answer any questions you have about our solution.

Best regards,
  -Nathan
--
Nathan Nelson-Fitzpatrick  PhD
Nanofabrication Process & Characterization Engineering Manager
Quantum-Nano Fabrication and Characterization Facility (QNFCF)
Office of Research
University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON  N2L 3G1
P: 519-888-4567 ext. 31796
C: 226-218-3206
https://fab.qnc.uwaterloo.ca
[cid:CE86CB28-6FCA-4AE1-950B-126CD4A742E2]




From: <labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu<mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu>> on behalf of Kevin McPeak <kmcpeak at lsu.edu<mailto:kmcpeak at lsu.edu>>
Date: Sunday, September 9, 2018 at 7:54 PM
To: "labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu<mailto:labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu>" <labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu<mailto:labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu>>
Subject: [labnetwork] Getting files off older computers

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<mailto:kmcpeak at lsu.edu>
phone: 225-578-0058
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://mtl.mit.edu/pipermail/labnetwork/attachments/20180910/c2404706/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: university-of-waterloo-logo-esig[2].png
Type: image/png
Size: 10777 bytes
Desc: university-of-waterloo-logo-esig[2].png
URL: <https://mtl.mit.edu/pipermail/labnetwork/attachments/20180910/c2404706/attachment.png>