Our Heads are in the Clouds

Cloud-based file storage is particularly helpful to students for several reasons. It allows you to remotely back up files and collaborate with other students. Most of you have used Google Drive and/or Dropbox, both great services that meet this need. But what if you need more space than Google Drive’s 15GB and don’t want to pay more to extend Dropbox’s free 2GB? Or if you want to host your own website? Well, Hopkins has got you covered.

Introducing: JShare

JShare is not a new application, but it is an obscure one. You can access it from your my.jhu.edu homepage after logging in. Hovering over the “Cloud” Quicklink brings up the “Cloud Apps” and “JShare” icons, as shown below:

Bonus Description Pop-up!

Clicking on JShare will open up a tab similar to the one shown here:

You say 'bland', I say 'functional layout'

As you can see, I’m using my JShare space to host my own websites. For all students, but especially those considering doing Web development after graduation, having a website with your resume information is a great way to show off your skills and put yourself on the job market. By default, there is a public_html folder designated for html files, but you can add, remove, and rename folders to your heart’s content by right-clicking. In addition, JShare gives you a fair amount of control over who else can see what is on your space. Right-click on a folder and then select Manage from the drop-down menu. This brings up the settings for that particular folder. On the left is the tab navigator, and after pressing “Permissions” your screen should look something like this:

So much power!

Users are listed under "Name" and their permissions can be set to Viewer or Contributor mode. If you want to remove privileges from a user (or Public), first select the user with the checkbox, and then press the "Remove Access" button. The Add User/Group button allows you to add anyone in the Hopkins network (from what I can tell) to your permitted user list; if the email is not recognized by JShare, it will automatically create a “ticket” for that user that allows them to be given viewing or contributing privileges until it expires. The default lifetime of a ticket is 30 days, but this can be changed or even set to unlimited. You can also assign a password for the ticket, but a password won’t improve security. In order to send the ticket link through JShare, you must first choose to use Mircrosoft Outlook or some other mail client. All ticket-related activities can be done from the “Tickets” tab on the left.

You can also copy/paste the ticket link into any e-mail or FB message.

You’ll also notice Logging and Versioning tabs, but I’ll discuss how to use those in a future post about Online Collaboration. Feel free to leave comments below!

JHU Pulse

Hopkins has long had a VPN (virtual private network) system in place for access to the Hopkins internet from a computer or mobile device, even when the device in question is displaced from the immediate Hopkins campuses. A user could download either an Apple or and Android app from the appropriate store, and through use of this app could access the internal Hopkins network. The name of this app is Juniper Junos Pulse. If you've never heard of it before, you are not alone. Soon everyone on campus is going to know of JHU Pulse, so consider yourself one of the most up-to-date people at Hopkins for reading this blog post!

Some of you may have noticed a small notice on the My.JHU.edu dashboard that looks like this:

You may have seen this before, but let's explore what it means.

I first saw this a couple of days ago, so it is a recent development on the Johns Hopkins campus. Let's explore a bit deeper. Clicking on the link it offers take you to a spartan page with minimal information about the new system. The home page of this gives you the option to connect now, assuming that you've already downloaded the new software that's required. If you're partial to the old VPN system (JHUConnect), you are able to access the legacy item through a link at the bottom. 

At the top is a link to the standard Acceptable Use Policies,  also accessible on the IT@JH homepage. In fact, that's where this new website will redirect you. Another link native to the JHU Pulse page is a list of all the systems with which the new Pulse will be compatible. It includes most OS's and browsers, but if you see something listed below, Pulse is incompatible:

1. Windows 8.1 OS
2. OSX Mavericks
3. Windows Phone
4. Windows XPe (although who uses XP now that Microsoft is officially shutting down tech support for that product?)
5. Chrome
6. Internet Explorer 64-bit
7. Blackberry
8. Linux (Ubuntu 9.10, 10.x, 11.x and 12.04 LTS, OpenSUSe 10.x, 11.x and 12.1, Red Hat Enterprise 5)
9. Solaris 10 32-bit (note: 64-bit is supported)

I'm most upset that Chrome isn't a supported browser, given that it's extremely user friendly, but seeing as it operates on the Linux kernel it does make sense. I've also noticed other JHU sites going a bit haywire on Chrome, so maybe it's a recurring theme.

Anyway, clicking the last link on the header of the page will take you to a page that has more links to PDF instructions on how to install the software needed for JHU Pulse on your computer, whatever your operating system is. The pictures displayed in these manuals are from before the summer, which is evident from the login portal screen shot used. This just shows how long this project has been underway, so it's exciting to see it finally come to light!

The installation is very similar to any other installation you've ever done, only this one may ask you to also install something called Juniper ActiveX Control. Juniper is the company that made these products, and the ActiveX Control will allow the VPN to communicate with the interface on your computer. It's critical that this is installed along with the other software or the VPN connection will not stick!

Finally, the page will automatically redirect you to the installation center for the JHU Pulse software. Jump through the installation hoops one more time and then you're done. Congratulations! You are now able to access all of the Hopkins on-site internet resources, including library searches, virtual textbooks, and cloud software from the comfort of your apartment or your distant home, wherever that could be!

JHU Pulse will go into full effect on November 14, after which it is unclear if JHUConnect will be completely removed from the JHU system. I've never had much success with JHUConnect; it was clunky and I could never figure out if I was truly connected or not. This new system promises to be more streamlined and user-intuitive, so I for one am very much looking forward to it. I have to admit: it will be nice to be able to access Web of Science from home over Thanksgiving Break!

That's it from the TechBlog for this week. As always, good luck on exams and leave your comments in the space below.