The University Computer Centre is now supporting the use of the multi-user data science platform JupyterHub, which allows users to work in their own interactive environment directly in the browser.
JupyterHub allows its users to use many programming languages (like Python, R und Julia) in so-called Jupyter notebooks. Jupyter notebooks are standardised files that enable the creation, management and sharing of program codes.
This enables e.g. teachers, to provide their participants with a standardised but customisable learning environment via eCampus, without having to install software on the end devices first.
JupyterHub users automatically receive 5GB of storage space for their personal Jupyter server. Specifications such as CPU or RAM limits can also be set individually for course participants.
"Marvin", the supercomputer installed at the University of Bonn in 2023, is about to be released. The cluster, consisting of 192 MPP nodes with a total of 18400 computing cores and an additional 300 NVIDIA GPUs, which was unveiled to the public in a festive inauguration event on 20 October 2023, is now about to be released.
After technical difficulties during the cooling of the cluster, the first testing phase had to be interrupted from the beginning of December until mid-February. During these two months, intensive work was carried out to make the cooling system more reliable and to protect the cluster hardware and the running jobs in the event of incidents.
The operations team at the University Computing Centre is now pleased to announce that the additional security mechanisms have been successfully tested, meaning that the HPC cluster could be put back into operation on Tuesday, 13 February 2024. This marks the start of the second intensive test phase, in which highly experienced "power users" can use the cluster again for numerical simulations and at the same time report possible problems and hickups to the data centre's maintenance team.
This also means that the supercomputer nears its official release to the general user base: Registration for the use of the HPC cluster is expected to be open to all scientists at the University of Bonn and its cooperation partners from 11 March 2024.
In the HRZ's own course room and online, courses on many IT topics will be offered to all university members also in summer term 2024.
Special opening and service times apply for our IT helpdesk during Carnival:
On Thursday, 08.02.2024 (Altweiber) the IT helpdesk closes at 12:00.
On Friday, 09.02.2024, the IT helpdesk will close at 3 p.m.
On Monday, 12.02.2024 (Rose Monday), the IT helpdesk will be closed all day.
Cloud-based email programs such as the new free Outlook app and other email client applications (please see below) can be used to transmit secret login data and email contents to third parties without notice (see news from December 6, 2023). The use of cloud-based email clients and backup services, therefore, poses a significant threat to data and information security at the University of Bonn, according to the IT security and Data Protection Officer of the university.
The fee-based Outlook programme (from Microsoft Office) is not affected and you can continue to use it. There are currently no security concerns here, as these applications communicate directly with the University of Bonn's email servers and no data is transferred to the Microsoft cloud.
In order to prevent the disclosure of access data and data leakage, the use of the following programmes, in combination with your Uni-ID, is not permitted for information security and data protection reasons and must be discontinued immediately, in accordance with the HRZ user regulations (see § 3 para. 2 clause 5):
- Outlook-App for Android und iOS,
- "New Outlook for Windows" (included in Windows 11 starting with version 23H2),
- Windows Mail (precursor of "New Outlook")
- Outlook for macOS (when using IMAP with CloudSync),
- Google-Mail (Cloud and POP3 direct access),
- Edison Mail,
- Newton,
- BlueMail (under certain conditions on mobile devices),
- Spark and
- Xiaomi Mail.
What to do now?
If you are using one of the programmes listed above, please change the product immediately and then change your Uni-ID password.
The HRZ will block the retrieval of e-mails by cloud-based e-mail programmes from 30 March 2024 by taking appropriate technical measures. This means that you will no longer be able to receive or send emails via the programmes listed above.
Security issues using cloud-backup
Please note that the backup services offered by Google and Apple are highly problematic as well and must not be used, when they cause university data (including login data) to be transferred to external cloud servers.
Due to performance bottlenecks on the database servers, there are currently longer access times to our campus management system BASIS. In order to prevent a system failure, the functions "Notenspiegel" and "Veranstaltungen suchen" are currently not available. In addition, the BASIS campus management system can only be accessed from the university network (BONNET or via a VPN connection) from 18.01.2024 (to identify the causes of the load).
On our website and in the HRZ documentation you will find information and instructions on how to set up a network connection to the university network BONNET and an encrypted connection to the university network (VPN-BONNET).
We are still working hard on the problem and ask for your patience and apologies.
What does providing IT-infrastructure at the University of Bonn mean? How does a typical work day look like for the colleagues at the University IT and Data Center?
In our new video collection 'HRZ - Behind the Scenes', we give insights into the diverse and exciting tasks of our HRZ-team.
The first episode begins in the HRZ network department, which is responsible for the operation and expansion of the university network and the provision of network services in all four campuses in the city (city center, Poppelsdorf, Endenich, Venusberg) and at the teaching and research stations outside the city borders (campus Klein-Altendorf, Wiesengut and Gut Frankenforst).
Last summer, we were able to accompany our colleagues from the network department on a field trip to Königswinter-Vinxel with our camera and learn from Heiko Goertz-Ort, the local IT admin at Gut Frankenforst, why even cows need functioning Wi-Fi.
We hope you enjoy the first episode 'HRZ - Behind the Scenes':
Due to the existing storm warning, the on-site service of the IT helpdesk will close at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 17, 2024.
The colleagues at the IT helpdesk can still be reached until 6 p.m. on 0228 73 2751 and by email at info-hrz@uni-bonn.de.