====== Rules for terminal server usage ======

===== Getting access =====

In order to get access to the terminal server **term.imp.fu-berlin.de** you need to drop us an email at zedv@physik.fu-berlin.de stating your ZEDAT account that should be enabled. Any member of the physics department will be given access and there are currently no costs attached to it.

===== disconnect vs. log-out =====

**<color red>In order to log out from the terminal server it is not sufficient to click on the red cross in the upper right corner of your client window!</color>**

**<color red>Um sich vom Terminal-Server abzumelden, reicht es nicht, das Windows-Fenster durch einen Klick auf das rote Kreuz oben rechts zu schliessen!</color>**

An important feature of a terminal server is that you can disconnect from your session and pick it up at a later time. E.g. you could start your work at home, disconnect the session and reconnect back once you reach the office. All programs will stay open. In order to not have disconnected sessions flood the server (since people tend to forget about them) we will **automatically terminate disconnected sessions after 48 hours**. So please make sure to save your documents every time you disconnect from your terminal server session. If you don't need to reconnect to your session at a later time, please **log out from it using the normal log out mechanism from within windows, e.g. Start->Logout**. Just closing the remote desktop client by clicking the "red cross" will **not** log you out from the terminal server but will keep your session running in disconnected state.
===== Running programs =====

Since the terminal server is a shared server where lots of people might be working at the same time you are not allowed to start long running and cpu/memory intensive calculations there. The main purpose of the system is to give everyone access to typical Windows software like Office, Adobe Acrobat or Origin. If you need to run calculations please let us know at hpc@physik.fu-berlin.de and we'll find some resources that are better suited for that purpose.

===== Maintenance =====

In order to update software or fix problems the terminal servers might have to be rebooted every once in a while. If this becomes necessary we will terminate user sessions that have **no active programs** aka empty desktops. These sessions are in almost all cases just open by accident and the corresponding users might even have forgotten about them. In any case terminating these sessions doesn't do any damage since no programs are running.