Requirement for users to get GI VPN access

From UCSC Genomics Institute Computing Infrastructure Information

Revision as of 18:59, 9 December 2020 by Haifang (talk | contribs)

If you need VPN access to the Genomics Institute firewalled/secure area (aka the "Prism" or "CIRM" Environment), please complete this form: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/a76dbd90ba0240ab9ea9d39b390586ce.

There are two parts in this process.

1. For the user, please fill in ALL required fields and attach all three required documents. Please see the links and instructions below.

2. For the Sponsor/PI - you will receive an email from Smartsheet. Please fill in all required fields and submit.

We will receive your completed request and we will create your account and go over the details via a short zoom meeting with you. 


to request access. There are several requirements to gaining access to the firewalled area - please complete all these requirements BEFORE coming to have the VPN software set up for your laptop.

Please use this checklist to make sure that you have completed all six requirements. 

 1. User info, your PI info and your PI's approval
 2. NIH Public Security Refresher Course Certificate
 3. Signed Genomics Institute VPN User Agreement
 4. Signed NIH Genomic Data Sharing Policy Agreement
 5. "eduroam" wireless network has setup on your laptop
 6. Installed the appropriate OpenVPN software on your laptop

1: You are required to ask your PI or sponsor to email cluster-admin@soe.ucsc.edu requesting a VPN account for you - this email should include: 

 Your name
 Your PI's name
 Your requested username (If your name is Jane Doe, then your username could be 'jdoe' for example).
 PI's approval for this access
 What other access you need such as a UNIX server account or access to OpenStack.

2: You must take the NIH Public Security Refresher Course online, then print out the Completion Certificate (which should have your name on it) at the end of the training and deliver it when you come to your appointment to install the VPN software. You must complete the course in a single continuous sitting in order to be able to print the certificate at the end: 

https://irtsectraining.nih.gov/publicUser.aspx

Click on the "2018 Information Security, Counterintelligence, Privacy Awareness, Records Management Refresher" link to begin the course. At the end you will be able to print out the completion certificate that should have your name on it.

3: You need to print and sign the Genomics Institute VPN User Agreement and bring it with you to your VPN software installation appointment, located here for download: 

Media:GI_VPN_Policy.pdf

4: Please print, read and sign the last page of the NIH Genomic Data Sharing Policy agreement, located here for download. Just staple the pages together. Please bring the signed document to your appointment. By signing the document you agree that you have read and understand the policies described therein and that you agree to abide by those policies: 

Media:NIH_GDS_Policy.pdf

5: You will need access to the "eduroam" wireless network prior to your appointment. Other UCSC wireless networks such as "cruznet" will not work with our VPN software, so please make sure your laptop works with eduroam before coming to your appointment. Instructions on how to get on eduroam are detailed here: 

https://its.ucsc.edu/wireless/eduroam.html

When using the VPN software off-campus, it will usually work unless the wireless network you are on has restrictions preventing it from functioning. Some other universities have such restrictions (notably UCSF), but most other wireless network and home wireless networks should work fine.

6: Before your appointment, please make sure you install the appropriate OpenVPN software on your laptop: 

A laptop running OS X, Windows or Ubuntu

For Macs, please download and install Tunnelblick from https://tunnelblick.net/downloads.html. Select the Latest Stable version.

For Windows, please download and install OpenVPN Client from https://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/downloads.html. Select openvpn-install-x.x.x-xxxx.exe

For Ubuntu, please install network-manager-openvpn by typing: 

sudo apt-get install network-manager-openvpn network-manager-openvpn-gnome

Please do NOT worry about how to configure the software at this point. We will help you to set it up at your appointment.

We will correspond with you via email on when the appointment will be. The appointment can take up to 30 minutes per person depending on whether or not any issues come up during the software setup. If you show up for your appointment without one (or more) of the above outlined requirements, we will have to reschedule your appointment for a time when you can arrive after completing the above requirements.

PLEASE NOTE: Because of the overhead required in setting up VPN access, please only request access if you have an immediate need to work on data that exists behind the firewall. We have had a decent number of people request access and go through the setup but then never use it. In other words, please do not request access because "one day you might need it", but because you do actually need it!

ALSO NOTE: VPN accounts expire after one year from the date of first gaining access. To renew for another year you will need your PI/sponsor to send us a note asking for renewal.

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