Overview

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ETS provides two distinct models for class account set-ups.  Wherever possible, students are given accounts that match their OCE or personal account.
 

Critical Concepts

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• Accounts have limits on various resources. Visit the Quotas page to know the Computer Units and Charges assigned to each account.
• To get additional information about about Open Computing Environments and Course Set-ups, visit the 

Steps to Take

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Model 1: Course-specific accounts

1. This model is used mainly by engineering courses utilizing space on ETS Unix-based hosts. Each student is given a special purpose account for the class. The accounts are named after the class (subject, course number, and semester), with two extra letters appended to the end to make each student's account name unique. For example, me10fxx could be a student account for MAE 10 during the fall semester.

   Under this model, an instructor has a high level of control over the accounts, including the ability to switch user (SU) to student accounts without using a password.

Model 2: Open Computing Environment (OCE)

1. Eligible students open a personal OCE account which they are expected to use for all OCE compatible classes in which they are enrolled. The account receives allocations of computer time and disk space for each OCE compatible class. Any leftover computing resources may also be used for extra-curricular purposes.
2. The OCE account is named after the student: usually the first initial of their first name followed by up to the first seven letters of their last name (e.g., jdoe).
3. The SU authority which allows an instructor to "switch user" to a student's account without a password is not available under the OCE model. In contrast with course-specific accounts set up under the traditional model - in which each account is designated for one class and one class only - students use their OCE accounts for multiple classes. In order for the students to manage and control the account and its files to complete assignments for various classes, OCE accounts must remain fairly autonomous. Instead, the prepfile mechanism provides the instructor with a means to tailor the student's shell environment and to broadcast messages for the class. The Turn It In program addresses the issue of homework collection.  Additional resources: