Working culture at UTU geospatial laboratories

The laboratories are for UTU staff and student usage only and they are to be used only for research and education purposes in GIS, remote sensing and applied geoinformatics. It is expected that the users are self-sustaining in computing as advisory services are limited. Background knowledge for students can be obtained from the UTU courses in geoinformatics.

UTU geospatial GIS/RS laboratories are Modelling lab (room 453), GIS class (Paikkatietoluokka, room 420.1 and 420.2) and Maatila class (room 418), the former teaching laboratory.

Work sessions for UTU Geospatial lab should be reserved in the reservation lists that are located in the corridor outside the laboratory. Please try to avoid unnecessary reservations and restrict your reservations to less than half a day at a time.

The following general instructions apply for all the laboratories. More precise instructions on the usage of UTU Geospatial lab (room 453) can be found below.

General instructions:

  • The laboratories are only available for authorised purposes with copyright and related restrictions appropriately respected.

  • Do not make too much noise and give all the users the opportunity to work in peace.

  • Personal or business oriented tasks should never be done in the laboratories

  • Always remember to maintain a good working order in the laboratory and do not bring liquids or food to the lab (coffee etc)

  • Inform the personnel about your observations regarding problems that need their attention.

  • Users are not allowed to install any software on the computers.

  • Files can be stored in user’s personal network folders or temporarily on the computer’s own hard drive. Users are responsible on taking backups of their data!

  • Please give a chance to transfer data between computers if another person has data stored in the hard drive of the computer that you’re using.

UTU Geospatial lab

UTU Geospatial lab is primarily for GIS/RS work and thus other computing (writing, surfing in the Internet) should be done elsewhere. The lab’s doors are always locked and only staff and other authorised users may attend the premises. Always check that the door is closed when leaving the lab.

Files can be stored in:

  • user’s personal network folders and external media

  • network drives or folders of projects

  • individual researchers can create a folder for their working period on computer’s E-drive.

If you feel any information is lacking or should be modified, do not hesitate and inform the personnel about it.

 

FAQ 

How can I get access to UTU Geospatial lab?
Ask for a permission from the personnel.

Where can I get a key for the lockers in laboratories?
In case any lockers are available, you can obtain a key from the personnel after paying a bail of 20€.

Am I allowed to install software on UTU-computers?
The users are not allowed to install any software on the computers without permission. In case you need software that is not available, please contact the laboratory personnel. However, note that all computers do not necessarily contain the same software packages. Check the page ‘Software’ to see if the program you need is available on another computer.

Where to find information about software? In case you have questions about how to perform certain tasks in a program there are several information sources you can consult: The on-line help of the program is often more useful than people assume. On the Internet most of the software producers maintain a web-site providing up to date information about their products. Check ‘Software’ to find many useful sites.

May I save data to the hard discs of the computers? Especially when working with big files it is often faster to work from the computer’s hard disc than through the network. For as long as your work session takes it is therefore allowed to store date on the local E-disc, if there is such on the computer. If there’s no E-disk, then please use the the folder ‘Opiskelijat’ or ‘Students’ on C- or D-disc. Remember to name your files and folders properly.

Since the storage capacity of local discs is limited, you should store data in your network home directory or some external media and erase all of it from the local discs at the end of the session! Please, keep in mind that the laboratory personnel is not taking backups and they have the right to delete data files from local disc if necessary.

Furthermore, the local discs should certainly not be used for storing backups of your work. If you want to create backups, please use external devices.

 

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