General Information about User Codes
User Code Application Forms
Things you should remember when creating secure user
code passwords
How will you change your user code password?
ECS User Codes List
| General Information about User Codes
|
Our users should have user codes defined on the central server systems in order to use the computational resources of the university.
To obtain a user code for the students
Undergraduate Students: Student user codes are automatically defined at the beginning of student's first semester at METU. The user code envelopes are delivered in return of the student ID card and signature at the registeration place. All students are bound to obey to the "METU Information Technology Resources Use Policy".
Master and Ph.D. Students: At the beginning of the semester, user code envelopes are given to the students in return to the student ID card and signature, from Computer Center , 1st floor, room no: 114. All the users should obey to the "METU Information Technology Resources Use Policy" which is written at the back of the envelope.
Special Students: It will be given to the student, in return of the Special Student ID card, from Computer Center, 1st floor, room no:114. All the users should obey to the "METU Information Technology Resources Use Policy" which is written at the back of the envelope.
The Expiration of the Student User Codes
The graduated or withdrawed students' user codes will expire in 1 (one) semester.
For the graduated students' exxxxxx@metu.edu.tr type e-mail addresses, which run on the central servers of the METU Computer Center , there is a "forwarding service" since 2003-2004 Academic Year.
Within this service, the e-mail addresses in the exxxxxx@metu.edu.tr format, will be in use for one semester following graduation (until the March of the following year for those who graduated in June and until the November of the same year for those who graduated in February), and at the end of this period forwarding permanently to a new address notified by our graduate at the end of the one-semester period. Information about the forwarding service will be delivered one month prior to the end of the extended period via e-mail.
Getting User Code for the Personnel
The METU personnel should fill the F1 form which should be signed by the Department/Unit administration. They must apply to the Computer Center 1st floor, room no:114 with the form in person. All the users are obliged to obey to the "METU Information Technology Resources Use Policy".
No user code is provided for the users whose personnel ID number isn’t assigned by the METU Directorate of Personnel Affairs.
The Expiration pf Personnel User Codes
The users' accounts, which are closed due to reasons other than retirement or expired due to end of assignment, will be closed at the end of 3 months after the personnel leaves office. Back-up is available up to 1 year.
If valid reasons are stated, the user code can be prolonged for an extra 3 months.
The demands for more than 3 months (User code can be prolonged for 1 year up to approval of the head of the department/unit) should be approved by the head of department/unit by filling the F3 form. The form must be taken to the Computer Center 1st floor, room no:114.
Research assistants whose duty term is over but the MS or Phd program
persists, will be given 1 year prolongation until their education period is over.
Research assistants whose duty and education term is over will be given
1 year of prolongation at most. Second application will not be accepted other than special circumstances.
User Codes Demanded for the Departments/Units
The F2 Form should be filled by the personnel who is responsible for the user codes for the user codes which are demanded for the Departments/Units or conferences, projects and seminars etc. and approved by the Department/Unit administration. The form should be taken to the Computer Center , 1st floor room no: 114.
Renewal of the User Code Password
Students with "Student ID Card", personnel with the "Personnel ID Card" should apply to Computer Center , 1 st floor room no: 114 for the renewal of the forgotten or lost password.
For question and problems about the user codes, apply to the "User Code Registration" desk (CC 1 st floor room no: 114).
Working Hours: 09:00 - 12:30 & 13:30 - 17:00
Due to security reasons, the password should be changed with another permanent one which the user chooses after the code is taken from "User Code Registration" desk. When changing the password beware that a password which is similar to your name can easily be guessed by others.
The user codes should be used in accordance with the "METU Information Technology Resources Use Policy" ETU Information Technology Resources Use Policy
The table below indicates the total number of the user codes provided between the years 1996-2006.
For security reasons, after you receive your user code and temporary password from the registration desk, change your password to a permanent one as soon as possible. While changing, remember that a password similar to your name shall easily be guessed by others.
During the use of user codes, you should be careful about not to infringe the clauses set forth in the "METU Information
Technology Resources Use Policy".
In the table below, total number of user accounts provided on METU systems is given for each year between
1996-2005
| YEAR |
TOTAL
NUMBER OF USER ACCOUNTS |
| 2007 |
46,636 |
| 2006 |
40,675 |
| 2005 |
36,305 |
| 2004 |
32,580 |
| 2003 |
31,032 |
| 2002 |
30,592 |
| 2001 |
31,189 |
| 2000 |
26,642 |
| 1999 |
22,901 |
| 1998 |
22,468 |
| 1997 |
16,183 |
| 1996 |
13,139 |
| Things you should remember when creating secure user code passwords
|
Every user in central servers is recognised by his/her
user code and password. The password provides the privacy of the user code. "The
user is responsible for every action carried out with his/her password. He/she
cannot transfer the password information to someone else. Firstly, the user must
keep his/her password as secret and should not disclose it to the second parties.
Secondly, he/she must use a secure and strong password that cannot be easily guessed.
These constitute a very sensitive issue both for the security of the user codes
and security of the computer resources of METU.
The user passwords should bear
some characteristics, which specify the secure and reliable nature of the combination
of user code and password. Users must observe the following fundamental rules
to create a strong password that prevent an easy guess:
The password must be at least 6 characters and maximum 8 characters.
Passwords should not ONLY be comprised of alphabetical characters.
Passwords should NOT be directly related with the user codes or be a
derivative of the user codes.
e.g. : e123456/e124356, e123456/123456, mehmeta/mehmet, mehmeta/mehmet12,
mehmeta/1mehmet.
Such user code-password combinations are absolutely not recommended.
Passwords should NOT be directly related with the personal information
that belongs to the user such as date of birth, name, surname etc. or be a derivative
of the same kind of information.
Passwords should NOT be meaningful words or words that can easily be
guessed.
Passwords should include numbers and characters which do not convey
a meaning and which are available on the keyboard (".", ",",
"/", "&", "!" etc.). At the same time, the user
should be able to remember the password easily without forcing himself/herself
to write it on a piece of material.
Users should be careful NOT to use Turkish characters (ı, ğ, ş, ç, ö,
ü, İ, Ğ, Ü, Ş, Ç, Ö) when creating their passwords.
Users should remember the fact that our systems are "Unix"
systems. In Unix systems, uppercase and lowercase characters are treated as different
characters.
| How will you change your user code password?
|
After you log onto the central systems with SSH program (How can I
connect to central server systems?), enter the passwd command on the command line as indicated below.
When you press ENTER key, the following screen will be displayed:
$ passwd
Changing password for e123456...
Old
Password: |
Enter the password you have been using (here defined as Old Password). Press ENTER key. The
system will prompt you to enter the New Password as indicated below:
Enter your new password amd hit ENTER
key. The system will ask you to enter the new password once again. Enter your new password once more. Meanwhile, the password characters will not be
displayed on the screen.
Hit ENTER key. The system will prompt a message telling you that your password has been changed
succesfully. You should use your new password, the next time you log onto the systems.
Password changed successfully for user e123456.
$ |
Please log out of the systems by entering the exit command on the command line and then
hitting ENTER key.
Important Note: User passwords in central servers are updated four times a day at 09:00, 12:00, 14:00,
16:00. For this reason, your new password will be valid after the first update hour.
