MKI IT Office Hours

While MKI’s IT group generally has an open-door policy while in our offices, we do occasionally close our doors for up to half a day so that we can focus on and make progress on MKI-level tasks. You can generally expect that Ricky, the MKI Desktop Support specialist, will keep his door open whenever he is in. Ricky would be able to contact Kenton or Paul as needed.

The surest way to get support is to send email to mki-it@mit.edu; this address reaches the entire team, and opens a ticket in our ticket system.

MKI Email Policy

MKI faculty, staff, and students may be given an @space.mit.edu email address upon request. This email address will be forwarded to the individual’s @mit.edu email address.

For those who currently have @space.mit.edu email addresses and have left MKI:

• If your @space.mit.edu email is being forwarded to your @mit.edu email address, you will receive an email stating that your @space.mit.edu email address will be deactivated in 90 days. Emeriti will retain their @space.mit.edu email address for life.
• If you have a grandfathered email account where you collect email from space.mit.edu, but are no longer working at MKI, you will be sent an email (which will appear in both your MKI and MIT hosted email accounts) stating that you have 90 days to retrieve any emails off of any MKI-hosted email accounts you might have. Following those 90 days your @space.mit.edu email address will be redirected to forward all email to your @mit.edu email address, and any existing email accounts on MKI machines will be deleted.
• Those who have a grandfathered @space.mit.edu email account will be required to utilize the IMAP email protocol. MKI IT staff will assist with any needed transition. This is required to update the servers used for hosting MKI email.
• Sponsored email accounts: Faculty, PRS, and SRS can sponsor individuals who are not MKI faculty, staff, or students for an @space.mit.edu email address, which will be forwarded to another email address. Individuals who can be sponsored include:
• • Voucher or temporary MIT employees working for MKI.
  • Working on MKI projects in a way that requires a space.mit.edu electronic identity.
  • Former MIT students/staff continuing work within their department after their departure.
• Sponsored email accounts will be required to be renewed annually every July.

MKI Computing Account Policy

MKI faculty, staff, and students will be given an MKI  computing account upon request. The MKI computing account covers both SpaceNet machines, storage, and the MKI Cluster. Users are expected to adhere to the proper use policy below.

Leaving MKI: Those who have an MKI computing account and leave MKI will have access to their account for 90 days past their end date. Emeriti should be in touch with the MKI IT manager if they wish continuing access.

Sponsored MKI computing accounts: Faculty, PRS, and SRS can sponsor individuals who are not MKI faculty, staff, or students for  an MKI computing account. These accounts are for individuals who are working with MKI faculty, PRS, or SRS on research that requires access to data or computational resources not available to them elsewhere. Applications should be made to the MKI IT manager. Sponsored MKI computing accounts will need to be renewed annually, and are subject to review at any time. Access to sponsored accounts will be suspended on the end date specified in the sponsored account request.

MKI IT Support for non-MKI Systems

While MKI IT is charged with maintaining the large collection of machines that are part of MKI, we are also asked by individuals to support their ‘BYO’ machines. The policy regarding the support of non-MKI systems follows:

• Any machine bought with MKI contract/grant funds and managed by MKI IT staff receive full support. Exceptions are non-standard operating systems and software applications; these exceptions include more advanced Windows support.
• Any ‘3rd party’ or self-managed machine will receive ‘best effort’ support—we will certainly do our best to assist, but we cannot make guarantees, and only when we have time.

MKI Computing Rules of Use

These are directly inherited from the MITnet Rules of Use; you should mentally replace ‘MITnet’ with ‘MKI Computing’ when you read them.

While the MKI computing network is a general-purpose resource to support most kinds of computing on campus, Athena is more specifically focused on academic computing—the use of computers in fulfilling the Institute’s educational goals. This special focus is echoed in a more specific intended use of the system.

Comply with Intended Use of the System

1. Don’t violate the intended use of the MKI computing network.

Assure Ethical Use of the System

2. Don’t let anyone know your password(s).

3. Don’t violate the privacy of other users.

4. Don’t misuse the intellectual property of others.

5. Don’t use the MKI computing network to harass anyone in any way.

Assure Proper Use of System Resources

6. Don’t misuse electronic communications and collaboration services.

7. No hubs/switches/routers allowed on the MKI computing network.