Observant users of CAT supported Tier 1 or 2 Windows systems may have noticed a new drive mapping that appeared recently.  This drive map provides all Windows users with access to their UNIX storage space.

What is the "UNIX storage space"?

The UNIX Storage Space is the contents of your UNIX home directory.

While some of you may have specific UNIX accounts, with which you access UNIX (ie: Solaris) systems in CS or ECE, you may not be aware that ALL users on CAT supported systems have a UNIX account.  This account exists to provide you with e-mail and web access.
       
The U: drive mapping provides you with acccess to that storage location (ie: home directory).  Windows users can use the U: drive the same way they use their N: drive. 

Disk Quota increase coming soon to the U: drive 

UNIX disk quotas are going to be increased soon for all users.  Windows users will be able to take advantage of this quota increase by storing folders in the U: drive. 

How this affects old "webserver" users

Windows users who are accustomed to accessing their web directory from:       

    \\webserver\username or \\baboon\username or \\scalpel\username


will find that the U: drive contains their web directory.  (Many of you with this configuration are long term faculty users who were transitioned from the old IIS web server many, many years ago.)

If you wish to use the U: drive for more than just your web publishing location, please contact us to have your web directory mapping modified.  It may mean some slight changes to your web publishing procedures.

What if you had mapped your U: drive to something else?

If you had already mapped your U: drive to another location,you will not be able to see the U: drive we are pushing out to users.  You will need to either remove your existing U:
drive mapping or manually map the UNIX storage place to another drive letter.       

For details, see Mapping a Drive to a UNIX Account.

Does the U: drive also give you access to your Linux storage space? 

As delivered, the U: drive simply maps to your existing UNIX (Solaris) storage.  You may chose to make your Linux home directory available through this drive mapping by creating a appropriate symbolic link on UNIX.

See our instructions on Accessing UNIX/Linux files from Windows Using Samba.

Is the U: drive completely compatible with the N: drive?

Most users will find the U: drive space indistinguishable from the N: drive.

However, some of the more sophisticated use of restricting user rights to files and directories on a selective basis are not applied transparently through the U: drive.  If you want to do file and directory rights across the U: drive, you will need to manipulate the UNIX home directory natively from UNIX.