The Biology and Evolutionary Anthropology departments follow a set of policies related to computing equipment and data approved by the BioCC committee.
Supported Operating Systems
- The Biology/EA IT team will provide full support for a limited number of versions of operating systems running on three major platforms: Windows, Macintosh OSX, and Linux.
- The Biology/EA IT team recognizes that non-standard or non-current versions are sometimes necessary to run legacy equipment or software. If this applies to you, please consult with the Biology/EA IT team about possible security and network services issues.
| Full Support | Limited Support | No Suppor/Not allowed on the Network |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 *(Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate) MacOS 10.14 Mojave MacOS 10.15 Catalina (Note: There may be issues with certain pieces of software running on Catalina, so we recommend holding off on updating to Catalina unless absolutely necessary). Linux- RHEL 8, Centos 7 | Windows XP Professional (Only machines which have been allowed by IT Team to stay on the network; once the hardware dies there is no replacement) | Windows 8 or earlier Windows XP and Windows 7 machines other than those provided an exception by the IT Team- (This must be requested via a Helpdesk ticket) Mac OSX 10.6 .8 (Snow Leopard)- 10.13 (High Sierra) Non-English Installed operating systems |
| These are recommended versions of Operating Systems for the platforms in question and the manufacturer; the/biology/EA IT team fully support all aspects of these operating system. | The Biology/EA IT team will continue to provide advice and will make a strong effort to resolve issues; however, some issues might not be solvable or might require resources that are unreasonable. | The Biology/EA IT team will continue to provide advice. Users who wish to keep installations of these versions of operating systems will have to take full responsibility for managing these devices. |
Supported Hardware
- The Biology/EA IT team fully supports departmentally purchased computers purchased from one of the four approved Vendors; Dell, Apple, Lenovo, and Pogo Linux. The Duke Technology Center has standard models available from Dell, Apple and Lenovo for users to view and test out, (note we can custom configure computers from any of these vendors). Pogo Linux is the departmentally approved vendor for custom configurations of high-end computational/analysis machines.
- All members of the Biology and Evolutionary Anthropology departments are required to process all orders through the Biology/IT Team.
- To learn more about purchasing computers please visit: Purchasing a Computer
- Non-Departmentally funded computers and non-standard computers from unapproved vendors will be required to meet all security policies in order to be registered on the network and will be provided with limited to no support. This support is limited to the verification of a patched operating system, virus protection, access to departmental printers and network connectivity.
Supported Software
- The Biology/Evanth IT team will attempt to provide the best support we reasonably can for software. Some software we have fully vetted and tested with departmental and institutional services and validated that all crucial features work (we call this “fully supported” software). There may be other pieces of software that we have either not tested or tested and identified significant problems with. While people are welcome to use whatever software they wish and we will put in a reasonable effort to try and get the tools you want to use working with the services we (and OIT) provide, there may be some significant problem(s) that may impact your ability to use that tool and there is a limit to how many resources we can devote trying to resolve those issues if they arise.
Supported Mobile Devices
- The Biology/EA IT Team defines a mobile device as a portable computing device typically having a display screen with touch input and/or a miniature keyboard. These devices are also known as “tablets, smartphones or handheld devices.”
| Supported Mobile Devices | Supported Operating Systems | No Support |
|---|---|---|
| iPad | iOS 12.0 and Above | Android OS |
| iPhone | Windows OS | |
| Windows Tablets | ||
The Biology/EA IT Team supports connectivity to the campus wireless network and university-sponsored email/calendar account synchronization. Issues related to phone coverage, carrier problems or other mobile functionality are not supported and should be directed to your carrier or mobile device vendor.
Departmental Cloud Storage- Dropbox
Biology and EA Home folders and Lab folders are located in Dropbox (Cloud storage called Bio_EA Dropbox) accounts
- All Biology and Evolutionary Anthropology users have been provided Departmental Bio_EA Dropbox account with unlimited storage, backups, versioning and deleted file recovery options for the use of storing their home directory folders (personal data/files)
Team (Lab) Folders are located in Dropbox (Bio_EA Dropbox)
*Note: Users are highly encouraged to store all research data relevant to non-personal (i.e. lab) grants and projects within the designated Team folders.
Team folders are shared with groups and are the hub of content for a team and or lab. All content inside your team folder is automatically shared with anyone who can access the team folder. If you’re an editor, you can share content in your team folder with collaborators outside of your group.
- All Biology and Evolutionary Anthropology users have been provided Departmental Bio_EA Dropbox TEAM folder accounts with unlimited storage, backups, versioning and deleted file recovery options for the use of storing their Team directory folders.
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- The PI is designated as the“owner” of the Team folder, as the owner, he/she can grant permission/access to users to their Team folders
- The PI can set up a proxy for their lab i.e. a Lab manager as an additional “owner” of a Team folder who can also set permissions/access to the Team folder by contacting the IT manager
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Bio_EA Dropbox Data retention policies
- Upon termination of employment, the User is responsible for removing/backing up their data before their NetID has been deactivated.
- All data located in the Department Dropbox for education account will be remotely wiped from any machine connected.
- All data will be archived for a maximum of one hundred twenty (120) days upon deactivation of Duke NetID access and only accessible by the Department IT Manager.
Data Recovery for desktops/laptops or IOT (mobile devices)
- Data recovery services are NOT available i.e. data saved directly to the device that is either lost or corrupted will not be recovered. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure all data stored locally is backed up from their device before seeking computing help to avoid data loss.
Lab/Personal Printers
- Lab and Personal printers are not supported by the Biology/EA IT Team. Should you choose to purchase a printer for your lab or office, the Biology/EA IT Team will configure and setup Lab/Personal printers to connect to the Biology wired network only
Departmental Printing
Note: As of November 1, 2020, WEPA has decided not to renew their printing contract with us, as we were a smaller customer of theirs. We are currently working with vendors on finding alternate solutions and will update this page as new printers come online.
We currently have OIT B&W ePrint stations located in the main lobby on the first floor in the Biological Sciences building and in the main hallway next to room 1243 in the French Family Science Center. Additionally, we have a color printer in BioSci 0038, however, you will need to request access to it via submitting a help ticket using one of the methods listed under ‘Contact Us’ on the right side of this site.
Duke Surplus Computers
- The Biology/EA IT Team does not support computers acquired from the Duke Surplus department.
- The Biology/EA IT team internally has its own limited amount of supported surplus computers each year. Should you wish to request one of these computers please contact the IT Service Desk.
