Storage and image analysis capacity at the LCI Core Facility

To get access to any of the drives, contact the IT Support at KI. Inform them who else should have access to your drive. Once you get a confirmation email from the IT office, follow the mapping instructions to access your drive from any computer, including the VDI or LCI Remote desktop.

How to access your data from any computer

To access your KI storage space from any computer, you need to Map your KI drive to the computer. This only needs to be done once and can be done on any computer, inside or outside KI, including the VDI and LCI Remote Desktop.

VPN connection is required if the computer is not physically plugged (via ethernet cable) into the KI network. You then need to log in with your KI credentials to access your folder. Remember to type "user\" before your KI-ID.

How to map your KI drive

For PC

• Open any folder
• Right click on This PC (on the left)
• Select Map network drive
• Under Folder, write the  following: \\user.ki.se\labs (L drive) or \\user.ki.se\projects (P drive)
• Tick in Reconnect at Sign-in
• Click Finish
• Log in using your KI credentials. Remember to write "user\" before your KI id. 

For Mac

• In Finder - go to Connect to Server
• In the connection window, connect to the following address: smb://user.ki.se/projects (P drive) or smb://user.ki.se/labs (L drive)
• Log in using your KI credentials but remember to write "user\" before your KI id

The LCI core facility has two types of remote servers for image analysis: The VDI and the LCI Remote Desktop. Both of them can be accessed from any computer. The VDI can be accessed from a mobile phone.

How to access the VDI to analyse your data

The VDI are part of the LCI service. You get access via the LCI staff.

The VDI is a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure with two machines called Remote Desktop Servers (LCI-1 and LCI-2). The VDI currently has free access for microscopy users.  

Several users can access the RDS machines at the same time so the resources (RAM, GPU) are shared. If you think that an RDS is slow, click on Ctrl+Shift+Esc and go to the user tab. If someone uses a lot of (CPU) resources, work on the other RDS instead.

The servers are updated every third Monday of each month, between 05:30 and 06:00 so be sure that you do not have any analysis running at that time!

To enter the server, do the following:

• To access the VDI from outside KI premises, you need Two-step verification/MFA but VPN connection is not required.
• Download VMWare to your KI computer.
• Open VMWare, click on Add server and type "kivdi.ki.se"
• Log in with your KI credentials. 

Note:

• To access your data on the VDI, map your KI drive.
• You can save data on the desktop to run your analysis faster but delete them afterwards. We run regular automatic cleanings without warning.
• The Fiji shortcut on the desktop will be replaced by us by a fresh install without warning. Do not use it if you need to download  plugins. To use Fiji with more Plugins, install your own Fiji in your KI drive.
• Imaris has a free viewer available on the VDI that you can download to your own computer. Part of our service contract also includes free help from the Imaris specialists to create your own pipeline.

There are two ways to close the VDI: Sign out/log off or Disconnect:

1. The normal way to stop working on the VDI is to Sign out/log off
   • PC users: You need to select Disconnect and log off. Clicking on the cross on the bar will not sign you out
   • Mac users: Click on the window sign at the bottom right of the screen. At the top right, right click on your name you get the Sign out option.

You can download your data to the desktop to get a faster analysis but note that everything is automatically deleted from the Remote Desktop when  you log off/sign out.

The LCI Remote Desktop is not free and must be booked in iLab. Check our fees.

To access the LCI Remote Desktop you will need to do the following (first time only):

• Make a request for access in iLab
• Send a request to IDAC to get your login activated by following the instructions in this document. Also in this document you can read how to book the Remote desktop in iLab and activate your session in KIOSK

Mac users: Download the Remote Desktop app. Make sure to give us more instructions and screenshot if anything is missing for Mac.

There are two ways to close the Remote Desktop. Note that all data are automatically deleted from the Remote Desktop when you log off/sign out.

1. The normal way is to log off/sign out. Click the Windows button and click your account name. Select “Sign Out”.  
2. If you have an on-going analysis and you want to keep using the Remote Desktop without being connected with your computer, close the Remote Desktop window without closing the software. NB! You will be charged until you fully log off/sign out.

How to share your data with others

Data on KI drives

If you have an on-going analysis and you want to keep using the Remote Desktop without being connected with your computer, close the Remote Desktop window without closing the software. NB! You will be charged until you fully log off/sign out.

Data on KI drives can only be shared with KI people by following the instructions below. To share with non-KI people, you can upload your data to OneDrive.

• Right click on the  folder to be shared and select Properties
• Under the Security tab, Groups or user name, click Edit then  Add  
• Under Enter the object name, write the name of the person you want to share with (they must have a KI email) and click Check names
• The email of the person is found. Click OK
• Set the level of permission. If you only want them to be able to download, untick Write, Full control and Modify. If you want them to be able to add or remove data from the folder, tick in Write and Modify. If they have Full control, they can change permissions for anyone and can even delete the folder.
• If the person has a KI Drive, your folder will automatically appear in their KI drive. If not, contact IT helpdesk.

MTF

MTF is a server to share files with non-KI people. The data disappears automatically after a couple of days. The recommended way to transfer files is to upload them to the KI MFT server using a freeware called Filezilla.

It is possible to upload data to the MFT server directly but then the folder structure is not retained, so it is best to upload data via SFTP (with Filezilla).