How to Mount Folders from LSS

We will discuss mounting the LSS systems from the following system types:

  • Mac OS X
  • Windows
  • Research IT and/or Biology IT Linux Servers
  • Nova Research Cluster
  • Linux GUI Desktop (Gnome)

The following examples will use the values:

  • jones, as your P.I.'s Net-ID, and
  • you, as your ISU Net-ID.

This means you will need to substitute your PI's Net-ID for jones and your NetID for you. The naming convention for all LSS research folders is based on the Net-ID of your PI and has the format netid-lab. Thus, our example LSS folder is called jones-lab.

If you have problems, please contact your local departmental IT support technician, or email lss-help@iastate.edu

Mounting from Mac OS X

  • From the Finder application menu item "Go" select "Connect to Server"
  • Enter smb://iastate/lss/research/jones-lab as shown here:

Mac dialog box for connecting to LSS

​If a login prompt is received:

  • Enter IASTATE\you in the username field.
  • Enter your Net-ID password in the password field.

Mac OS X likes to write small metadata files named .ds_store to every filesystem it encounters. These files are used to store things like icon position in the Finder. The writing of these files can slow down your experience with LSS significantly, and we recommend that you tell your computer to not write these files to network drives by issuing the following command in Terminal:

defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteNetworkStores -bool true

You only need to do this once on your computer.

Mounting from Windows

As a Folder (use this if you're unsure)

  1. Open a File Explorer window
  2. Type this: \\iastate\lss\research\jones-lab

Connecting to LSS with Windows Explorer

If a login prompt is received: * Enter IASTATE\you in the username field. * Enter your Net-ID password in the password field.

As a Network Drive

  1. Open a File Explorer window
  2. Click 'This PC'
  3. Click the 'Computer' tab.
  4. Click 'Map Network Drive'.
    Mounting LSS as a Network Drive Part 1
  5. In the 'Folder' box, type this: \\iastate\lss\research\jones-lab
    Mounting LSS as a Network Drive Part 2
  6. Click button labeled 'Finish'.

Mounting from Pronto

LSS folders are mounted on the pronto data transfer node (prontodtn.las.iastate.edu) E.g. if the netid of your PI is jones, the path is /lss/research/jones-lab

Note

Prontodtn is currently having connection troubles with LSS. Until we work out a solution, please use biocrunch.las.iastate.edu for data transfers to and from LSS.

To use your LSS data for pronto jobs, you should use the data transfer node to copy files from your /lss directory to your /work directory, and then run jobs against the data in your /work directory.

Mounting from Nova cluster

  • Login to the nova cluster head node using the regular procedure.
  • Use ssh to access novadtn from the Nova cluster head node.
  • Navigate to your research folder, which is under /lss/research.
    • Remember that the folder is named for your PI's Net-ID (netid-lab)
    • You should always copy files from this location into /work/LAS as needed to run your jobs. Results should be copied back to your research folder when finished.
ssh novadtn
cd /lss/research/netid-lab

Mounting From Linux GUI

  1. Choose "Windows Share" from the Type dropdown.
  2. Connection Information:

    • Server: las-dfs-01.las.iastate.edu
    • Share: lss
    • Folder: research/jones-lab.
  3. First, open the Files application and choose the "Connect to Server" option in the left-hand access bar.

  4. In the "Connect to Server" dialog box,
    • The connection string is in the format smb://<server>/<share>/<folder>.
      • Using our example values, the connection string would be smb://las-dfs-01.las.iastate.edu/lss/research/jones-lab
    • Click the "Connect" button
  5. In the authorization box, type in your ISU Net-ID, Domain, and Password.
    • Domain: IASTATE
    • Username: you
    • Password: your-password

Mounting over VPN or from a personally owned device

The default address will not work over VPN, or from personally owned or non-domain joined devices.  If you are mounting LSS in one of these situations, use this address:

MacOS smb://las-dfs-01.las.iastate.edu/lss/research/jones-lab

Windows \\las-dfs-01.las.iastate.edu\lss\research\jones-lab

Instead of:

MacOS smb://iastate/lss/research/jones-lab

Windows \\iastate\lss\research\jones-lab

The other steps for your operating system remain the same as listed above.

Regarding Permissions

Permissions to the shared folders are controlled on the server back-end and may not display correctly on your client. This has no impact no the enforcement of permissions. Your files are only accessible by people in the group that you have authorized.