The SLU Computer
Last changed: 11 February 2022
The SLU Computer is a Windows computer that is installed and configured in such a way that the user always will get access to her software and files independent of which SLU Computer she is using. It means that nothing is stored locally in the computer. Everything is stored on a central server. That also means that if the users computer crashes she will be able to start working again very fast on another computer.
What does an SLU Computer look like?
Hardware: Many different computers can act as an SLU Computer. The decisive requirement is that is has been certified (approved) by the IT department. The IT department also has some computer models that are recommended to buy or lease.
If there are many older computers (maximum two years) of diffent kind that are already bought it might be possible to get them certified too.
Software and operating system: An SLU Computer has during the latest years usually been installed with Windows 7. Sometimes during the second half of 2016 we will probably change to Windows 10.
Most of the software that is running in an SLU Computer has been installed in advance or remotely. That means that if a user needs some new software that is already certified/packaged it will be possible for the IT department to install it fast and easy, provided that the computer is connected to the SLU network. Software can also be installed manually, but then the computer will not be an SLU Computer anymore.
How does an SLU Computer work?
It works just like any other Windows PC, but it is a member of the SLU domain (AD). That means that the user name and password you have will also work on all other computers in the AD. The thing that differs is that the folders My Documents (including My Pictures, My Music, My movies), Favorites and Desktop are connected to a central storage space. When the computer is connected to the SLU network you will be working directly towards that central storage space (server). If you, on the other hand, are working somewhere outside the SLU network the data you work with will be temporarily stored in the computer and the next time you connect to our network there will be an automatic synchronization between the computer and the server. (If you have files containing e-mail archives or databases those files has to be handled separately, because the synchronization will not work for them.)
Computer settings like the desktop background, screensaver, sound and some other things are also stored centrally and will follow the user. It is not forbidden for the user to create own folders locally on the disk in the computer, but those folders will not be synchronized/backed up. In that case you have to make backup copys of the files by your own. We recommend that you, as far as possible, use those folders that will be synchronized in order to ensure data quality.
Common folders will be visible as shortcuts on the desktop. The system with network units mapped and connected to some letter is not used in SLU Computers.