Guest Accounts

The IRTF moved to an updated guest account system at the start of the 2014A semester (01/24/2014). The previous version of the guest account system was formally retired on 02/18/2014 and all scripts and accounts associated with it have been removed from the IRTF systems. These accounts and the data taken under these accounts are no longer available and any future data restoration will use the replacement system or some other method to allow access to the restored data.

The updated guest account system generates accounts that are valid for the duration of the semester and the details of the accounts are emailed to the proposal PI and Co-Is at the time each account is created. If the access information is lost, contact your support astronomer or Miranda for the username and/or password. The accounts are created 35 days prior to the semester start. The accounts are then deleted when they expire, which is 30.4 days after the end of the semester. Data files are deleted 45 days after they are taken, which means that the last data set taken during a semester will be deleted within a few days of when the semester accounts are also deleted.

All observing programs granted time on the IRTF are required to utilise their unique guest account while observing at the IRTF. The program number assigned to a scheduled observing run corresponds to the guest account and should be used both to log in to the instrument software while taking data and to log into the IRTF computer systems to retrieve data.

It is extremely important to use the appropriate program number when logging into the instrument software as failure to do so may result in data being stored in areas to which access by the correct guest account has not been granted. The program number is also used to create connections between submitted proposals, scheduling, ORFs, etc., so care should be taken to use the correct program, especially for observers who are part of multiple observing programs over the course of a semester.

If there are short-term accounts generated for data retrieval after restoration from tape, extension may be requested for those accounts, but no extension will be given for semester-long accounts, nor will those accounts be allowed to span semesters as program numbers change every semester even if the observing program is the same.

If an observing program is granted time in consecutive semesters, and macros or other observing tools are present in the first semester's account, it is up to the program observers to transfer the files from the first account to the second, within the month of overlap between semesters. Files that are not transferred will be deleted when the account is removed. If program observers require help to move the files, IRTF staff are happy to assist. Contact Miranda or a support astronomer for help.