The Web Design Studio provides a full range of Web site development and hosting services to the Columbia University Medical Center community and beyond.

FAQ's

We have a development server, (cait.cpmc.columbia.edu), on which all developers place their files for testing. CUMC has 2 "production" servers for a redundant, fault tolerant, load balanced Web presence. By load balancing, we ensure that a problem with one server won't affect your web sites and files are served as quickly as possible.

We have two production servers and a staging (developers') server for all static html pages.

We have an application/database server that host all our dynamic web-base applications.

You have a home directory, located in /export/home/<username> and a site directory for your site files, such as /htdocs/dept/<your department>. When you log in, you will be in your home directory. To update your site you must first switch to your site directory, and then copy over your files from your local machine in order for your site to be publish.

Your pages can be previewed in test using any web browser. The address is: http://cait.cpmc.columbia.edu:88/dept/<your department>/ To view your published files after the nightly update, the address is: http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/<your department> or if you have a vanity url: http://<your vanity url>/

Developers upload their files to the appropriate directory on cait (as specified above), and at approximately 2:00 am each morning a script automatically copies them to the main live server (from which all the CUMC pages are hosted).

Files can be uploaded more frequently if necessary by special arrangement with the WDS Webmaster.

All accounts expire every year on June 30th, regardless of when you set them up, so at most your account can be active for 1 year without renewing. Accounts charges are prorated (See WDS Billing Policies). All developers must renew before June 30th for uninterrupted access.

If you are using Secure Shell, log into your cait account. Then, if you have opened your Secure FTP file transfer window, on your top menu bar select "Window", then "New Terminal" to open up a terminal window. Type 'passwd'. It will ask you for your old password and then for a new password twice. After your new "strong" password is accepted, you can close the window.

A strong password helps enhance the security of a server by making it more difficult for hackers to break into a system. As part of the campus-wide initiative to ensure computer server security, the Web Design Studio requires all users to have strong passwords on our development server, cait.cpmc.columbia.edu. Strong passwords are assigned by the WDS, but you will have the option of keeping it or choosing one that is easier to remember but still "strong".

• Do make them long (at least seven characters)
• Do include upper and lower case letters, numerals, and symbols
• Do use at least one symbol character in the second through sixth position
• Do use at least four different characters (don't repeat the same characters)
• Do use random numbers and letters

• Don't use all or part of your login name
• Don't use a real word in any language
• Don't use numbers in place of similar letters to form a word
• Don't use consecutive letters or numbers (e.g., "abcdefg" or "234567")
• Don't use adjacent keys on your keyboard (e.g., "qwerty")

We have several options available for dynamic applications. Please call us at 212-305-1668 to discuss the best solution for you.