Remote Desktop Services @ CSSCR
CSSCR offers Remote Desktop computing services to CSSCR affiliated faculty and their research assistants. Access is granted on a per-project or per-faculty basis.
Use of CSSCR Remote Desktop Services from outside of the University of Washington physical campus requires the use of Husky OnNet, UW’s in-house VPN solution. Husky OnNet is available to all holders of a UW NetID at no cost. The VPN client must be downloaded, turned on, and connected to the University of Washington’s network infrastructure to initiate a connection with either csscr-ts1 (formerly Titus) or csscr-ts2 (formerly Otho).
Please read UW-IT’s Husky OnNet documentation and Download Husky OnNet here.
CSSCR currently operates two Remote Desktop servers:
CSSCR-TS1 (formerly Titus)
CSSCR-TS1 is a Windows Server 2012 R2 terminal server oriented toward general desktop computing and qualitative analysis. Eligible users can obtain an account and log into CSSCR-TS1 using a Remote Desktop Connection from any computer. When logged in, CSSCR-TS1 users see a familiar Windows desktop environment (a session) where they can use statistical and qualitative analysis software packages.
Who is eligible?
Faculty in the UW College of Arts and Sciences and our member units are eligible for access to CSSCR-TS1, as are their research assistants or students attached to a faculty-directed project. If you are a student not affiliated with a faculty member currently conducting research on Titus, but are looking for remote computing services, check out the CSDE Terminal Servers. These are STF funded remote desktop servers loaded with social science computational software and designated for student use.
How do I create a CSSCR-TS1 account?
Send an email to csscr@uw.edu with the subject line: "CSSCR-TS1 account request". In the body of the email, please include:
- Name
- Department affiliation
- UW NetID
- Project description
- Software you tend to work with
- Size of data (if known)
- Collaborators (if any) - names and UW NetIDs
CSSCR-TS2 (formerly Otho)
CSSCR-TS2 is a Windows Server 2012 R2 terminal server oriented toward high throughput quantitative computing. Permitted users can log into CSSCR-TS2 using a Remote Desktop Connection from any computer. When logged in, CSSCR-TS2 users will see a familiar Windows desktop environment (a session) where they can use statistical and quantitative analysis software packages.
Who is eligible?
Faculty in the UW College of Arts and Sciences and our member units are eligible for access to CSSCR-TS2, as are their research assistants or students attached to a faculty-directed project. If you are a student not affiliated with a faculty member currently conducting research on CSSCR-TS2, but are looking for remote computing services, check out the CSDE Terminal Servers. These are STF funded remote desktop servers loaded with social science computational software and designated for student use.
How do I gain authorization to use CSSCR-TS2?
Send an email to csscr@uw.edu with the subject line: "CSSCR-TS2account request". In the body of the email, please include:
- Name
- Department affiliation
- UW NetID
- Project description
- Software you tend to work with
- Size of data (if known)
- Collaborators (if any) - names and UW NetIDs
How to log into CSSCR Remote Desktop servers?
The logon process varies by operating system.
Windows instructions
Step 1: Obtain access to either CSSCR-TS1 or CSSCR-TS2 per the account per the above steps.
Step 2: Open the Start Menu on your local version of Windows and launch "Remote Desktop Connection".
Step 3: In the Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) window, type the respective server name like this:
csscr-ts*.csscr.washington.edu
Enter your UW NetID username and password as credentials.
Step 4: Click the "Connect" button. A Windows Security window will pop up and prompt you to enter your password - it is the same as you UW NetID password. Click "OK." Note: If an RDC window pops up with a warning similar to "The identity of the remote computer cannot be verified. Do you want to connect anyway?" - hit "Yes." You are now connected to your remote desktop!
Mac OS X instructions
Note: These instructions apply to Apple computers using Mac OS X 10.7 or later. Older RD client software will not connect to CSSCR Remote Desktop systems; an open source program called CoRD may work on earlier versions of Mac OS.
Step 1: Launch the Microsoft Remote Desktop client.
Step 2: Click on the "New" button in the top left corner of the Remote Desktop window. 
Step 3: A new window will open titled "Edit Remote Desktops". On the "General" tab, supply the following information:
- Connection name: CSSCR-TS* (this is arbitary, call it anything you'd like)
- PC name: csscr-ts*.csscr.washington.edu
- Gateway: No gateway configured
- Username: netidYour_NetID
- Password: Your NetID Password
Step 4: Close the "Edit Remote Desktops" window.
Step 5: From the "My Desktops" menu, select your new CSSCR Remote Desktop connection. A Remote Desktop session will open. 
How do I load my data onto a CSSCR Remote Desktop server?
There are several ways to upload data onto a given server:
- Download the data files directly, using an Internet browser within your RD session
- Email the files to yourself and log into your email on a given server using an Internet browser
- Upload your files onto a cloud service (such as U Drive, Dropbox, Google Docs, or Microsoft OneDrive) and download them onto a given server, also using an Internet browser.
If neither of these options is optimal for your data – for example, if your data set is too large or if it has privacy settings that prevent you from uploading it on a cloud service – please contact us at csscr@u.washington.edu for assistance.
Where should I be saving my work?
| Drive | Description | Use Case | Private? | Shareable? | Backed Up |
| C: | Primary internal storage array. | This is the default way to store data and projects on CSSCR Remote Desktop servers. To access this information outside of the Titus remote environment, you need to copy your files onto a cloud service (such as Dropbox, Google Docs or Microsoft OneDrive) or email them to yourself. | Yes | No | Yes |
| D: | Secondary internal storage array. | If you have data that requires more than 20 GB of storage, this drive is a good option. To set up a folder for yourself on the D: drive, send a request to csscr@uw.edu and include your UW NetID plus a brief description of your project and why you need extra storage space. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| U: | U Drive: A storage service, similar to Dropbox, that is offered by UW IT and is available to students, faculty and staff with UW NetID log-in. | This is a solid option for backing up files and for being able to access your data and projects outside of CSSCR Remote Desktop servers as well as inside them. | Yes | No | Yes |
Is there a newsletter for updates on software, outages, reboots, and so forth?
Yes, and you can sign up here.