Subject: Announcement regarding NCSI's CDNET service. (fwd)

Dear Researcher,

SUB : Access to CDROM Databases via Campus Network Restored

CDROM Databases are again accessible on the Campus Network after a
break due some teething problems of the new service.

We are extermely sorry for the interruption in the service and
we try to run it without any such trouble in the future.

Please note that, if you want to search Chemical Abstracts (CA on CD)
it requires a PC with 8 MB RAM (while 4MB RAM is sufficient for other
databases). We have noticed some problems with the CA Search software
also and working to find the solutions. So you are requested to note
down the error message and inform us.


What Databases can be accessed? 
-------------------------------

Currently you can access the following databases : 
 
 - BIOSIS (Biology) (1994-95), 
 - COMPENDEX (Engineering) (1994-96), 
 - INSPEC (Physics, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering) 
     (1994-96),
 - BYTE Magazine (1990-96), 
 - Chemical Abstracts (Jan. - Sep. 1996)
 - Medline (Medicine) (1993-1996) 
 - MathSci (Mathematics) (1993-95).

Chemical Abstracts (CA on CD) database is being made available in
collaboration with JRD Tata Memorial Library.

How to access them?
-------------------

You can access the CDROMs in the same way as you used to earlier.
Following is a brief description on how you can access the CDROM
databases from your PC.

You  need  a  PC/386  or  higher machine running on  MS-DOS/Windows-95,
with  atleast  4MB  RAM,  a harddisk and a mouse,  connected to the
campus network, to use this facility.

If you are using a system with MSDOS...
---------------------------------------

All  you  have to do is to download a self-extracting ar-
chive (NCSI.EXE) to  a  sub-directory on your harddisk and 
execute it. It will install the necesssary software on your 
PC.

You  then  change  to this sub-directory and type the com-
mand INFO from  the  DOS  prompt, whenever you want to 
access NCSI's CDROM databases for your information require-
ments.

Detailed  instructions  about installation are given in the 
README file, included in  the  archive file NCSI.EXE.

You can download the archive file NCSI.EXE in any of the 
following ways:

>  By pointing your Web browser (Netscape or Lynx etc.) to the
   URL...: http://memex.ncsi.iisc.ernet.in/ncsi/database/cdnet.html
   or      http://144.16.72.150/ncsi/database/cdnet.html

>  By anonymous ftp from the site: ece.iisc.ernet.in
   or 144.16.64.2 
   (Location: /incoming/ncsi/ncsi.exe)

>  You  can  send  an e-mail to info@ncsi and we will send 
   you the  file  by  e-mail  in MIME-encoded form.

>  You can bring/send a diskette and copy the file from 
   our Centre.

If you are using a system with Windows-95...
--------------------------------------------

Make sure that "Netware Client" and "IPX/SPX-Compatible Protocol" are
added in the network setup on your system. If not, you can do it by
clicking on "Network" icon in "Control Panel".

Having done that, click on "Network Neighborhood" and if necessary on
"Entire Network", to check if the system "NCSI" (our Netware server) is
visible. If it is not visible in the list, see if you have
added the Netware Client etc. properly or not. If it is
visible, click on "Start" and then choose "Close all programs
and logon as different user...". Now login to our Netware
server (NCSI) as INFO95.

>From "Run..." command of "Start" on your system, run the
command "F:\CDNETWIS\Setup.exe". CDNET program will be
installed on your system through a set of self-explanatory
windows.

And you are ready to use CDNET from your Windows-95 system.


If you need any more information, please contact NCSI:

Phones: 2511, 2654 and 2655
E-mail: info@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in
URL...: http://memex.ncsi.iisc.ernet.in/ncsi/database/cdnet.html
        or   http://144.16.72.150/ncsi/database/cdnet.html

Databases to be added soon :
----------------------------

We expect to provide access to the following databases soon :

 - Mass Spectral Database,
 - Random House English Dictionary, etc.

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