CISER Billing Frequently Asked Questions

CISER began charging for premium computing services July 1, 2008. If you need more information than what is provided below please write to us at ciser@cornell.edu.

General Information

• Concerned about the new CISER pricing structure?
• What is driving the new pricing policy?
• When will the new pricing structure go into effect?
• What CISER Services are available at no cost to the user?

Charges, Billing, and Payment Options

• Can I track my usage? (updated 7/10/2008)
• Will every user receive a bill?
• When will I be billed?
• What are my payment options? (updated 7/2/2008)
• What are the pay-as-you-go rates? (updated 7/10/2008)
• What does a $12,000 subscription buy? (updated 7/10/2008)
• Can multiple users share a subscription? (updated 7/17/2008)
• Is there a deadline for choosing my payment option?
• Is disk use charged separately? (revised 6/17/2008)
• How can I track my current disk use? (added 7/2/2008)
• How is disk use measured? (added 7/2/2008)
• Is there a separate fee for backup of files stored on CISER’s systems?
• What can I do to reduce my computing costs?
• Will CISER help me find someone with whom I can share a subscription? (added 7/17/2008)

Types of Accounts and Their Management

• I understand there are new computing account types. Please explain.
• How long will my current account be good?
• Can I convert my current account to one of the new account types?
• How can I separate someone else's usage from my account?
• If I have multiple accounts, how will I be able to distinguish between them?

Accounts for Thesis Research

• Do I have to pay for my graduate student advisees?
• How can a grad student apply for a thesis account?
• I need a thesis account. What faculty member, if any, do I put down for that?
• By when do I need to have my thesis account set up?
• What about grad students who need more than the basic allotment for thesis research? (updated 7/17/2008)
• I am a student with a CISER account.  I currently have files stored there for my own thesis research, as well as files for professors for whom I have worked in semesters past.  What should I do?

Accounts for Research Assistants

• If you have multiple research assistants for a particular research project, how does the subsidy get allocated?
• If I am working for more than one professor simultaneously will I need separate accounts for work (and data storage) with each to be billed separately?
• My CISER account is currently under one faculty member but I have begun working for someone else.  What should I do?

Accounts for Coursework

• Are Class Accounts available?

All CISER billing questions and answers are also available on one long page for printing at http://ciser.cornell.edu/computing/CISERBillingFAQ_print_all.asp.