Index of the User Registration Help Page:

  • About the Web Applications
  • Login Screen
  • Registration Wizard
  • Password Forgotten?
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    About the Web Applications : 

    
    - Browser behaviour
    
          - Browser versions
            These web applications have been developed to allow everybody
            with access to a personal computer with internet connectivity, on which a recent
            web browser has been installed, to work with the applications. Although care is
            taken not to rely on browser specific features the tool does not support all/old
            browser versions.
    
            The web applications have been tested with the following browsers:
    
            - MS Internet Explorer 6.0
            - Netscape 7.1
            - Mozilla 1.6
            - Mozilla Firefox 1.5
            - Safari 2.0.3 (buttons and boxed information may appear differently)
    
            If you experience problems that could be related to a specific browser type, please first
            try one of the (freely available) browsers mentioned above. We do appreciate reports on
            browser specific problems to help us make the tools support more browsers.
    
          - Cookies
            These web applications use cookies for maintaining the session state (i.e. to track
            whether a user has logged in). No other information is saved or retrieved using cookies
            and the lifespan of the cookies is for the duration of the session only. Cookies should
            be accepted by the browser.
    
          - Javascript
            The web applications use javascript for site navigation and validation. Care is
            taken not to use browser specific features, but javascript must be enabled in the browser or
            else you will not be able to fully navigate through the application.
            
          - Browser navigation
            The web applications provide buttons and links for navigation. Some will open
            a new browser window. Most will open new pages in the same browser window. Although
            they are not disabled, use of the standard browser navigation options (e.g. "Back", "Forward",
            "Open in new window") while working with the web application is strongly discouraged since it
            can have unexpected side effects (such as overwriting entries with old information). Similarly,
            working in two simultaneous sessions (e.g. by logging in twice) may give rise to unpredictable
            results.
            
          - Session timeout
            The server automatically diposes of sessions that have been idle for a long period. This
            prevents sessions that have not been closed in a controlled way from claiming server
            resources indefinitely. The timeout period for editing of proposals is currently set at a
            generous eight hours so that users do not easily loose (unsaved) session information
            when they are distracted from working on a proposal. If the session is timed out anyway,
            the user will be redirected to the login screen upon the first attempt to (re-) load a
            Proposal URL. All information since the last "Save" will then be lost!
            
            For the proposal overview page, the timeout interval is set at half an hour.
            
            IMPORTANT NOTICE
            Although we allow long lasting sessions, internet connections depend on a
            large number of linked elements, many of which are out of control of the user (client) and the
            service provider (server). Therefore we strongly encourage users to:
            
            1) While working save the session regularly by hitting the "Save and
            Continue" or the "Save and Exit" button at the bottom of the screen.
            
            2) If discontinuing work with the tool for a prolonged period: log out by clicking on the
            appropriate link.
            
            In this way you can prevent loss of (a large amount of) information in case of network/connection
            failure and also prevent unnecessary use of server resources.
    
      - Validiation
        Throughout the webapplications, validation rules are applied to the information that you enter.
        Two types of validation can be distinguished:
        
        1. If a field is required for successful completion of a process, this is indicated by a red star to the right
           of the field or its label. In some cases you will have to enter a value before you can go to another page
           (e.g. in the registration wizard) while in other cases you will be allowed to leave fields empty until you
           attempt to conclude the associated process (e.g. the completeness of proposals is only checked when
           you try to submit the proposal.)
           
         2. If a specific format is required for an entry (e.g. it needs to be a positive integer) this is checked
            immediately after submitting the form (in most cases as soon as you click a button on the
            page). If the format is invalid you will remain on the current page and be notified by a message in
            red describing the reason why this entry is invalid. You are required to correct the input before being
            able to continue.
            
    - Privacy
      Before being granted access to (non public) pages, you will have to register. In the
      registration process you will be asked for personal contact information. This information
      is used for important (automated) email notifications, and for contacting
      you concerning details or progress of submitted proposals and/or observation projects.
      
      Contact information is only visible to observatory personnel and, partly, by other authors of
      proposals you are an author of. Information that is included in submitted proposals, as shown in the
      "preview" provided in the corresponding application, will be distributed as part of the reviewing
      process and may become public if observation time is allocated.
      
    - Credits
      The Northstar web application has been developed as a tool to prepare and submit observation proposals
      for (radio-) telescopes. It has been developed at ASTRON as part of the EC-funded RadioNet project.
    
      The user administration and authorization application has been developed by ASTRON.
    
    

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    Login Screen : 

      Enter your username and password. These will be issued to you during the registration process.
      If you have not yet registered, and wish to do so, click the "Register as new user" link. If you are
      a registered user but do not remember your username/password click on the "Password forgotten?"
      link.
      
      After successful authentification, you will have access to all the web applications to which you
      have been granted this privilege. Whenever a non-public web page is (re-) loaded
      while there is no active session (i.e. your credentials are not known to the server) you will
      be redirected to this screen and, after successful login, forwarded to the start page of the
      corresponding web application.
      
      - username
        Enter your ASTRON Radio Observatory Division web application username. If you have successfully
        registered, this has been sent to you in the confirmation email.
    
      - password
        Enter your password. If you have successfully registered, this has been sent to you in the confirmation
        email but you may have changed it after a previous successful login.
        
      - login
        Click on this button to commit the username and password that you have entered for authentification.
    
    

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    Registration Wizard : 

      The registration wizard guides prospective users through the registration process. You will
      have to register just once. Once registered, you will be granted access to all relevant web applications.
      Newly registered users will only have access to the NorthStar web application where they can
      prepare and submit proposals for observation time.
      
    

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    Registration 1: Personal Contact Information

      On this page, enter personal contact information that may be used to contact you, e.g. for
      (automated) email notifications, details about submitted proposals, observation projects, etc.
      
    - Useraccount
    
      - Username
        Here, you may enter a self chosen username for logging in to the web applications. The
        username needs to be at least three characters long and can only contain alphanumeric
        characters. If the username already exists, you will be asked to enter another one.
      
        NB: Although the username that you enter is not publicly visible, it is required to be unique.
        Therefore, others may be notified that the username you have entered already exists (although
        they will not be notified of any other details associated with the username). Please consider this
        when you choose a username.
    
      You can not enter a password here. A password will automatically be generated and sent to the
      email address that you enter on this page. This allows us to confirm that a valid email address
      is associated with the account. Once you are registered and have logged in successfully, you can
      edit the password to your liking in the "User Administration section".
      
    - Personal Information
    
      - Title
        Enter your title (if any).
      
      - First name (required)
        Enter your first name.
        
      - Last name (required)
        Enter you last (family) name.
      
      - Email (required)
        Enter the email address that you will be using for communication. Since the initial
        password will be sent to this address, make sure that you do not make a mistake while
        entering it. Furthermore, once you have registered you may request a new password
        in case you have forgotten the current one but you should in that case be able to enter
        the username and this email address for generating a new password.
      
      - Phone (first) (required)
        Enter the phone number at which you can be contacted. The first character must be either 
        '+' or a digit after this any of digit, ' ', '-', '(', ')', or blanks are allowed.
        
        Examples: +31 (0) 521 595100 or 0521595100
        
      - Phone (second)
        Enter a second phone number at which you can be contacted in case there
        is no response at the first number.
        
      - Fax
        Enter the (international) fax number at which you can be contacted.
        
    - Navigation
    
      - Next
        Press this button if you are finished with filling the form. You will proceed to the next step of
        the wizard. You may return to the current page at a later stage, if you wish to do so.
    
      - Cancel
        Press this button if you wish to abort the registration process. All entered information will be
        discarded.
    
    

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    Registration 2: Institute Information

      On this page, enter information about the institute that you are affiliated with. This information
      may be used for mailing information or e.g. observed datasets to you.
      
    - Institution
    
      - Name (required)
        The name of the institute.
      
      - Department
        If the organisations has more than one department/location, give the name of your
        department/location in this box.
        
      - Address
        Enter the address of the institute/department. You can use more than one line, if
        required.
    
      - City
        Enter the city where your institute/department is located.
    
      - State
        Enter the state/province where your institute/department is located.
    
      - Country (required)
        Enter the country where your institute/department is located. This field is required
        and may be used for gathering (anonymous) statistics.
    
      - Website
        Enter the website where the homepage of your institute/department can be found.
    
      - Remarks
        Enter any remarks that you wish to add. This field may e.g. be used to indicate
        hours/days at which you are present at the institute, etc.
    
        
    - Navigation
    
      - Previous
        Press this button if you want to go back to the previous step of
        the wizard. You may return to the current page at a later stage, if you wish to do so.
    
      - Next
        Press this button if you are finished with filling the form. You will proceed to the next step of
        the wizard. You may return to the current page at a later stage, if you wish to do so.
    
      - Cancel
        Press this button if you wish to abort the registration process. All entered information will be
        discarded.
    
    

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    Registration 3: Confirmation

      On this page, you are asked to check wether the information that you have entered is
      correct. If this is the case, the registration process can be concluded.
          
    - Navigation
    
      - Previous
        Press this button if you want to go back to the previous step of
        the wizard. You may return to the current page at a later stage, if you wish to do so.
    
      - Register
        Press this button if you are satisfied with the information in this form. The registration
        process will be concluded by automatic generation of a password and public key that
        will be sent to you by email. You will return to the login page, where you can continue
        the login process as soon as you have received your password.
    
      - Cancel
        Press this button if you wish to abort the registration process. All entered information will be
        discarded.
    
    

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    Password Forgotten? : 

      Enter the username and email address that you have previously provided during the
      registration process. If the combination is valid, a new password will be generated, and
      sent to you by email.
      
      If you are unable to provide a valid combination, e.g. because you have forgotten the username
      that you have entered before or you suspect a typo has been made, please contact the proposal
      administrator who can issue a new password or alter the registration specifics.
      
      - Username
        Enter your username here.
        
      - Email
        Enter the email address that you have previously provided here.
        
      - Send Password
        Press this button if you are satisfied with the information in this form. If the information
        entered is validated, a new password and public key will be sent to you by email. 
        You will return to the login page, where you can continue the login process as soon
        as you have received your password.
    
      - Cancel
        Press this button if you wish to return to the login page without automatically generating
        a new password.
    
    

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