Active Acoustics Strategic Initiative (AA-SI) Windows Virtual Machine

About

The AA-SI has access to a Windows Virtual Machine (WindowsVM) for processing and analyzing data in the Windows environment. These instructions are for users to:

• Request a WindowsVM
• Access the WindowsVM
• Setup mount points for the AA-SI storage buckets

As of summer 2026, we are using the passive acoustics monitoring (PAM) WindowsVM. At some time, hopefully in the near future, NOAA Fisheries OCIO will provide a VM and we will update this site. Until that time, we will provide instructions for the PAM VM.

Request a Windows VM

We are using a Windows VM that was created by Daniel Woodrich (daniel.woodrich@noaa.gov) for the PAM-SI. The PAM-SI is graciously allowing the AA-SI to use this VM. The PAM Windows VM is set up for the AA-SI, especially for use with Echoview with a cloud license and for accessing the AA-SI Google storage bucket. For this reason, we request that modifications be reserved for the Fisheries VM.

1. The PAM site provides instructions on how to request, setup, and work with the PAM Windows VMs.
2. Click on the "submit a new issue here" link in What are PAM Workstations to request a VM.
3. TBD: I don't remember this process, but I ended up with a VM instance.
4. After requesting the VM, you will get a VM Instance, which you will use to logon and access the VMs.
   1. Access the VM Instance
   2. Find your name under the "Name" column, and click on the three vertical dots to the right and in the same row as your name.
   3. Click on "Start/Resume" and a message will appear to let you know that you are accruing charges. Click "Start".
   4. Starting the VM can take some time...
   5. When you see the message "VM instance started", you can access the VM via the next set of instructions.

Access the Windows VM

1. When you have access to a VM, access the VM using the instructions in: Access and Connection Instructions.
   1. Use the "recommended IAP Desktop" option to access the VM.
   2. Install and setup the IAP Remote Desktop Connection according to the instructions.
2. After you have installed the IAP remote desktop connection, you can access the IAP app by typing IAP in the windows search box in your start menu.
   1. For easier access, you can add the IAP icon to your taskbar.
3. The IAP Desktop application will open with a list of users on the left and a blank panel on the right.
   1. Find your username in the list
   2. Right-click on your username and select "Connect as User"
   3. The username is pam_user, and there is no password (i.e., leave it blank)
   4. If it asks for your password again, just click "OK".
4. It can take several tries to get the VM operational. If something happens, go back to IAP Desktop and try again, or sometimes it's necessary to stop the VM instance and start from the beginning.
5. The first window that will open and be displayed is the cmd.exe window that starts the connection/mount to the ggn-nmfs-aa-dev-1-data storage bucket. The connection has been made when you see "The service rclone has been started" message.
   1. Minimize, do NOT close this window, otherwise the mount point will be lost.
6. At this point, you will see the Windows screen with the various icons for applications and folders. You can close the "Project Explorer" to give yourself more screen space.
7. You are ready to use the Windows VM!

Using the Windows VM

1. Until the mount is modified, you have access to AA-SI's "dev" storage bucket, but you will need access to the "prod" storage bucket.
   1. Open a windows explorer and you will see "pamdata-gcs ggn-nmfs-aa-dev-1-da" mounted as the "P" drive (P:). You will need to mount the "prod" bucket.
   2. There are a few ways to mount cloud storage buckets, and this is one way:
      1. Double-click on the "user_drive_mounts_config" icon (folder icon).
      2. Double-click on the "LAUNCH_MOUNT_EDITOR.bat" file.
      3. A "Rclone Mount Editor" UI will appear.
         1. The first time you create the mount:
            1. Click on the "Add New" button
            2. Mount Name: AA-SI_prod (or whatever you like, but it's useful to include "prod" somewhere in the name)
            3. Drive Letter: Q (or whatever you like, just not P: or C:)
            4. GCS Path: ggn-nmfs-aa-prod-1-data
            5. Cache size and Cache timeout can be left as defaults.
         2. Click on the "Mount Drive" button. This can take awhile and sometimes it doesn't appear that it works. But, refresh the Windows Explorer and you should see the Q drive (or whichever letter you selected) mounted to ggn-nmfs-aa-prod-1-data.
         3. On subsequent mounts, the mount information will be stored and you will click on the mount name, which will populate the fields, and then click on "Mount Drive".
2. You now have access to the AA-SI data in the "prod" environment.
3. To exit make sure you do all these steps!
   1. Click on the Windows icon in the lower left, select "Power", "Shutdown", then click on "Continue".
   2. In the VM Instances, find your username, click on the vertical three dots and select "Stop".
   3. If you do not do both of these, the VM Instance will continue and you will rack up charges.

Echoview

1. We are currently using a timed cloud license. This license has three seats, meaning three people can be using Echoview simultaneously. We hope to have an annual license soon.
2. The cloud-licensing instructions are found in: P:\Echoview\Echoview cloud licensing instructions.pdf (on "dev") or here [Echoview Cloud License](./docs/Echoview_Echoview cloud licensing instructions.pdf). If you run Echoview and the license is not found or working, please see these instructions.

For new repositories in nmfs-ost organization

2. Add topics to help users find repositories.

Disclaimer

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