Transcript Slides

“Open” lab projects for the
remainder of 2001
NC State University Information Technology,
Systems, unnamed Micro computing group
Let go every Zig for Great Justice!
March 6 Feedback meeting
• Our slides, and “raw” feedback that we
gathered is on the web at
http://www.ncsu.edu/mtip/zen/labs
• Polite feedback is always welcome, either at
this meeting or via e-mail to
[email protected]
• We are basing all our work plans on the
feedback we receive!
Breakdown of the To-Do list:
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Things to fix
Infrastructure Improvements
New Capabilities / Applications
New Policies and Procedures
Training
Things to fix
Things to fix
• Actually fixed now
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Norton AV now in base NT install
Netscape bookmark copies now run once only
Netscape NSREG.DAT Corruption*
Assistive Tech software collection
Access to Dept Servers (Remedy Solution 2531)
• Things we’re still working on
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Roaming Profile Corruption*
Acrobat Distiller and embedded fonts
Improved install instructions*
Time and process to establish Wolfcopy printers
* Work begun, but not complete, or results not yet available
Some suggestions
• If you’re having profile corruption
problems:
– Be sure your workstation container is
associated with .Unity-WSP.Users
– Check your version of Norton! (7.5)
– Educate your students about the perils of
storing files on the profile volumes.
Infrastructure Improvements
Infrastructure Improvements –
Easy stuff
• Complete retuning of ITD replica/profile
servers for optimum and consistent
performance. (complete Summer I)
• Profile increase to 25MB (Fall)
• IP only in new labs to reduce net traffic
Infrastructure Improvements –
Harder Stuff
• Replicas at CVM for geographic fault
tolerance (complete Summer II)
• Printing Services to NDPS for IP based,
clusterable, IPP (with NW6) and automatic
driver distribution
• Storage Area Network (SAN) and Cluster
Services! (Fall)
Replicas at CVM
Hillsborough
Others
.Users
NDS
Poe
Two 1GB
Servers
Others
Two 1GB
Servers
CVM
Others
.Users
NDS
Three sites with all data
Any site can authenticate users, &
Process any updates (Multi-master)
.Users
“Replication”
NDS
Two 1GB
Servers
Novell Distributed Print Services
• Designed to handle the increased
complexity of managing modern printers
in a network environment
• Exploits the new functionality offered by
these printers
• Web based management
• IPP support with Netware 6
• See http://www.novell.com/products/ndps/
Remember RAID-5?
Redundant Array of “Inexpensive” Disks. Data is
written to multiple disks, with an ‘extra’ disk that
has enough data to reconstruct any disk in the
array that fails.
Your Files
“Extra”
aka “Parity”
Data is split up, and parts kept
on several disks for safety
The “parity” disk computes a
value that can be used to restore
the data from any one lost disk
SANs are even better
• With RAID, only the disk channel is
redundant
• A single transistor on the motherboard,
network card, or other subsystem can still
crash the system
• Enter the Storage Area Network!
ITD SAN Configuration
Servers are connected
to both switches
And servers are
clustered
½ TB disk subsystem
Fibre Channel connection
to two “disk switches”
Novell Cluster services
Both “real” 152.1.3.100
and service 152.1.3.50
address
“Real” Servers
152.1.3.100
152.1.3.55
On failure a new node picks
up the service IP address
“Service” IP of 152.1.3.100
Clients
Think they
Talk to
This IP
Address
“Virtual” Server
No real hardware, but all
NDS configuration objects
What Clustering gives us
• Next level of fault tolerance – any server
subsystem can fail, with 4 x failover
• Transparent to clients. Virtual servers can
host read/write as well as read-only volumes
IP based
based Netware hosted service can be
• Any IP
clustered, not just volumes (NDPS, ftp, web)
Prepare for the future!
• All Novell Clients should be configured for IP
• We recommend Client-32 v 3.3 for Win9x
Client-32 v4.8 for Win 2000 / Win NT
• You should install the NDPS client, even if you’re
not using it now
• Guidelines for SANitizing applications being
developed and shared with Zen test group
New Capabilities / Applications
New Capabilities
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Windows 2000 in labs (Fall)
New installer for Win2K (sysprep)
New Applications
Zen 3 uses MSI files directly (no snapshot)
Zen 3 “Disconnected” NAL
Zen 3 workstation imaging and auto registration
WebDAV (“clientless” web access)
Hey, hey, it’s Win 2K
• Limited deployment Summer II to iron out
anti-features.
• Win2K with SP1, Novell Client v4.8,
AFS 3.6 v 2.14
• All “Unity Apps” will be tested with Win2k
• Print drivers for automatic setup via policies
• IP only*
Sysprep
• No Leadoff for Windows 2000
• Ghost image with all drivers (New site
license in progress)
• On first boot, prompts for Computer Name
and Administrator password
• Log in once for Workstation Registration,
and you’re done!
• Classes / Demo in Summer II
New Applications
• Applications for Fall and Spring will be
tested under both NT and 2000
• Fall brings major version updates for most
shipping applications
• Internet Explorer!
• Complete list of applications on web at
http://www.ncsu.edu/mtip/zen/labs/newapps.html
Zen 3: MSI support
• Making and maintaining applications one of
the most difficult skills to master in this
environment
• “Snapshot” is rather an art. Must watch for
DHCP leases, explorer and rpc mess.
• With Zen3 use “Microsoft System Installer”
files. Snapshot completely eliminated!
Zen 3: Disconnected NAL
• Use a laptop’s hard drive or burn a CDROM with NAL’s .FIL files
• Even without a network connection,
“Verify” functions to rebuild apps
• ITD to provide, but not lead on this without
a strong mandate from campus (too much
else cool in Zen 3!)
Zen 3: Imaging and
Autoregistration
• Zen 3 provides WS imaging (like Ghost)
but controlled via NDS
• Not fully developed for use here (no
compression)
• Autoregistration removes last login from
setup.
• Zen 3 scheduled to be installed June 30,
2001
WebDAV
• Use IE or “Web Folders” to access Netware
lockers or other resources remotely
• No client software to install
• Access to all security features (ACLs)
• Mac AFP/IP a bust, so may be best way to
get Mac access from off campus
• We’ll pursue with Netware 6 (not shipping
yet)
New and Improved
Policies and Processes
Password and Profile Resets
• Unity Password Resets: Coming Soon!
– Dept heads and above may request privilege
for staff (full or part time)
– Good for one (fiscal) year
– Must have Unity and Remedy accounts
• Profile Resets – Web-based tool in the
future, workaround documented in Remedy
solution 2590
Software and Printing
• Application Issues:
– Discipline Apps in Unity Labs – policy on web
– Software priorities/responsibilities – in progress
• Printing documentation in progress;
anticipated turnaround for WolfCopy
queues, < 1 week
• Assistive Technology folder on APPS
volume, Terry Thompson controls access
Improving support for admins
• Computing Services is developing “tiered
support”, to help admins bypass 1st level
helpdesk when appropriate
• Documentation review and reorg beginning
in Systems, rules/regulations project
• Some new Remedy solutions – Access to
dept. lockers, #2531, Help an end user reset
NT profile, #2590
Support Issues for Local Servers
• ITD will hold, maintain and troubleshoot NDS
replicas for departments/Colleges
• ITD offers a Distributed Support program, which
can place qualified staff in departments that need
to run a server
• ITD can refer you to vendors on state contract for
“Rent a Systems Engineer” for consulting, server
setup, maintenance and troubleshooting
Support Issues for Local Servers,
cont.
• For groups that wish to move commodity services
off of local servers, ITD offers the following
services:
– NetWare file space /AFS locker rental
– Print services (accounted printing through Wolfcopy or
NetWare file space rental)
– Unity IMAP email
– General consulting on the migration project
• Send email to [email protected] for more
information on these services
Training
• Remedy training –
– 1st Thursdays, 9am-11am, Avent Ferry Training Center
– Alternating general and advanced
(http://remedy.ncsu.edu/news)
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Norton Antivirus Workshop– Summer I
Windows 2000 installation - Summer II
How to “Key” applications – Fall
How to Build NAL Applications – Fall
Linux
• No plans for Linux desktop development
– Linux initiatives already underway in groups
that have identified this as a critical need
– We will work with these other groups to
leverage NDS/LDAP into this platform
– Our focus will continue to be on meeting
NCSU community’s need for strong support of
the Windows and Macintosh desktop platforms
“Open” lab projects for the
remainder of 2001
NC State University Information Technology,
Systems, unnamed Micro computing group
Let go every Zig for Great Justice!
Secret Slide
Unaddressed Issues
• “Power users on particular workstations” –
Huh?
• NAL equivalent on Macintosh
• Macintosh client access 
• Force Run “sysnews” on login
• NAL and Unity apps in Resnet / Off campus