NWC Week 2

Well, it seems that news is finally starting to trickle down back the pipeline. After a week of me sending up the line problem tickets concerning room connections, I finally got some news back as well as some connections activated. Seems that the wiring on the fifth floor is a bit messed up. Maybe even more than a little. OU had contracted out the majority of the wiring of the NWC during the main construction phase of the NWC. Mislabeled ports in the rooms and in the floor wire closets are part of the blame. Crossed wires from bundles in other areas. Slowly the OU group are sorting it out and more connections were made active today. Patience is the name of the game. I am hoping that in the next few days, all the offices will be connected.

For one thing, trying to stay on top of the wire story is keeping me from working on the student computer labs. No too much of a problem since I still can set up the new servers in the server room. However, for both the Apple lab and the Linux lab, I will be able to image a master machine and clone it out to the others. It will make life much easier, and will also allow for a more uniform experience for users. Over all, I will think the students will be pleased. Especially those who think they cannot live without Windows. The Mac lab (and now possibly the Linux lab) will be able to run Windows in a virtual machine. This will make Windows a more easily administered system and less of a security nightmare.

I am still running around a lot and trying to help get folks up and running (and still bone tired at the end of a day). Again, Sam and Brian have been a big help with keeping up with the more normal business of computing in the department while I have been more the administrator. All this paper chasing and pushing makes me wish for the more quiet days when I could muck around on a machine, playing with a Linux install, or working with Gempak. Ahh the good ole' days.

mjl