Computer Science Department - Systems Staff Monthly Update

WREQ Problem Reporting Tool
Email work requests and problem reports are now being entered into the WREQ problem reporting tool. You should submit all requests directly to WREQ and not to ntadmin or individual staff members. You can do this by posting a request through the web interface at: http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~wreq or simply by sending your email request to WREQ at cs dot sunysb dot edu.

WREQ Problem Reporting Tool for Administrative Requests
There is now a WREQ Problem Reporting Tool for work requests directed to the department secretarial and administrative staff. You should use secwreq for requests such as requisitions, course room changes, office supplies, grade changes, room reservations, payroll issues, tuition issues, reimbursements and building management needs. This tool can be found at http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~secwreq or you can send mail to SECWREQ at cs dot sunysb dot edu.

Vmware
The Vmware systems will have some brief downtime this month while they are moved to another location. An announcement will be sent in anticipation of this downtime and every attempt will be made to minimize the disruption. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

The FAQ on accessing the VMware hosts has been completely revised and updated. Please see this and our other FAQs for answers to common questions about the department facilities. FAQs can be found at http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~faq.

Translabs
The desktops in rooms 2114 and 2126 will be upgraded over the summer. The new machines will be faster, have more memory and have flat panel displays. An announcement will be made when the lab is going to close for this upgrade.
Once the hardware upgrade is completed the software in the labs will also be upgraded. Please send mail to NTADMIN at cs dot sunysb dot edu or submit a NTADMIN at cs dot sunysb dot edu job if you know now what software you will required to teach

Graduate PC Lab
The Compaq desktops in room 1204 are being upgraded to GX150s, with the same configuration as the GX150 in room 1239. By the end of June all CRT in room 1239 will be replaced by flat panel displays.

The GX150s presently located in room 1239 are undergoing a storage upgrade, after which the software will all be updated. We will send an announcement out when the lab needs to be closed for maintenance work.

The grad lab printer has been repaired. When there is trouble with the printers, please do not attempt to repair them yourselves. This frequently leads to more damage and a delay in getting the printer back online. You may replace paper as needed, but you should send mail to wreq for paper jams or any other problems. Please be aware the usage of the printer is monitored and quotas will be enforced if the need arises.

On the Web
A news and events submission system is in place. Authentication is through SSO. Department faculty/staff/student may submit news plus images through a GUI. The GUI allows the user to edit or delete their own news article, but not others. The date of the posting and user name who made the posting appear on each article page. Go to www/~sso, authenticate and select add/edit news or add/edit events to post news and events. News and events should be department oriented (no sale of
books or wedding announcements). Events should be limited to things people would attend in the department (quals, defense, ongoing research seminars, general attendance seminars). News would include grant awards, scholarship awards, news about current or former students (as relates to computer science), papers being accepted to conferences.

Department web news/events can be read by going to http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~news or http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~events and selecting an article of interest. The previous links will also bring you to the new news and events sites. The department website is now being updated for the fall semester as far as courses and schedules and concerned. Please send mail to webadm at cs dot sunysb dot edu or submit a NTADMIN at cs dot sunysb dot edu job if you have information which needs to be included.

CS@35
Pictures from the CS@35 celebration are available on the website, as are slides from the presentations. You can access them both through http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/cs@35/.

PCs and Laptops
A reminder that we have a department wide backup system for faculty desktops and laptops. In order to be included in the backup system your desktop or laptop must be a part of the secured backup domain. Being a part of this domain, also gives you access to various software and updates. For example, Microsoft Office Upgrades and patches, Windows security patches, Diskeeper Professional (Defrag Software), Symantec Antivirus client updates, etc. Please send mail to NTADMIN at cs dot sunysb dot edu if
you are not currently participating in the faculty backup system and would like to.

Our MSDNAA contract has been renewed for another year. MSDNAA is a program through which students and faculty can obtain free software from Microsoft. You can find out more about this program at:
http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/facilities/FAQ/MSDNAA.html.

Infrastructure Changes
The new conference room (room 1310) will be opening soon. This room which is brand new seats 24 and has both wired and wireless network access. It will be available through the reserveroom program for reservation.

HOW TO REPORT A PROBLEM or MAKE A WORK REQUEST
First you should check the FAQ pages at:
http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~faq

There is also a link to an index of FAQs.
If the answer to your question is not in the faq's you should use wreq to report the problem or make a work request.
There is a short blurb on wreq in the faq area (search by index).
Wreq lives at: http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~wreq/

You can also send email to:WREQ at cs dot sunysb dot edu from your dept account, or campus account. The subject line should cover what is wrong or what you need. The body of the email can supply any details.

Your problem report must include the following information for us to be able to help you promptly:

The room you are working in, either room number or lab name.
The name of the host you are working on (hostname command in Unix, machine number in 1239, the number written on the bookshelf by your desk in the student offices).
The sequence of things you did just prior to having the problem as best you recollect.
The exact text of any error message you see on the screen, or a complete description of the problem that occured.

Please report problems promptly as they occur so they can be investigated under the same set of conditions as far as possible. When in doubt, feel free to send email to: