SYSTEMS STAFF MONTHLY UPDATE - MAY 2004

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.

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.

Announcements

We would like to welcome the department's new administrative staff member, Shakeera Thomas, Staff Assistant for Special Projects. She can be reached by email at SHAKEERA.

A reminder that at the end of the semester course accounts in the Transaction Labs and in the department will expire automatically. Faculty members should email ntadmin (translabs) or root (department) if you have students using course accounts who will require an extension to finish incompletes.

If you have borrowed a laptop for teaching or research this semester please make arrangements to return it at the end of the semester in order that maintenance and upgrades can be performed.

New or Upgraded Software for Solaris

Rational Rose has been upgraded to version 2002.05.20.

Stateflow has been added to our Matlab license.

New or Upgraded Software on MS Windows

NetBeans v3.6 has been installed in the Translab.

In the Graduate PC Lab, Collaxa BPEL Designer Eclipse and Collaxa BPEL Server 2.0 have been installed on the Dell GX150 machines.

Linux

The department VMware is up and running. If you would like your own Virtual Machine for personal use please send e-mail to VMWARE. All virtual machines will be running Red Hat Linux 9.0, after the semester ends we will begin looking at support for the Red Hat Fedora Project.

An FAQ entry has been added for accessing the department virtual machines, the URL is http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/FAQ/VMware_VM_Access.html

Web

An alumni web site is under development. The site will assist alumni in keeping in touch with each other and with the department, and it will include features on outstanding alumni and their careers.

The FAQ on popmail has been rewritten to reflect the new secure popmail system. Please let us know if you have any questions which this FAQ does not answer.

Infrastructure Changes and Upgrades

On May 6th at 2pm all programs accessed from intrawww.cs.sunysb.edu/~sso will be accessed from an https server on www (https://www.cs.sunysb.edu ....). This will allow secure access to room reservations, downloads, MSDNAA etc from anywhere (eg. home). Details will be emailed in a separate mailing 05/04/2004 (tuesday) with followups/reminders wed (05/05/2004) and thursday one hour prior to switching to the https server.

PCs and Laptops

A recently released software patch for the Windows operating system is causing some Windows 2000 machines to stop responding after it is installed, according to Microsoft.

http://www.computerworld.com/newsletter/0,4902,92757,00.html?nlid=PM

PC Backup

The backup system for faculty desktops and laptops is in operation. 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. You can schedule to be part of this domain at http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~faculty/pcbackup.html.

Please note that it will take at best 4 hours to setup your PC for backup. This is because the PC has to be updated for any windows patches and scanned for viruses before it can be added to the backup domain. Please allow extra time depending on your PC.

Future plans

Room 1203, the graduate laptop room, will be refurbished during the summer.

The faculty and the student file systems will be expanded over the summer.

Over the summer wireless network will be upgraded to eliminate dead-spots. Room 2311 will be fitted out with directional antenna to contain the signal in the room and general access wireless will be installed in the hallway near room 2313.

HOW TO REPORT A PROBLEM or MAKE A WORK REQUEST

First you should check the FAQ pages at:

http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/FAQ/index.html

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:

  1. The room you are working in, either room number or lab name.
  2. 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).
  3. The sequence of things you did just prior to having the problem as best you recollect.
  4. 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:

  • Unix and network problems:ROOT AT cs dot sunysb dot edu
  • PC problems:NTADMIN AT cs dot sunysb dot edu

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