Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Juggling 10,000 Pounds:Managing Computer Labs and
Classrooms at Brandeis University
Anne LivermoreComputer Classroom Facilities Manager
http://www.brandeis.edu/~anne/nercomp
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Talk Overview
• Quick Tour of the Labs and Classrooms• Four Phases of the Upgrade Project
1)Discovering the Problems
2)Building Infrastructure
3)Consequences of Rapid Change
4)Reaping the Benefits
• New Policies, Better Practices• Principles, Mistakes, and Lessons• The Powers of Fours
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Classrooms Tour
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
What do I do?
• Computer Classroom Facilities Manager
• Work for Information Technology Services
• Part of the Academic Technology group
• Duties:– Manage the computer labs and classrooms– Help faculty implement courseware in the
classrooms and on the academic file servers– Weekly seven hour shift in CIMTech
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Vital Statistics
• ITS maintains 4 labs, 4 classrooms
• 140 computers, 8 spaces, 5 buildings
• 4 staffed, 4 unattended
• Hours: 9 a.m. to 12 midnight, longer during finals and shorter during breaks
• One FTE
• Two student staff
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Classrooms and Labs
Computer Classrooms and Labs
CIMTech (8)
LMC (7)
GSIEF (26)
Feldberg Main (27) Goldfarb
(21)
Hughes (11)
Farber (21)
Feldberg 123 (19)
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Classrooms and Labs
# of Computers Computer Type Operating SystemFeldberg 123 19 Compaq Deskpro EN NT 4.0Goldfarb 21 Dell OptiPlex Windows 2000Hughes 11 Dell OptiPlex Windows 2000Farber 21 iMac DV MacOS 9Feldberg Main 18 iMac (original) MacOS 8.6
4 PowerMacs MacOS 8.65 Dell OptiPlex Windows 2000
GSIEF 26 Dell OptiPlex Windows 2000LMC 4 Compaq Deskpro EN Windows 2000
3 Macintosh G4 MacOS 9CIMTech 5 Macs, varied MacOS 9
3 Compaq Deskpro EN Windows 2000
TOTAL 140
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
PC’s versus Macs
PC's versus Macs
PC's64%
Macs36%
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Feldberg 123
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Goldfarb
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Hughes
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Farber
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Feldberg Main
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
GSIEF
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Language Media Center (LMC)
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
CIMTech
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Classroom Usage S2001
Classroom Usage, Spring 2001
29
9
21
2
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Feldberg 123 Farber Goldfarb Hughes
Ho
urs
pe
r w
ee
k
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Four Phases of the Upgrade Project
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Phase One: Discovering the Problems
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Five Big Problems
1) Institutional problems
2) PC problems
3) Windows network problems
4) Macintosh problems
5) Print system problems
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Institutional Problems
• Classrooms not a high priority
• No overall policy
• Sketchy paper trail
• Initially, no money set aside for upgrades
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
PC Problems
• Aging, mismatched PC’s
• Restrictive permissions
• Slow imaging software
• Infrequent maintenance
• No central storage for PC Ghost images
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Windows Network Problems
• Feldberg domain
• Woodstock the Old (Feldberg PDC and Courseware file server)
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Macintosh Problems
• Aging Macs
• Old Macintosh Fileserver
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Print System Problems
• Vended printing
• Different cards from campus photocopiers and library printers
• Card reader connected directly to printer
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
On My Side
• Great team
• Supportive supervisor
• Strong advocate in the CIO
• Good departmental communication
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
First steps toward a solution
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Philosophy
“Clusters”
Are these rooms classrooms or labs?
Why does it matter?
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Phase One Timeline
Install F123 PC's in Feldberg MainRenovate Feldberg 123 Rebuild Goldfarb images
Set up Clusterserver Begin documentation project
January 2000 February 2000 March 2000 April 2000
Install and troubleshoot new printing systemRespond reactively to faculty requests in the classrooms
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Phase One Results
• Clearer domain structure
• New computers, single image in Feldberg 123
• Storage space for PC Ghost images
• Improved printing system
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Phase Two: Building Infrastructure
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Renovations!
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Phase Two Timeline
Renovate FarberRenovate Goldfarb Refurbish Goldfarb computers Replace Hughes computers
Survey summer school needs Deploy new version of Ghost (6.0) Replace Feldberg Main PC's Survey faculty F2000 needsSeek funding for renovations Buy new Mac File Server
May 2000 June 2000 July 2000 August 2000Summer school in session
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Money
Date Amount Terms DepartmentFeldberg 123 January 2000 $46,000* Lease ($32,000) Continuing EdFarber June 2000 $39,000 Lease ITSGoldfarb June 2000 $43,000** Lease ITS/Continuing EdFeldberg Main PC July 2000 $0Hughes August 2000 $7,000 Purchase (parts) ITSGSIEF December 2000 $33,000 Lease GSIEF
$64,000$104,000
$168,000
Overall total does not include about $10,000 of software and small purchases (lockdown kits, etc.)
* includes computers, software, tables, additional wiring, and LCD projector** $18,000 from ITS, $25,000 from Continuing Ed
ITS TOTALNON-ITS TOTALOVERALL TOTAL
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Phase Two Results
• New computers, new image in Farber
• New computers, single image in Goldfarb
• Newer computers, new image, platform switch in Hughes
• Newer PC’s in Feldberg Main
• Current, faster version of Ghost (6.0)
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Phase Three: Consequences of Rapid Change
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Phase Three Timeline
Set up GIS in HughesSet up New Mac Fileserver Assimilator images to new server
Recover Mac Courseware data Begin archiving old images to CDNew W2K academic fileserver Inherit CIMTech maintenance
Survey faculty S2001 needsBudgeting for FY'02 Renovate GSIEF lab
GSIEF lab purchase consulting Migrate to Ghost 6.5September 2000 October 2000 November 2000 December 2000
Late faculty requestsGhost 6 network issues
Goldfarb and Hughes W2K permissions problems
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Phase Three Results
• New Mac fileserver resolves most Mac classroom issues
• New Windows academic fileserver relieves space crunch
• Inherited CIMTech and GSIEF
• Migrated to Ghost 6.5
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Phase Four: Reaping the Benefits
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Phase Four Timeline
Inherit Language Media Center (LMC) Regular maintenance scheduleContact S2001 faculty individually Revise S2001 images againRevise images with S2001 changes
January 2001 February 2001 March 2001Focus on faculty projects
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Where we are now
• Consistently meeting basic requirements– Fulfilling faculty requests in a timely way– Classroom computers are all working and
regularly maintained– Robust servers and network
• Spending more time on academic technology
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
New Policies, Better Practices
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Hardware
• Standardize computer hardware within classrooms
• Buy swappers
• Replace hardware every three years
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Routine Maintenance
• Post weekly room schedules
• Ghost the PC’s weekly
• Assimilate the Macs daily
• Reboot computers twice weekly
• Daily walk-throughs
• Maintain current hard drive images
• Avoid individual troubleshooting
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Documentation
• Archive old images
• Tasking and documentation in one step
• Write mini-docs as needed• Put it on the Web
http//www.brandeis.edu/its/resources/facilities/classrooms.html
• Be organized; put things away
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Security Policy
• Did away with local security• Installed lockdown kits• For Windows 2000, cluster guest login is
local admin. Risky? Not really.– Local admin only, can’t administer domain– Clusters is untrusted domain– Switched network– Servers require SSL connections– Frequent and unadvertised refreshes
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Security Problems
• Disable Assimilator
• The Porn Fiend
• Exploit hidden C$ share in Windows 2000
• Relatively little theft
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Principles, Mistakes, and Lessons
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
The Eight Commandments
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
1) Get help!
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Get Help - How?
• Ask for advice and concrete help from colleagues
• Always help a coworker in need
• Make friends with the Systems people
• Enlist the Help Desk to help notice and report problems
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
• Invite everyone to rollout parties and bribe them with food
• Get to know the hardware shop manager
• Hire and retain good students
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Danielle
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Lucas
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
2) Spend your time on people, not on things.
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
3) Talk to faculty individually.
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
4) Convey deadlines by multiple means.
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
5) Take time regularly to plan.
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
6) Stay mobile and always reachable.
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
7) Be honest about what you can do.
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
8) Deal with the highest priority first.
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
The Powers of Fours
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Four Most Common Problems
• Printing • Computers down/broken• Problems with new software• Whatever you don’t expect . . .
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Four Big Mistakes
• Don’t make purchasing decisions for political reasons.
• Don’t underestimate down time in the classrooms
• Don’t allow client departments to “own” you or your classrooms
• Don’t adopt new technology too quickly
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Four Future Directions
• Buy more applications for the classrooms
• Become more knowledgeable about courseware applications
• Institute a two-year classroom replacement schedule
• More faculty outreach
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Appendices
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Indispensable Tools
• Ghost http://enterprisesecurity.symantec.com/products/products.cfm?productID=3
• Assimilator http://www.digitalriver.com/dr/v2/ec_MAIN.Entry17c?SP=10007&PN=5&CID=0&SID=27412&PID=260197&DSP=&CUR=840&CACHE_ID=0
• Printing system (we use Copico, http://www.vendedcopiers.com/)• CDRW and CD’s for archiving• Segregated Clusters domain on switched network• File servers (Mac and Windows)
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Indispensable Tools
• Print server
• Micrsoft Sysprep utility• Netsaint http://webserver.brandeis.edu/netsaint
• Swappers and masters
• 2 dedicated cluster subnet ports in office• Lockdowns http://www.flexguard.com/
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
URL’s
• Brandeis: http://www.brandeis.edu
• Brandeis ITS: http://www.brandeis.edu/its
• Classroom web pages: http://www.brandeis.edu/its/resources/facilities/classrooms.html
• This presentation: http://www.brandeis.edu/~anne/nercomp
Anne Livermore - NERCOMP 2001
Juggling 10,000 Pounds:Managing Computer Labs and
Classrooms at Brandeis University
Anne LivermoreComputer Classroom Facilities Manager
http://www.brandeis.edu/~anne/nercomp
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