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Network Services Team (NST)

Meeting Minutes - 2/7/96

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Last meeting: 1/26/96       Next meeting: 2/21/96

1. Status Reports:

   Any Network Services projects pending/waiting? 

     Duplicating - Merritt 131

        - holes drilled; completing this project as possible.

     Sen. Sears - Raymond 2nd ISD offices

        - We have the work order. (NOTE: Changes occurred in Sen. Sears operation
          on 2/15; need to determine how this affects what we have installed)


   Shiva LANRover status

        - Purchase 2 additional LanRover units + 18 modems--(16) 28.8 + (2) 14.4?
          We discussed this quite a bit and estimated the total cost of adding 18 more
          modems would be $5,000 for the analog card (to be purchased via 860875 telephone 
          budget) and $10,000 for 18 modems ($200 ea) and 2 LanRover units ($3200 ea).

        - Discussed buying rack-mounted modems (later found out this is just too expensive)
          
        - Carm pointed out the need for a new 200-pair cable trunk to be pulled from
          Raymond (the switch) to Kellas.  Considered getting a quote to pull this cable 
          from the DEC contract.



   Wiring the "dorms" project. (Bob) 

     - Current status

          We should specify RJ45 vs RJ11 for the phone jack portion the "faceplate" in 
          student rooms.

          Mounting faceplates so that the jacks face sideways may stress the cat5 cable.

          We should specify "shielded cables" for the residential project.


     - Important next step(s)

        1. active components (electronics) design - Justin will call a meeting on 3/21
        2. user services (role of RCCs; NICs/cables) - need to establish team and get \
             started on these issues Bob
        3. administration (policies) - same as #2
        4. next STAB meeting to review policies, etc. w/ students - Bob is trying
             to get a meeting scheduled for week of 2/26
        5. Project timetable (coordinating schedules w/ John Horan) - John has established
             a preliminary schedule of housing needs during the summer.
        6. Establishing where faceplates will be activated - need to meet w/ John Horan
             on this as soon as possible since it affects #1 above.
        7. Hiring Residential Computer Coordinators (students) - one of their tasks should
             be to test every "jack" in student room at the end of the school year as we
             do now for TV/phone.
    

   Switching hub
 
     - Cabletron coming?  Decided to cancel this test of their switching hub and get them
         to come up for a serious discussion of our electronics design.

     - switching hub backup - consolidated all of this equipment? Garnet is working
          on this.


   2Gb drive for Unix servers and a service contract on both Sun systems
     and the tape backup drive? (Dave) - ordered.  

     Dave emphasized the need to purchase a more powerful SparcStation for TCP/IP services;
     additional memory for the current Sun systems as well.  Bob and Dave will meet to 
     discuss this.  (NOTE:  Met and Dave will order 32Mb upgrades ($1100 ea) for both Sun
     stations)


  Security for Kellas Hall
    
     - Review of meeting w/ Tim Ashley (Public Safety); expecting a report from Tim on
       his recommendations for securing the Kellas Control Room.



2. New items:

   Network services work-order process 

     - Review Brenda's outline of work-order process

   Campus fire-alarm system
   
     - Carm reported that Physical Plant had contacted him about the need to create a
       "ring of connectivity" around the campus to support the fire-alarm system.  Carm
       pointed out the need to be certain that any contractor pulling cable for this system
       clear cable from our conduits first.

   Air condiditioning for the switch room - Brenda reiterated her need for cooler
      air in the switch room.  It may not be necessary to install an air conditioner, but
      there needs to be and improved ventilation in the room--for the switch and for those
      who must work in the switch room.

   Unix equipment changes
    
     - Dave reported that the Unix systems will be changed on Friday, 2/16.  He will
       be moving ns.potsdam.edu to the SparcStation 5.  The Ultrix box will be renamed and
       will become the "interactive" Unix system for student accounts.

     - Brenda will notify our "customers" that email and TCP/IP services will be down on 
       Friday, 2/16/96, from 6pm until the project is completed.

3. Planning/Development

• Voice services plan. (Bob/Brenda)
  
• Video/media services plan. (MSST)
  
• To be investigated/developed over 95-96:
  • IMAP email server * Moving VMS email users to our Unix mail server.
  • 28.8 modems for LanRovers.
• Our roles for network problems and how/when to alert campus of problems with network services:
  • backup role for Justin's role and David's role.
  • Brenda's role as information clearinghouse and her backup.