ECN No Name Newsletter: Spring, 1998

The ECN No Name Newsletter is no longer being published. This is an archived issue.

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1997-98 School Year In Review

Bill Simmons, Director ECN
simmons@purdue.edu

Along the way of installing systems, upgrading software and answering questions for students, faculty and staff, it's easy to loose track of where the time goes and what has been accomplished. Below is a partial list of ECN staff activities during 1997. I wish to thank the hardware, site specialist, software, user services and PACE staffs for their dedicated support of the education and research missions of the Schools of Engineering.

  1. The ECN central staff handled over 9,100 logged requests for services and information; school site specialists handled an additional 10,950 requests.
  2. Handled an estimated 10,000 phone calls and walk-in requests for information; school site specialists dealt with 20,800 contacts.
  3. Added 90 UNIX, 200 Intel and 40 Macintosh systems to the network.
  4. Developed MS Windows application compute servers (PACE).
  5. Developed an email system model for campus use (PACE).
  6. Implemented service request tracking software. Provides more effective ECN staff communication and resolution tracking in handling requests for service and information.
  7. Implemented new mass storage backup system that backs up hard drives on UNIX and PC office and laboratory stations and large capacity servers; 190 hosts are supported with 950 gigabytes of data.
  8. Evaluated software for accessing campus servers from home computers (PACE).
  9. Implemented secure encrypted network communication software in all ECN supported UNIX systems.
  10. Established daily backup procedure for ORACLE database. Are in the process of upgrading from Release 7.3.2.2 to Release 7.3.3.0. Version 7.3.3.0 will include Developer 2000 Release 1.5.1.
  11. Updated Sun, HP and AIX windows interface (CDE) to be consistent.
  12. Implemented MATLAB for home access.
  13. Installed new releases of 29 commercial application software packages. This includes software that is currently in the default path (i.e. /usr/local/bin, /usr/opt/bin, /usr/site/ecn/bin, etc.) and software in /usr/new/bin.

    Abaqusupgraded to Version 5.6-1
    Acrobatupgraded to Version 3.01
    Bisonupgraded to Version 1.25
    Exmhupgraded to Version 2.0.2
    Fig2devupgraded to Version 3.2 Patchlevel 0-beta3
    Flexupgraded to Version 2.5.4
    FrameMakerupgraded to Version 5.5
    Ghostscriptupgraded to Version 5.10
    Gnu gccupgraded to Version 2.8.0
    HotJavaVersion 1.0 added
    ImageMagickupgraded to Version 4.0
    IslandSoftwareupgraded to Version 6.0
    Javaupgraded to Version 1.1.3
    LabViewVersion 5.0 added
    Mathematicaupgraded to Version 3.0.1.1
    Matlabupgraded to Version 5.1
    MapleVupgraded to Version 4.0
    MAE-Appleupgraded to Version 3.0-4 Patchlevel 4
    MtoolsVersion 3.8 added
    Netscapeupgraded to Version 4.04
    Perlupgraded to Version 5.004
    Sendmailupgraded to Version 8.8.8
    Sshupgraded to Version 1.2.22
    Sun compilersupgraded to Version 4.2
    ToastVersion 1.0 added
    Topupgraded to Version 3.5beta7
    Wabiupgraded to Version 2.2
    WordPerfectupgraded to Version 7.0

  14. Participated in establishing the LABVIEW campus software license.
  15. Developed X-terminal implementation for older workstations to extend their use.
  16. Completed upgrading Sun systems to Solaris 2.5.
  17. Converted test set of Suns to Solaris 2.6 in preparation for upgrading Engineering Suns.
  18. Began to develop ECN support for Solaris on Intel hardware (Sun X86).
  19. Upgraded ECN network software to improve performance, handle new ATM networks, and to interface with new PDN networks.
  20. Upgraded support for SGI and AIX platforms. Now includes security updates, cross-platform file serving, email, and automated software distribution.
  21. Installed 700+ Sun and HP operating system patches/upgrades and more than 9 megabytes of improvements.
  22. Windows NT Administration
  23. Implemented Windows software libraries on School UNIX servers.
  24. Received Microsoft grants to send 13 Engineering staff to 17 NT training courses. Received Microsoft developer subscriptions for 18 Engineering staff.
  25. IRIX project completed.
  26. HP-UX samba supported with newer version.
  27. Placed PDN CISCO 7000 router in service.
  28. NT Administration work in progress:
  29. Coordinated ECN and PUCC login ID's to allow interconnecting file servers permitting ECN hosts to automount PUCC home file systems and vice versa.
  30. Added 56Kbit X2 support to ISDN dialup lines.
  31. Continued support of Engineering web structure:
  32. Placed 33 computer related books in the Engineering Library.
  33. Participated in campus account control (ACMAINT).
    domainhostsusersaccounts
    .agcom18585
    .cc3760447152757
    .cue26492
    .ecn85214127473595
    .stat1157157
    total89367083*626686
    *Many users have accounts on more than one host and domain.
  34. Worked with PUCC to maintain consistent PUCC and ECN UNIX system environments.
  35. Provided 38 short courses and 3 newsletters.
  36. Implemented software to update user access accounts from Registrar enrollment data received nightly.
  37. Specified computing systems for Advanced Academic Computing Initiative.

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