Easter holiday maintenance

[TheLion]

Hello,

 

For those of us working over the holidays what maintenance will you be doing, taking advantage of no one using the systems?

[Ditto]

Not me, but my manager was going to be doing the SIMS update, but that was uncertain following last weeks CTF issue. He and an apprentice will be doing a full IT asset update/audit. Possibly a USP install too. Nothing too much on the server or apps front as far as I know.

[6Foot2]

...will you be doing, taking advantage of no one using the systems?

Chance would be a fine thing!

 

Even when we are told that there will be nobody using the network, come the day there is always an unannounced revision class, homework catchup, or other reason that we cannot have sole access to the network, even for a short while.

 

[fredbayker]

Yup it’s the same at our place

[hardtailstar]

Chance would be a fine thing!

 

Even when we are told that there will be nobody using the network, come the day there is always an unannounced revision class, homework catchup, or other reason that we cannot have sole access to the network, even for a short while.

 

Revision classes every day all day.

 

I had a plan to go through every computer room and upgrade Ram, check KB/M and general software updates.

 

Not going to get chance for that now. Can't wait for when they start moaning next term about state of rooms!

[forkies]

Still waiting on the list of revision sessions! But on our list is: change Wi-Fi in last building to unifi, run new cabling as required, service the intruder alarm, service access control, service cctv (clean the cameras), install new physical server and migrate virtual machines over, change batteries in UPSs, change switches for Wi-Fi, carry out fire alarm call point test training with the adjoining leisure centre staff who still don’t know how to, clean projector filters, blow out computers in 7 IT suites, check over 15 of the exam laptops now mocks are finished, image 3 laptops for new staff, install ceiling speakers in two rooms, then tidy the store room and office if we have time.

 

5 working days this Easter for me and my senior tech, and I am off for most of one and have meetings another day. Doubt we will get half of the list done but we can try!

[DrBeaker]

What I want to do versus what I actually get done are two different things

[Simcfc73]

I've got line of duty to catch up on... dual monitor works great for this.

 

Sticking a new Hikvision camera up outside so a bit of ladder work is on the menu too.

[3s-gtech]

Hyper-V host updates, couple of PC rebuilds, a few repairs. Pretty quiet which is just as well - I don’t have the energy for much more! Roll on Good Friday and a week off!

[Sonic007]

I won't be doing our Sims updates until after Easter. Will schedule it for in the night.

 

Going to start setting up one of our new servers over Easter.

[unixman_again]

We've got three companies coming in to quote us on replacing 28 projectors. That's a third of the college. We're going short throw and all the same make and model. I can't believe it! The actual replacement won't happen until July/August. There are going to be problems in a couple of labs with gas pipes in the way, but that is their problem not ours. We're not accepting projectors on sticks in the middle of the room.

 

I'm also getting rid of most of VHS machines in classrooms. There are two I can't get rid of until the projectors are replaced. The new projectors are going to be HDMI only, and we're not buying converters. There will be ructions. How will they teach without their 30 year old tapes with video that look like The Scream?

[Sonic007]

We've got three companies coming in to quote us on replacing 28 projectors. That's a third of the college. We're going short throw and all the same make and model. I can't believe it! The actual replacement won't happen until July/August. There are going to be problems in a couple of labs with gas pipes in the way, but that is their problem not ours. We're not accepting projectors on sticks in the middle of the room.

 

I'm also getting rid of most of VHS machines in classrooms. There are two I can't get rid of until the projectors are replaced. The new projectors are going to be HDMI only, and we're not buying converters. There will be ructions. How will they teach without their 30 year old tapes with video that look like The Scream?

 

 

They will either have already moved on or yo'ul be getting tonnes of Emails asking for all their back catalogue of VHS tapes to be converted and uploaded on to the network.

[AJWhite1970]

They will either have already moved on or yo'ul be getting tonnes of Emails asking for all their back catalogue of VHS tapes to be converted and uploaded on to the network.

 

We had uproar when we removed the VHS players, in the end, only History Department had a couple of issues with old resources so we relented and put one back in for them. Within 6 months, they changed syllabus, didn't need the tapes again and that player also came out. We are now VHS free

 

Easter jobs here include last couple of servers to 2019, upgrade to the latest Unifi Console and then firmware updates for all AP's and switches, couple of new Windows 10 workstations. In work this week, have next week off, like proper off, not even on call

[strawberry]

There will be ructions. How will they teach without their 30 year old tapes with video that look like The Scream?

 

We changed our policy so you had to book it. We'd turn up and plug in a usb VHS player. No one took us up. We also offered to convert one tape at a time, only people interested ignored the rule, turned up with bag fulls and never had them converted. No one ever came back to collect.

[hardtailstar]

I dont think ive ever worked in a school with VHS player!

 

My last school had a VHS to DVD recorder but that was never used.

[ITGURU]

We've got easter revision sessions going on every day, so it'll be server updates out of hours. i'm also doing a SIMS sql 2012 to 2016 migration ready for a server migration later this year. also got switches to swap out, projectors to install and a few other bits to do

[caffrey]

New broadband hopefully getting installed and I'm relocating some door entry readers and exit buttons to comply with DDA regs...

[keyboards]

Got in with grand plans

 

Loads of non-teaching staff in(god knows what reason, all walking round not doing much)

Main bit of the office has no data or power as the sparky didn't finish Friday

 

meh!

[DavR]

New phone system coming in from tomorrow, replacing an ailing Siemens HiPath, and 14 new extensions.

 

18 new PCs for the classrooms, and then cascade the old ones to lesser areas.

 

New website hopefully going live for the start of the new term, not that there was anything wrong with the old one, but *shrug*, marketing. It is quite swish though.

 

Minor jobs like move a printer, add some speakers, upgrade iOS on the iPads, clean projector filters, compile photocopier stats, upgrade switch firmware, etc....

 

Luckily the only people I've got to work around are the sports club, aka, holiday childcare. They make an awful racket but are only using a couple of PCs.

[SamanthaD]

Just re-programmed a 3 way divisible room where the AV can be joined up - my head hurts....

Tomorrow balancing the audio system in our biggest lecture theatre (must put new batteries in my hearing aids tonight!)

Next week start the install of a 51 client AV over IP install. First one in the Uni, going to be fun!

 

Fortunately we're student free for 3 weeks. Might actually get some work done!

[mavhc]

Powered down the network cabinet, removed old internet stuff, ups, tested ups, didn't work, plugged everything into mains for now. Awaiting battery

[stevejp]

Powered down the network cabinet, removed old internet stuff, ups, tested ups, didn't work, plugged everything into mains for now. Awaiting power cut.

 

Fixed that for you....

[mavhc]

Fixed that for you....

 

Yeah, power's been more reliable than the ups recently. Luckily the server is powered from both, the switches have been on and off a lot though.

 

Today upgraded ram and cpu in server, removed old server from server room.

 

Old server is a bit dead, ml350 g5, says cpu failure, but that seems unlikely. Will have to find something else that reads SAS disks to wipe them with.

 

Waiting for electrician to test the distribution board before bothering to put the upgraded server back again.

 

Thanks ict-direct for the cheap upgrades. Next holiday I'll install SATA SSDs and bypass the raid card entirely

[mavhc]

Upgraded other server with replacement CPU, then moved server into cabinet from metal cage bolted to the floor. Now it's on a working UPS. Got my £25 8 way PDU with mains sockets and C20 input socket. Wrote labels and stuck them on both ends of every power cable, and put the power cables into the right UPS ports.

 

Hyper V was being weird with network ports, think I didn't plug them back into the same sockets. Couldn't find a powershell command to list what physical port goes with what virtual switch, so just connected all 5 network ports.