robk

We have a Xserve running OS X server 10.5, 2Gb ram, three 1Tb Hdds and quad core 2.8Ghz processor sitting in our server rack handling OD managed prefs for 15 mac clients, jabber, mac printing and two smb shares. We also have a very old suse linux box running squirrelmail, cyrus, mailscanner & postfix which is running on a sempron 2600+, 80Gb HDD and a gig of ram. Our mail system is so slow its got to the unusable point, and as os X runs the same components I am considering moving mail over to the Xserve. Question is, anyone else doing this? Is the Xserve likely to cope? Given the HDD space is there, it seems a waste to buy more hardware to do this, but I don`t want to stress the Xserve in the process. Any migrration tips would be greatly recieved. Thanks RobK

Well it appears that FFT have now added a export with UPNS in it. Of course its nothing like the format that Facilty needs, so it looks like lots of manual cutting & pasting from pivot tables. Our LA tell me they can not provide the data in the old format...... So anyone whipped up a quick script to do this? RobK

We are only pushing critical and security plus ie7 and silverlight there does seem to be a .net patch that takes a long time to apply but that's not a smoking gun. Robk

Yes I had heard this one. The issue is, that the machines build correctly with SP3 installed, its only when a (currently unknown) later windows update is applied that the problem occurs. Robk

After a bit of a long issue with our WSUS server (now running WSUS 3 sp2) we now have patches being deployed correctly. However, we are finding that some machines are hanging at the xp splash screen after winows updates has pushed out updates. We are not sure which updates are causing this, and for now have turned WSUS off. The only change we made was to use nlite to add sp3 to the RIS deployment folder. We use a standard build script (no riprep etc). We could roll back to our sp2 image, or recreate the sp3 one, but it would be good to identify what actually is happening. Has anyone seen this before? RobK

I use on of these for video playback etc, it would certainly do the job. Fairly small and just needs power and a scart cable. You have obviously thought about just using a av cable with the camera, thats what I would probably go with. RobK

@John That sounds like the older database format, which my la only distributed the xls exports from. Good to hear fft have not stopped doing it completly! Just need to see if I can convince our la of that fact. Robk

And there is the issue, I don`t have a handy login for fftlive at the moment, but they seem to have removed UPN from the data, making any import process very painful. Robk

I am aware that Serco`s offical line is that since fischer family trust changed to the new FFT live website automatic importing of data was not possible due to the lack of a unique id in the data. That said, I have been back and forth between our SMT,LA and Serco support to try to find a resolution to the issue, but seem to be getting absolutly nowhere! Does anyone know of a solution to this problem, which does not involve manually entering all the data? Help! Thanks RobK

Happy birthday!

Having just updated our nagios box due to hdd failure, I can`t make the previously working HP Procurve cpu load test to work. We did upgrade from debian 4 to 5 and nagios 2 to nagios 3, but the config files were copied across. All other procurve snmp checks work fine. (Installation details copied from the wiki) Any debugging suggestions? Robk

Not entirely sure if smoothwall can do this, I would be suggesting moving away from hotmail myself. However, have you thought of a smoothwall trial? I am sure they would let you test this out, and once you see everything else it does, you are very likely to want the product. Probably worth contacting smoothwall sales with the question, they will get back to you I am sure. (either that or Tom or a more knowlagable smoothwall user will be along here shortly. RobK (A happy smoothwall user )

There is a reg key to fix that. Don't have it to hand but it does exist on google. Hopefully someone can put a link on here shortly.

Finally got the OK to go, so should see you all down there. Just looking at trains etc now. RobK

If the power has been off, it may be a switch thats hung, I would check for activity lights on the switches, and if easy to to, restart the switch just in case. Does your server have a intel network card? If it does, and you can`t ping it from anywhere, try rebooting the server, some of intel`s drivers have a bug. RobK

I am aware of a problem with intels Pro 1000 Drivers that cause them to not come back up after reboot. Disabling and reenabling the adapter is supposed to cure it. I think the latest drivers are revision 14, and these don`t have the bug. Robk

I have to do nearly the same thing. There is a mention in Sept 2009`s pc pro Real world networks section about doing the same thing, and it mentions having to re-flash the firmware twice. I know there is a hidden partition on each drive with the os on it, so I guess reflashing the firmware updates this. Not tryed this yet, but will update when I do. RobK

I have a domain name registered for a local charity. We found that dns records dropped off the internet a few weeks ago. No contact from the hosting company, but it transpired our two yearly hosting fee was due. This was duly paid online, and a email sent to support requesting re-enabling the dns records. I have yet to hear from them! unfortunaly nslookup shows that the domain name is registered with fasthosts, on behalf of the company I pay, no mention of our details, so I suspect I can`t just contact nominet and move the domain. Of course all our official email addresses etc run via the domain, so it is very difficult to prove who we are to nominet etc... If the hosting company have gone bust (which is my suspiscion), how long will it take for fasthosts to release the domain so I can re-register it with someone else?

Well I got the licence server working ok, but there seems to be no mention of MSI/silent deployment in the PTC docs. Anyone got there yet? RobK

I did end up getting a response from [email protected] with a product code. I am not sure if they are user specific, so will refrain from posting, PM if anyone is stuck! Now to wait for the licence file to be emailed back, and to install flexlm.... RobK

I have been landed with installing ProEngineer 4 over the next week, which seems to be a bit of a problem.... I have a ptc logon provided by the technology dept, but I don`t have the Product ID for the package! Can anyone enlighten me to the product code? I then need to look at doing a silent install, has anyone acheved this? I was hoping for a MSI of some kind on the cds but it looks sadly missing. Any hints? RobK

We found that the mac os x server is needed for the apple equivelent of Group policy, you could get the macs to authenticate to the domain without, but with no control over the desktops etc. RobK

We have just advertised a IT Technicians post here in sunny Ashbourne. Further details on http://www.queenelizabeths.derbyshire.sch.uk/Job-opportunities.php RobK

fred99, I think you can safely go ahead, plug everything in and it will work. For that sort of cable run I wouldn`t have thought you needed shelding, but if that cable is inside, protected from sun and rain it will do the job. If the devices have shelded ports the earthing will be done for you, if they don`t I would NOT try to add additional earth connections. You may end up creating more problems that its worth. I am assuming that you are just running this cable from one room to another, rather than between buildings on different mains power supplies. Hope that helps. RobK

Do you have a Serco support site log on? I thought I saw training manual and databases available for download. Pm me if you are really stuck. Rob