May 31st, 2007

Action Item

• We approved the budget proposed by the Computing Services staff and presented by Mike and Rich.

April 19th, 2007

Action Item

• Dong Xuan and Steve Romig presented their plans for a new networking course that requires some special-purpose hardware - boxes running some virtual machines that are connected together but are isolated from the rest of the CSE network. The configuration should prove useful for several courses (e.g. security, os). With the computing facilities providing the basic compute boxes, the cost of $4K will be incurred from purchasing softare, switches and some miscellaneous stuff. The expenditure of $4K was approved by the Committee (5 yes, 0 no).

Information Items

• Class email lists from rosters: This is not a big deal to do, the staff just needs to find time to modify the account generation script. The staff commits to having this done by next Autumn
• Winedit: Previously approved by the Computer Comittee, 200 licenses have been purchased by the Department. The staff is developing an automatic installation procedure. Installing the licenses on machines in a Caldwell lab was considered, but it was decided to concentrate on faculty machines, research lab machines and grad machines on a by-request-basis. An announcement will be made that Winedit is available.
• Backup of research machines: The staff will be working one-on-one with research labs on arranging for custom backups of research machines.
• New storage quotas: New storage quotas are in effect as of spring break.
• Web page update: The proposal is to modify our departmental web site to include some client-specific organization. A few sites have been looked to see what they have in the way of client organization including the college, OSU's, Purdue's, CMU's, Michigan. All have tabs for prospective students, current students, faculty and staff, and alumni and friends. One or two also have a visitors tab. Domin Lee, a student with web-design expertise the staff has been using for such stuff, may not be back on campus, so someone else will have to be identified to do the work.
• Student lounge: DL172 is up and running as a 24 hour, key card swipe, lounge. The staff is trying to determine the best configuration (PCs, tables, etc.) to suit student needs. The lounge seems to be getting significant use; the student reps confirm its utility. There may be another lounge area identified in Bolz sometime soon.
• SSN protection: Our department seems to be in pretty good shape in terms of security compared to some of the rest of the campus. In a related move by the university, starting Autumn SSNs will be removed from class rosters.
• Budget: The staff will be presenting a computing budget to the committee around the first week of May.
• OpenSource and Linux machines: One of the student reps expressed an interest in seeing Linus machines available to students with OpenSource software. The staff is about to make available a Redhat (Linux) server at stdlogin. The staff will also work with student rep Jim Dinan and the Open Source Club to possibly make a Linux PC available in the lounge.

February 21, 2007

Present: Rick Parent (chair), Mike Compton, Jim Dinan, Hakan Ferhatosmanoglu, Jason Karns, Ron Salyers, Prasun Sinha

• Information item: Report from the computing staff
  • report to faculty has been given in faculty meeting; to summarize: new storage & quotas, backups incl. research
  • budget reduction: 5% hit; reduce one staff position; save some on consultants
• Action item: WinEdit
  • request from faculty to purchase some WinEdit licenses
  • it seemed to be the de facto standard that a lot of the faculty and grad students were already using having either purchases it themselves, through grants, or obtained by nefarious means
  • we decided to create a funding plan pre-approved for $2500. The staff will come up with a licensing arrangments within those constraints.
• Action item: CSE Web Page redesign
  • it was redesigned when one of the chair candidates visited and remarked that we weren't showcasing our research enough
  • the idea proposed was that it should be more 'client-based' - be organized 'for faculty', 'for parents', 'for students', 'for visitors', etc.
  • there was concern that we might be chasing the next idea to come along
  • a redesign will probably be executed over summer. we will collect ideas and designs until then
• Discussion item: Class communication
  • we were asked to think about the best way to get information out to students
  • we kicked around ideas including blogs, wikis, web-interface to newsgroups, email
  • there are examples of effective use of newsgroups (e.g. 360). It is hypothesized that the newsgroup has to be used early on for important information in order to create a class culture of newsgroup usage
  • mass email may just be the best way
• Discussion item: Budget Planning Process
  • budget reduction will be addressed by losing staff positions via attrition
  • need to collect ideas, desires, e.g., on-line account checking

Action items

• The staff will follow up with designing a purchase of WinEdit of not more than $2500.
• We will collect ideas for the web design in spring quarter
• We will collect ideas on what's needed around here

October 5th, 2006

Present: Rick Parent (chair), Mike Compton, Jim Davis, Jim Dinan, Hakan Ferhatosmanoglu, Jason Karns, Ron Salyers,

• Information item: new computer lounge in DL172 is currently being set up 24 hr access with key card
• Feedback to Computing Services: Ron asked about whether couple pieces of supported software were still needed - specifically maple and framemaker. Framemaker is still needed by at least one faculty member (RP)
• Information item: new storage coming; management policies will be need to to manage it
• Action item: is it time to replace the office desktop PCs? We will take this question to the faculty at the next faculty meeting
• Information item: with the new storage, a new backup strategy will be reviewed especially with respect to research machines. The staff will work one-on-one with research labs.
• Information item: A new help system is being inplemented
• Information item: the SOC lab is being moved to Mike's office to expand the equipment room into the SOC lab; Mike will move to Ron' office; Ron moves down the hall

Follow up