Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 16:12:36 -0800 (PST)
From: Cindy Zheng <zhengc@Sdsc.Edu>
To: ntgang@Sdsc.Edu
Subject: NT preparation
 
Hi, ntgang members,
 
This list is setup for all NT related topics and coordination.  Let me
give you all the info and status I have and we'll go from there.
 
First, Mike V. has asked me, I quote,
 
  In the role of "Systems Software NT Systems Administrator" Cindy
  will work to design and implement a robust NT infrastructure.
  Some of her initial goals will be to work with Aaron to:
 
     - define an NT server h/w and s/w configuration
     - plan a client/server support infrastructure
     - identify and plan methods for network-based system administration
     - define methods for maintaining a 'baseline' or 'reference system'
       which can be installed and supported across all supported 
       NT platforms.
     - define strategies for performing server and desktop backups.
 
I have talked to Mike V., Shawn, Aaron, Tom P., Wayne S. and Victor.  
Aaron just joined SDSC last week.  He is an experienced NT system
administrator, will take care of our existing NT systems and 
infrastructure while working with me and others on our new infrastructure.
When our new setup is ready, we can then cut-over/convert/incorporate our
existing environment into it.
 
Before we draw any plan and make any decisions, I think we need some basic
information:
 
One is, what NT applications (other than the baseline stuff) we will be
runing in the near term (1 year?) and what are their requirements on
infrastructure, hardware and software?  Shawn has refered to Aaron for the
answers.  Aaron, please send your thoughts to this list, so the whole gang
can get informed on this.
 
Second is the current NT system status - an inventory - what we have now
and how they are connected.  Shawn has asked Rogan to work on it.  I'll
try to help out and make the info available to this list.  I also have
talked to Wayne S. and we can store and keep track of our NT systems with
the "platform database" he is working on.  Wayne told me that his database
will be ready for use after the holidays.
 
Third is, any security requirements on our future NT infrastructure and
systems.  I talked to Tom P. briefly.  Tom had already been looking into
NT-related security issues.
 
I think we can work on getting the above 3 things ready this year.  Come
back next year, with all the info and input from everyone, we will be
ready to scatch out an infrastructure plan and central server
configuration.
 
There are few things I have talked with Aaron yesterday.  
 
First, we discussed the idea of 2-level servers.  Setup top-level server 
for centralized system administration, serve as the primary domain server 
(in NT's term, not DNS), file server, backup server, network server,
software distribution/upgrade server, user authentication and security
server, print server and backup for second-level servers.  The main
objective for the top-level server is to provide uniformity in our NT
environment and to deal with interoperability issues in order to make the
NT environment a harmoneous part of the whole center's environment.
 
The second-level server can be specific-task oriented, such as web
server, database server etc.  The top-level server can provide reference
to the second-level services, thus give users a view of one entity with
many services.  Initially, we probably can get by with one top-level
server and use one of the second-level server as backup.
 
We also made a list on "baseline" software.  It includes the OS, NFS,
email, printing, netscape, microsoft office (include presentation
software), X window server, ssh and other security softwares.  The
baseline is what will be built into our reference system, available and
synchronized among all NT workstations.  Other applications can be
installed on some NT systems as needed and infotech group will take care
of them.  The system group (me with help of Tom P., Wayne S and Victor)
will be responsible for the reference system and baseline software.
 
As you can see, infotech and system groups will share NT admin
responsibilities.  we will work together on some and devide tasks on
others.  The guide line given by Shawn and Mike V. is that Infotech
will work more on the "user-side" tasks and system will work more on the
"system-side" tasks.
 
We are just begining to touch on various subjects.   Hope this will open
up the conversation.  Thanks for everyone's help and enthuse!  Any
comments, opinions, suggestions are welcome and any help will be greatly 
appreciated!
 
Cindy