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Planning and Directions in CSCF

For an alternate view, see: https://cs.uwaterloo.ca/cscf/about/plans/

This page will attempt to provide an overview of our services - the current state and the directions we are taking those services. Where appropriate, links to documentation elsewhere or relevant work items should be provided.

Teaching environment

Accounts and Authentication

  • moving Active Directory servers from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008/2012 (Completed Dec 2013/Jan 2014)
    • all remaining Windows Server 2003 domain controllers removed as of Jan 2014
  • CS-TEACHING region (aka student.cs.uwaterloo.ca)
  • re-organize our domain setup (May 2014)
  • accounts management
    • driven from xhier accounts software
    • data received from registrar and broken into class lists, etc.

General-use computing servers

Linux

  • general use compute servers (linux.student.cs) running Ubuntu 12.04 (as of January 2014)
  • ubuntu1404.student.cs to be available for evaluation as of May 2014

Windows

  • Windows terminal servers (two) running Windows 2008 as windows.student.cs
  • software management

Compute Cluster

  • ugster cluster

File storage

  • Currently: Student File Storage
  • current quota - all students get 4GB
  • no NetApp Ontap OS upgrade in April 2014 (if MFCF agrees).
  • under consideration: MEF proposal for git.student.cs or owncloud.student.cs hardware (student requested)

Email

Database services

Assignment submission and marking

  • Markus
  • Marmoset

Printing

  • Spring 2014: now using uPrint service from Retail Services

Undergraduate teaching labs

Mac Image

  • Update Mac OS X image to 10.8.3 (Winter 2014) - ST#83954
  • Updated to 10.10.3 (Fall 2015)

Mac labs

MC 2062
    • machines are 5 years old
    • Summer 2014 to move/surplus machines
    • plan to purchase replacement equipment in fiscal 2013/2014
      • purchased March 2014
    • adding screen and data projector
    • change out keyboard mechanisms? sinks when pressed on, worn out nylon bushing?
    • move power bars up higher to avoid being kicked?
    • remove desks at rear, put in 2 acccessibility desks
    • discuss with ISG
      • corner screen
      • need for audio system
      • move of podium desk
      • whiteboard vs blackboard?
    • October 2014: renovations on hold - room not updated

MC 2063
    • machines are 5 years old
    • Summer 2014 to move/surplus machines
    • plan to purchase replacement equipment in fiscal 2013/2014
      • purchased March 2014
    • discuss with ISG
    • October 2014: renovations on hold - room not update

MC 3003 (double room)
    • has renewed networking/power/furniture/equipment (Spring 2012)
MC 3005
    • has renewed networking/power/furniture/equipment (Winter 2013)
    • flooring has old carpeting (needs to be switched to tile flooring)

MC 3027
    • has renewed networking/power/furniture/equipment (Winter 2013)
    • has new tiling

MC 4065
    • Tutorial Centre - furniture and equipment upgraded (Spring 2013)

Thin-client labs

MC 2061
    • older equipment (22" monitors, eon NetTops, single core)

Graphics lab

  • MC 3007
    • 25 Linux Ubuntu 12.04 (?) workstations with high-end graphics cards
    • every year, purchase 5 new workstations with updated graphics cards (3x2D + 2x3D workstations)

Real-time lab

  • MC 3018 / MC 3018A
    • 4 trains, 4 dedicated PCs (controller stations)
    • 14 NetTop workstations

Software Engineering Lab

  • Updated Spring 2015

Graduate (course masters) labs

  • DC 3335
    • iMacs running OS 10.6 -> need to be updated
    • decision to be made about evergreening - more Macs or some Windows PCs?
  • DC 2583A (behind Grad Mail room)
    • created Spring 2015
    • 8 stations with power
    • consider screens, keyboard, mouse?

General environment

Accounts and Authentication

  • moving Active Directory servers to Windows Server 2008 (expected completion Dec 2013)
  • accounts managed through xhier accounts-master package

General-use computing servers

Unix / Linux

  • currently (March 2014)
    • one Ubuntu 12.04 system (linux.cs.uwaterloo.ca)
    • Solaris no longer available
    • ubuntu1010 and ubuntu606 no longer available
    • ubuntu1404 Release Candidate system to be available for testing April 10, 2014
    • ubuntu1404.cs to be considered a production system May 2014 - still to do (Oct. 2015)

  • hardware (a blade in an HP C7000 blade server) for a second Ubuntu 12.04 system deployed in M3 3101
    • aim to have network connectivity and online by December 2013

  • Plans to have a third machine as a vanguard Ubuntu installation

  • Goal: add 1 new (linux) server every other year

Windows

  • currently: set of 2 servers running Windows 2008
  • plans:

database services

File storage

  • Fall 2015/Winter 2016 - considering Distributed File Service (for owncloud and other services)
  • Meet with Dave and Anthony to review plans for Distributed File Service - Lawrence/Lori w/Dave/Anthony - October 2015

NetApp

  • Currently: NetApp
  • Default quota: Staff/Grads - 20GB, Faculty - 50GB. Extra quota available as needed

OwnCloud

  • currently running a prototype machine
  • plans to have production owncloud.cs (December 2013) - still to do

Git

Email

  • Currently: most users on Connect (Fall 2015)
  • some users still connect to mail.cs via imap
  • Goal:

Web services

Redundancy and Disaster Recovery

  • Backups: replaced tape jukebox Winter/Spring 2013

Networking

Switches and cabling

  • IST now has primary responsibility for maintaining switches and cabling, however we do have access to most functions
  • Fall 2015: most users still on 100MB, some on 1GB. Would like to get more (most?) users on 1GB
  • Fall 2015: buildings interconnect on 10GB. Potential to move to 40GB

Firewall

  • IST Firewall in place Summer 2014
  • all CS teaching and infrastructure networks behind campus firewall
  • Research networks to be moved behind firewall by Fall 2015/Winter 2016
  • Finish group consultations - Early December 2015 - Lawrence / RSG staff
  • Move CrySP grads to VLAN 7/26 - Gordon
  • Aim to have all client netwroks (84,168,169,170) behind firewall in January 2016
  • Aim to have remaining research networks (7,26) in Winter 2016
  • goal to minimize exceptions (move some to 74?)

VPN

  • we have vpn1.cs.uwaterloo.ca providing access to CS networks and other on-campus services (not considered production level)
    • useful to faculty travelling outside of Canada where national firewalls block common sites (cnn, Facebook, LinkedIN, etc.)
  • cn-vpn.uwaterloo is the IST-maintained campus-wide VPN service
    • routes all on-campus traffic via the vpn server, other traffic through standard routes

Printing

Presentation/Meeting Rooms

  • (needs descriptions and current state)

DC 2310

DC 2314

DC 2568

DC 2585

DC 3313

DC 3323

CSCF Special Projects

SSH Key Access"> Course Account SSH Key Access

  • Course Account Ssh Key Access is provided by an automated key-copier - ST#64298 - Daniel
    • some low-priority work remaining
    • requires reconfiguration to allow a process change, so we no longer have to recompile sshd on every security update - ST#99631

Course Evaluation

Exam Printing

Exam Seating

Faculty Recruiting System

  • Faculty Recruiting System web application deployed Fall 2009 for School Advisory Committee on Appointments (SACA) - ST#72731 - Daniel
    • Involves supporting CS administration (rotating Chair and Mitzi) to prepare for each Fall recruiting cycle
    • Requires training of new Chair in July, and adjusting the application to add chair-requested features

Grad Visit Day

  • Grad Visit Day web application deployed February 2013 (and annually thereafter) for Heather Steinmetz and Jesse Hoey - ST#91837 - Daniel

Inventory

  • Inventory web application deployed 2009 for CSCF - ST#76671 - Daniel
    • Version 3.5.0 - including multiple IPs on one host record - deployed September 2015 - ST#101159
    • Version 3.5.1 - bugfixes - to be worked on in F2015/W2016 - ST#101745
    • See also #Nagios below

OAT

  • Documentation - supervise documentation writing - Isaac

OFIS

  • CS project currently on hiatus.
  • Active contribtuion to Engineering's Online Faculty Information System 2009-2012 - ST#66865 - Daniel
    • was used to automate production of the CS Research Handbook (2012 Edition)
    • Engineering project continues, without CS involvement

OGSAS

Password Web App

  • Password Web App for Student and Core regions - ST#74851 - Daniel
    • low-priority work to rewrite user interface so core region updates requires fewer steps for helpdesk - ST#99631

Research Subscription System

ST

  • need links to system, documentation

CSCF Help Desk

Laptop loaning

small parts loans

CSCF internal services

CSCF Linux server

  • 2014: cscf.cs was replaced with linux.cscf running Ubuntu 14.04

Machine Rooms

DC 3556 - Research Machine Room

  • A/C and room monitoring installed (Fall 2014)
  • rebuilding after sprinkler disaster (Fall 2014 -> Fall 2015)
  • need storage racks and containers (Fall 2015)
  • Finish Insurance Claim - November 2015 - Lawrence

DC 3558 - Main CS machine room

  • collapsing down to two rows (plus IST's comm racks) - (Winter 2015)
  • Research machines to get out of B3, B4, B5 as soon as possible (ongoing - Fall 2015)
  • Infrastructure moving out of racks A7-A10 - to become Research racks (ongoing - Fall 2015)
  • Infrastructure moving out of racks A1 and A2 - Feb 2014. To become Research racks (mostly done as of Fall 2014)
  • power upgrades on walls, above racks to provide emergency circuits- done Fall 2014
  • replace UPSes - Fall 2015
  • Move all RSG equipment out of Row B- December 2015 - Lawrence/RSG
  • 101485

DC 2303A - CGL machine room / secondary CSCF room / Bioinformatics

    • CS Infrastructure leaving this room, third room is M3-3101 (Fall 2015)
    • two racks now available for Research

MC 3015

    • Fall 2015: MFCF has made row 10 available - some Research rackes there now
    • Update PDU 2 - Fall 2015

M3-3101

Monitoring

Nagios

  • 2015: NagiosSystemMonitoring now driven from CSCF Inventory system - ST#100132 - Daniel
  • allows for multiple services per host
  • Report when server hits predefined temperature limit - Gordon

Cacti

Ganglia

Asset Disposal

Research computing

Graduate student workstations

  • Currently (Fall 2015): supervisors given a choice of:
  • Fall 2015: Develop next image: Windows 10 / Ubuntu 14.04 for Spring 2016 deployment
  • Streamline the AD join process - Mike / Clayton

HPC

generic cluster ("paper")

  • Fall 2015/Winter 2016: build from evergreened hardware (not "production")
  • use as testbed/sample for Lori's cluster architecture, including booking, local Active Directory, OS snapshots * Fall 2015/Winter 2016: build from evergreened hardware (not "production")
  • use as testbed/sample for Lori's cluster architecture, including booking, local Active Directory, OS snapshots

Ganglia Portal

  • Winter 2016: show all CS compute clusters in aggregate display
  • facilitate sharing of compute resources amongst CS researchers

Visitor loaner equipment

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Topic revision: r33 - 2020-11-19 - DaveGawley
 
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