Busy week

Jake8/14/2005

So this week will be the last full week we have until classes start..So my “official” todo list:

306

1. Re-end network cables to get appropriate length
2. Find all the computers that are supposed to be in there but aren’t
3. Re-image machines by Friday
4. Move switch into comm room

304

1. Tone out lines to comm room
2. Get ends to put on lines already in room
3. Put jacks in faceplates
4. Re-image machines
5. Move switch into comm room
6. Get rack from 1st floor up to 3rd floor comm room
7. Re-end network cables to get appropriate length

302

1. Re-end network cables to get appropriate length
2. Re-image 2 machines that didn’t catch the 1st image

That is it for now…I think…

Posted in General, University |
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Trying day

Jake8/5/2005

Today has been the longest day of the week so far…Some background first, As sys admin for USM I am responsible for the 3 computer labs we have on campus (~60 pc’s) and also the lab at our Jackson county teaching site (~30 pc’s).

Being responsible for computers in a university environment is something that is taking some getting used to. At my old job I had 22 computer’s that got used, but not very often. I was able to play around with the settings to lock stuff down and block access to things that a normal user shouldn’t have access to. But in the university setting that is a little different. Every machine has to have every piece of software that is taught on campus.

Really all that means is I had to do some testing to make sure all the programs would play nicely together before I could roll up the image and push it out.

Sidenote, when I say “building an image” I am using one machine as a template so to speak, and putting everything I need on it. Then that an image of that hard drive is copied out to the other machines in the lab.

So myself and a couple of student workers have had a month or so to get things tested and make sure the image is complete and working. After all that today was the day, the day the image gets pushed out to all the lab machines for the next semester. So I get here this morning expecting to be done within and a couple of hours and possibly take off early this afternoon.

You have probably guessed it by now, the image blew up this morning. I couldn’t get the antivirus to update and a lot of random errors were popping up…So we reimaged it from a backup that was created on Monday. I am using software that will allow you to make whatever changes you want to the hard drive including wiping the C drive. But when you reboot everything is right back to the point I left it in when I imaged it.

Well, long story short, that software went haywire and I couldn’t unlock the drive to make changes. So we ended up totally rebuilding the image from scratch and here it is 5pm on a Friday and I still have a couple of hours work ahead of me…. So thanks Mr. Murphy, you’re a real pal….

Posted in Computer stuff, General, Things that suck!, University |
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How do you sleep at night

Jake8/2/2005

To all the textbook manufacturers out there….HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT!?!?!?!?

It truly is all about the money for these people. One book costing $100, not including the workbook…Unbelievable. This is why working people can’t go to school…

Not to mention the fact that for the two classes that I am taking it is over $1000…

I have ranted about this before so i digress…and it won’t do any good any way…

Posted in General, Things that suck!, University |
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Free school

Jake7/14/2005

I turned in my tuition waiver form for my classes in the fall today. My boss he was glad to see those come across his desk. I didn’t know what to say!! I have never had a boss say that.

Usually they grip and moan about how hard it’s going to be to get someone to cover my shift so I can go to class. So this was a delightful change from that norm.

It’s amazing how fast things move when you work for the university. Today I was re-admitted, changed my major, and got my financial aid done. I guess when you are an IT person in a place that is dependent on computers you get a little special treatment

And since school will be a big part of things down here I think it deserves it’s own catagory…So it has one…

Posted in Computer stuff, General, University |
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