Operational Meeting

These were approved.

Actions discussed:

• Review pages in computing.help

  It was agreed not to put a date on this as there are more urgent tasks to be completed. However, Units should bear in mind the approaching start of the new Academic Year, and try to fix up at least their most misleading pages.

• Discuss AT furniture

  The meeting was generally approving of Ian's proposed layout, and the idea of swapping a whiteboard for a screen of some kind. Amend the action for Alastair to discuss ordering with Martin.

• Investigate setting up disc zeroing station

  The hardware works. The software interface isn't the smoothest, but there's nothing that COs and CSOs should be foxed by. The question of where to site it was discussed: taking discs to it rather than it to discs was generally felt to be easier, so the AT support office was provisionally fingered.

Actions added or revived:

• Neil: Look at logging all Apache logs centrally

Report from Computing Executive Group

1. Bayes

   George noted that everyone should expect to be on call for short-notice work in connection with the preparation and occupation of Bayes.

Reports from Units

• Infrastructure

  1. Bayes network reminder
  2. Our responsiveness
  3. New racks in the Forum server room IF-B.02
  4. Furniture in the AT Level 7 open area
  5. New student accounts
  6. AT server room UPS

• Managed Platform

  • SL7.5 roll out
  • End of support for SL6

  Please note both of these items.

• Research and Teaching

  1. java-1.8.0 JCE errors
  2. 200GPU cluster failure
  3. Firefox 60

     This is likely to affect efinancials users.

• Services

  1. (Nearly) Failed Disk News
  2. Tape Library Troubles

• User Support

  1. Resits

     Tue 14th, Wed 15th and Thu 16th (see exam dates for more info.)

Topics for discussion

Bayes move

• With handover having been moved back to August 13th, we now have less time to set up. There are roughly 200 desks.
• Note that we also have resits and the MSc handin (350 students or thereabouts) on Friday 17th.
• The furniture fitters are expected to have installed cable baskets, power blocks and cable slinkies. We will be installing two network cables and (in some cases) a phone cable.
• Carol has some student helpers organised.
• However EVERYONE should expect to receive short-notice calls for help, which should be prioritised above (almost) everything else.
• Note that there will be "unpackers" working in the building too. In most cases we'll simply avoid working in areas where they are, unless there's something really urgent.
• The intention is to pre-set most network ports to the DHCP wire, with specific changes then being made as machines are installed. (The robot labs are covered separately.)
• There will be a DICE machine available.
• Alison will discuss announcements with Alastair.

AOCB

The next meeting will be on Wednesday 22nd August in if-4.31, at 10:00.