ChemIT actions

1) Determine if there is rack space, and where it is.

2) Worth doing Hyper-V? (Oliver guesses probably not.)

Selection and pricing

Computer pricing considerations.

Plus:

~$170 for a UPS (see below).

~$150 for network cables, including maybe a switch.

• Racks are ~$550, but generally bought by those with bigger systems and not "sold back" for recovery.

Support and Risk management considerations

Remember these are two distinct servers, both running Windows server.

OS maintenance windows

Proposed Download automatically. Install manually (by ChemIT or researcher?)

• If ChemIT to do the updates, determine monthly schedule and stick to it so predictable to researchers.
  • If ~4hour window of interruption, should be fine if date/ time known well in advance to researchers. For both systems.

Security

Network configured to prevent off-campus access, unless using VPN (10-space).

• No web, email, etc. access from the systems. (Not a "play" station!)

• Systems still able to get updates via the network.

Leave Symantec off, for increased performance.

• Researchers must practice safe computing practices, of course.

Robustness

1) 2 drives, mirrored, in each server. Via hard ware RAID (need? want?).

• IS redoing last run OK to do, if a single drive fails?

2) File versioning, local. Would need another drive (need? want?).

• Can get via saves to off-site file share, such as Petersen's SFS file share.
  • Size and quantity of data expected?

3) Real back ups (need? want?)

• EZ-Backup: $5.50/ month, for first 18 GB, compressed.
• If all calculations are pulled off system right away, need for backups is much reduced.

If server is to do double-duty as a file server, increase investments into making it more robust.

UPS

~$170. Budget to replace every ~3 years or so.

GOAL: Protect for single-digit minutes.

• Both servers covered by one UPS.
  • Q: For how much time, versus one server per one UPS?
• Only one server can be governed by UPS status.
  • Invest in figuring out how to shut down second server elegantly, from UPS-governed server?

Access and permissions

Up to 2 Remote Desktop accounts at once, per server (plus console access).

• Above that, must add and invest server resources to run Terminal Services.

File manage by NetID directories?

Who all needs access, and to what?