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February 24, 2006
Training
The CBORD staff member who originally came to train us to use their software (as well as set it up) came back this week on tuesday to help us with the Online Housing Application. It's that time again. It kinda breaks down like this:
Next Academic Year Application:
- Application
- Roommate Match Tool
- Preferences Update Area
Current Academic Year Application:
- Application
Room Signups: (for folks choosing rooms for next year)
- Preferences Area
- Roommate Request
- Squatters, then everyone else Room Choice Tool
So there are three major areas of 'the wou online housing application'. So that can make life complicated, but it's not so bad. Our still-to-do list includes: LDAP authentication for access to the above system and online credit card payment.
Cool, huh?
Anyway, so the CBORD guy came and helped us run through scenarios and configure the tools to perform the required duties. We've never really had a non-paper process, so everyone's really counting on me. I seriously hope that it all works. We are gonna setup a test run, and if that goes well I'm relatively confident that the room signup process will go well when it goes live.
Anyway, enough blogging - I've got WORK to do. This project has been 'idle' for awhile - now it's crunch time. It's gotta here. Here goes.
Posted by ellism at 2:22 AM | Comments (0)
February 21, 2006
It's ALIVE!
Oracle just makes me happy. I've heard some bad press lately about them, their service, etc... - but they have a D A R N good database, and I just love it when a plan comes together.
Troy and I have the DB running well now, and today we got the modplsql <==> Apache working. That means that we can serve PL (PL/SQL) procedures out to the web. I know - it's no new thing - we've been doing it forever. But NOW - we have it working on the new Oracle 10g DB - which no one has done here yet.
Long story short, I'm happy we got it working. I don't understand ALL the fine-grained details yet, but I have most of it figured out. It's exciting, and soon we'll have all the necessary components working and our training complete - and we can begin testing to move the Dining menuing and inventory application over. Once that's working well, my Machiavellian scheme can continue by bringing all my other supported applications over to this ONE Oracle server.
Wouldn't that be wonderful...
...
Posted by ellism at 1:03 AM | Comments (0)
February 17, 2006
Post 5th Site Meeting Discussion
... (begun in previous blog). Back in ITC009 we discussed possible SSO (Single Sign-On) and Portal options available to us.
I've been frustrated because our current Portal does not seem to be easily configurable to integrate SSO with our MANY PL (PL/SQL language - Oracle custom programming) apps. On this side of the world (Residential Computing), the PL apps are 90% of the battle, so I'm VERY interested in SSO, Portal, etc...
Down yonder (UCS & the rest of campus) the big issues are other apps like Banner, Email, Calendar, etc...
So I've been majorly contemplating writing a 'portal' type application to control security, unify cookie security code and make access to my PL apps easier and centralized for the 5-6 groups that use them.
After much discussion and explaining design philosophy, Summer and I have decided on an SSO approach that should be able to be implemented relatively easily. I'll build on that and use the SSO with a home-grown RezHall Portal.
It's a lot of work, but it should make life easier for all parties involved (except of course, me). It'll be some cool technology, and hopefully I can make it all work before September. Yee-ha!
Posted by ellism at 1:34 AM | Comments (0)
5th Site
Well today, in lieu of either a OUR or UCS staff meeting, we had a 5th Site meeting. This meeting included many delegates from OSU, OUS, as well as many of the WOU UCS staff and other WOU superstars (VP's, Directors, etc...). It was a Long meeting, but a good one.
Topics included Banner upgrade information (past and future), Web Best Practices, OSU OSL, and some OSU/OUS network information. Overall, very useful information. Some of the nuances and detailed information was relatively unrelated to my area, but nearly all of it was interesting.
I thought I'd give a small rundown on each of the 4 topics:
As I've never actually used Banner, nor do I have a login, I thought this portion of the meeting would be non-understandable, boring and useless. It was non of the above. Besides the painful cost of trees, I came to understand the new scheme to merge the different Banner databases (SIS, FIS & HR) of each OUS campus. To my best understanding OSU has already completed this little jaunt. For the most part it had little to do with me, so I shall move on.
Web Best Practices was interesting, enlightening and provided us with a link to the OSU best practices site. I have yet to read the information there, but am relatively convinced I'll be changing some of my personal and professional web development practices.
I was very pleased with the discussion led by Scott Kveton about the OSU OSL. I'd heard alot about the Open Source Lab, from Chris White (OSU). During this discussion, a major point of conversation was Redwolf, and it's relation to Open Source programming. I don't want to sound proud, or boast, but I'm glad we have something that we can share with the world.
Lastly, we discussed network infrastructure, Internet2, large network issues/concerns - and how we might further collaborate/learn from each other in our little OUS world.
It was a good meeting, with a pleasant lunch. It got all of our wheels spining. We went back to ITC008, and discussed... (please see next blog)
Posted by ellism at 1:11 AM | Comments (0)
February 10, 2006
I've got eyes in the back of my head...
Ok, maybe not. But we recently received some very cool, new technology. Introducing the 360 One VR. A nice product maid by Kaidan. The short version is that it's a 360 Degree lense. One digital camera picture looks in all directions. It comes bundled with Photowarp, the software that converts a squarish digital camera picture into a 360 Degree interactive Quicktime 'movie'.
I think most people have been to a Hotel website and they have 360 Degree 'virtual tours' for many rooms. Well this is the same thing, and now WOU has it. First things first, we'll do the residence halls. The Room Re-Signup process is coming up quick, and we're hoping to have these cute little viewable movies in place so that residents and future residents can choose rooms with a higher degree of knowledge. We're taking the web to places we haven't gone before.
We did a lot of testing today, and to be completely honest, it hasn't been all daisies and sunshine. We had to work with the equipment (some of which isn't quite straight...) but we're getting really reasonable results at the moment. In a couple of weeks we'll be pros and the world can see us in 360 Degree color and lights!
Posted by ellism at 1:00 AM | Comments (0)
February 7, 2006
Why didn't I think of that?
So we've been having this problem with our Nutrition & Menu Management software. For one user in particular, this one feature caused the program to hang and crash on them.
Today I duplicated the problem with that users' account on another computer, after verifying that ANOTHER user account COULD in fact do this feature from the machine.
So, we knew:
1. This computer is capable of this function.
2. The error seems to be following the account
3. All user access permissions appear to be correct.
Anyway as I was passing through the Dining Hall, I informed Karen of my progress on the situation and after a few seconds she suggested we try making another user account. Now, why didn't I think of that?
I created and tested the new account (successfully, I might add). The user ALSO tested the new account succesfully after multiple tests and situations. So I think that fixed it. Weird but true. We'll find out at the end of this month when he REALLY needs it.
Posted by ellism at 9:47 PM | Comments (0)
February 2, 2006
Enter the Grid: Oracle 10g
I'm not a particularly excitable person. I admit that I've jumped up and down in excited once or twice. But I gotta tell ya, I'm excited about this.
Oracle 10g is coming to town. Yes, here in little 'ol Monmouth comes the newest and shiniest version of Oracle's industry-standard DBMS (DataBase Management System). And I'm excited. The conference in my previous blog was for a program called Computrition. The newest version of this software requires Oracle 10g, which we don't have... Yet.
So this morning for my Staff Development I was learning the ins and outs to assist Troy in the admistration of the 10g DB. It makes my little heart go pitter-patter. Not just becuase it's new, shiny and fast (although that's usually enough for most IT people) - but because of it's rep. Oracle has 'been around', and will continue to be around. Associating oneself or one's organization with Oracle is to associate yourself with quality. I like that.
Anyway, it's not about the paper. Troy and I will be learning this material to implement it on our newly acquired timetable. I'd enjoy getting the 10g DBA certification, but it's not about the paper - not really.
Soon and very soon (kind of) we'll have a 10g grid, which will become the new standard - the new production server. Eventually my goal will be to migrate other programs that we have onto this Oracle server. Then everything I support (for Housing & Dining) will be oracle-based and easy to support on the one server.
Pipe dream you say? Sure, but why not? We've got the hardware, software, resources and time to get this done (and done right). So here goes - leaping with both feet. It's gonna be a fun ride!
Posted by ellism at 9:02 PM | Comments (0)
For the Love of ... Travel
I returned from the Computrition Symposium early this week. It was a rather dichotomous trip, in my opinion. In one sense, it was the least relavent trip I've been on - as I was the only client IT person, and did not use the software on a regular basis. On the other hand, I had the most to learn, and learn I did. As I was totally out of my element, I was forced to learn and practice new things.
When I returned I told my wife that I could go for about 2 days without speaking to anyone - as I had used all of my 'small talk' for the month on this trip.
"Polite Conversation is rarely either." - Someone funny
Ah, how true...
Anyway I was really forced to connect with attendees (mostly Dining Managers - like Karen, who I went with) on another level. There are so many IT people who I can talk with for a couple of HOURS on any of many technical subjects. These folks (for the most part) didn't really have any technical conversation interest, and so I was forced to 'play on their territory'. Not that this is bad, but I was more tired when I returned of trying to find conversation topics, then traveling.
lol. Another of many funny things was that at most social events, some kind of music was being played - in most cases quite loudly. There was a lot of 'say it, don't spray it' conversation as we had to nearly yell to be heard by the person sitting next to us.
Alas, it was a good trip - I received a great deal of education about supervising. I used to just be this IT guy ... you know..."give me a sword and point me in the right direction". But as I continue to mature (as well all do...hopefully...) I'm coming to understand more of how the world works. Getting the training about Supervision, Management, etc.. now is invaluable.
More than that, it's causing me to 'change my mind' and point-of-view about how I look at the world. Am I designed to be a supervisor, manger, leader, owner, etc... ? If my life were a tailored suit, it would say 'Made by Management' on it.
Is that what I want to be? A manager? I've seen myself as an employee for so long it's a real philosophy change. But if I AM destined for that then I should really plunge in. Bill has really been encouraging me to step back and try to see the bigger picture.
Seeing the world through new eyes.
It's not easy. But I think it's necessary. It'll build character (thanks Dad). I'll take all the training I can get now, as it may not always be available later on. This conference also got a fire lit under a project I'm very excited about. But you'll have to read my next blog to find out what...
Posted by ellism at 8:36 PM | Comments (0)