SCLS Technology News

Projects in the hopper

Minutes from the April 10, 2013 Technology Meeting have been posted. There are also some new additions on the SCLS Technology Committee page in which you may be interested...

In recent months, Vicki has been providing an update on current projects to the Tech Committee at the TC meetings and has posted these updates on the TC web page. These updates include information about progress made by the Print Management and Digital Projects workgroups, and updates about building projects, bandwidth, Crystal Reports, eCommerce, network convergence and PC upgrades, Drupal, and the technology team's reorganization.

In addition to the project updates, we have also posted a list of the technology projects that are currently in the hopper. We hope that this will help to provide a picture of all the things that are currently being worked on behind the scenes as well as some of the bigger tasks that are queued up for attention in upcoming months. We will continue to update this list as timelines and projects change.

Neither of the documents includes all the smaller (but critical) tasks that occur on an ongoing basis and contribute to the delivery of all of our regular technology services.  As you may be able to tell from a quick glance at the project list, the Technology Team is keeping very, very busy.

Questions about either of these documents can be directed to Vicki or can be left in the comments area of this post.

Progress: Updating old PCs, Windows 7 Update and Friday fun

Progress.  How do we define it?  Here are some quotes by famous Americans that I find inspiring.  (Oh and there is some important technology news in here too.)

"Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of progress."  Thomas A. Edison

In fall 2012 we encouraged all libraries to make sure to replace PCs older than 5 years as we will not be able to upgrade them. Restlessness and discontent will continue to rise for those using PCs that are older than 5 years that cannot be upgraded. This is a great time to review the blog post "Moving to Windows Vista & Windows XP" if you need a refresher on how to prepare your library for the upgrade. We have updated the PC Workstation Status Report that is referenced in this blog post (note: this report is up-to-date as of 4/1/2013, some libraries have had upgrades since then). Some of you will find that you are exactly where you need to be!

“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” Benjamin Franklin

We frequently review the "progress" of a project.  For example, here is the progress of the Windows upgrade project:

• We are more than half way through the upgrades
• 445 PCs have been converted to Windows 7
• 55 PCs have been converted to Windows Vista
• Approximately half of these upgrades occurred in the last two months
• There are 434 PCs still on Windows XP

That is great progress! This progress surely brings improvement, achievement and success because the user experience will be so much better on these PCs.  Just look at all the cool stuff that is available on patron PCs with Windows 7 and Windows Vista.

"Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." Walt Disney

The Carousel of Progress where you will find "There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day" (Richard and Robert Sherman)

<--Click for more on this great classic Disney Ride

Matt H. Wade

More on Drupal

It's been a little while since we wrote an update about SCLS' Drupal progress. As you may remember, Drupal is a free content management system used for publishing and managing websites. Using Drupal will make it possible to add modern website features member libraries have requested, including calendars and event listings, photo galleries and slideshows, RSS feeds, mobile websites, and more. It will also enable website updates to be made from any Internet-connected workstation with a web browser, without the need for additional software purchases.

Rose has been tucked away in her office working furiously on all things Drupal...  Drupal documentation both for libraries and SCLS staff, Drupal developer access for intermediate users to allow more self-guided progress, and migration of library sites to Drupal. She's been making some good progress, too!

Since our last update on Drupal, 5 sites have gone live: Kraemer Library in Plain, Rio Community Library, Spring Green Community Library, Marshall Community Library and Baraboo Public Library. Many other libraries are working hard to enter content and get ready.

Rose will be on leave in April and May. During that time, Drupal libraries can call the SCLS Help Desk for support.  

To VoIP or not to VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has been around awhile and South Central does have some libraries using VoIP for their phone system.  Chances are, if your library is in the running for a phone system upgrade, your local phone company will probably suggest VoIP (also known as managed IP).  You may not even have the option of installing a new system over the standard telephone network.  So, by all means do consider this option for your library if the phone company proposes it.

Be aware however, that the phone company may suggest that you install VoIP over an existing internet network in your building--such as the SCLS network if you have one.  Using the SCLS network is not an option for VoIP.  Installing a VoIP system on the SCLS network adds a layer of complexity to the setup and we would no longer have sole control of the data lines.  Doing so would interfere with the SCLS technology staff's ability to provide troubleshooting for network problems throughout the life of the project. 

So, what is your option if you want to install VoIP?  You will need to provide enough network cabling and jacks to accomodate your new VoIP phone system on a separate network.  You will spend some money up front for this, but in the long run, it will provide you with the assurance that your VoIP system will not interfere with any of the services in your library that use the SCLS network. 

More bandwidth upgrades

Earlier in 2013, SCLS re-requested bandwidth increases for additional SCLS libraries.

Good news! TEACH has approved all of SCLS's requests for 14 sites to go from 1.5 to 3 mbps. These bandwidth increases will occur at no additional cost to SCLS Technology Services customers. Libraries receiving bandwidth increases should already have been notified. Upgrades are scheduled to be completed by the end of May.

SCLS as ISP

In the past, the SCLS wired network was available exclusively for use by SCLS-supported computers. With the approval of the SCLS Technology Committee in December, SCLS has added an “SCLS as ISP” option which is designed to allow libraries to plug non-SCLS supported devices into the wired SCLS network.

What will this mean for libraries?
Library-supported devices like Macs, specialized PCs for microfiche, HVAC, or games, or other PCs that the library wishes to maintain and support may be added to the wired SCLS network and receive access to the internet and other resources.

What should libraries know about this option?

• The library is responsible for configuring, supporting and troubleshooting any device that is added under the "SCLS as ISP" option.
• SCLS strongly recommends antivirus software and keeping up-to-date with security patches for any devices added under the "SCLS as ISP" option.
• The library assumes any risk that may be introduced by these library-supported devices.

How can my library sign up?

1. Review the "SCLS as ISP" documentation
2. Contact the Help Desk to sign up - (608) 242-4710 or toll-free (855) 583-2435
3. Print and sign the Memorandum of Understanding, and return it to SCA - Attn: Vicki

So... this is for the wired SCLS network. What about wireless devices like laptops and ereaders?
Library-supported and patron-owned wireless devices are always welcome to use the library's public wireless signal. However, wireless devices using the library's public wireless signal do not currently have access to library printers on the SCLS network.  (Please see the full "SCLS as ISP" documention for more information)

When will we be able to print from library-supported or patron-owned wireless devices?
Good question! The Technology Committee has formed a workgroup to investigate wireless printing options. Stay tuned for more information. 

Changes to Library Online Support--SCLS Technology Services Staff Re-organization, Phases 2 & 3

Library Online time management and print management basic support will now be handled by the Help Desk.  Cindy Weber will be taking on primary responsibility for Library Online management.  Brian Hahn will be providing routine support when you call the Help Desk. 

This change in Library Online support represents completion of half of phase 3 of the Technology Services reorganization (see blog post on phase 1).  Kerri Hilbelink is transitioning her Library Online and database authentication project responsibilities to Cindy.  Cindy and Brian will provide the basic support for both of these projects.  The Library Online transition is nearly complete; the transfer of database authentication support is still in progress, so Kerri is still your contact for that.

Kerri will be taking on project management for large deployments of PCs and will be working occasionally with the PC techs out in the field.  She will also coordinate Technology Services communication and will assist with troubleshooting more complex support issues.  Once Kerri transfers the authentication project to Brian and Cindy, she will be able to take on these new roles in full force.  This will complete phase 3 of the transition.

So, what is phase 2 you may ask?  Phase 2 was the transition of responsibility for reports from Cindy to the ILS Support team.  This has been done and Heidi has written a blog post about that change.

There will be one more phase.  This will be a movement to one help desk for all technology and ILS support (Koha).  Watch for this to happen in early spring.

If you have any questions about these changes, please contact Vicki.    

Power outages and other chaos

Ever wonder what's going on behind the scenes (besides some elevated heart rates) when SCLS is having problems?

Tuesday, around 1:30, our building lost power due to a transmission line outage. Luckily, our server room equipment and many of our PCs and phones are on backup power units called UPSes. Unfortunately, these battery backups can't power us forever.

So what happened?

• We updated the SCLS Status Wiki -- it's a super-quick way for us to get the information out there about what's going on. In this case where the network was also down, it wouldn't help from libraries' SCLS network PCs, but it still could be accessed from smart phones or other non-SCLS devices.
• We called our power provider to see if they had information.
• We divided up a phone list and everybody with access to a phone started calling libraries.
• We started shutting down the server room equipment in a controlled fashion. Doing this ensures that when the UPSes run out of juice the servers and other equipment don't come crashing to a halt in a very unfriendly, bad-for-recovery sort of way.

Because the server room equipment was running on backup, libraries didn't even realize we were having issues right away. Often as we were calling to let them know we had problems, they were telling us they "just went down."

After the power was restored (around 1:56), we started bringing the equipment back up. This is a tricky process, as there's a definite protocol to follow in order to make sure everything works. A very simplified version looks something like this-- 

1. Start up device A. Wait for it to finish booting up. Confirm it is working correctly.
2. Start up devices B and C (which depend on being able to talk to device A). Wait for them to finish booting up. Confirm they are working correctly.
3. ...and so on, and so on until everything is back up and working.

As soon as everything was powered up and we had confirmation that all the services were working again, we called the libraries to let them know that we were officially back up, everything should be working, and they should call the Help Desk if they ran into any services that weren't working.

A power outage is a bigger-than-usual service disruption, but other types of service outages are similar. Usually some folks are working on trying to troubleshoot and address the problem, while others are doing their best to communicate the problem to the libraries.

Whew! So glad these sorts of things don't happen every day!

Feedback? Please let us know!

Where are we at with bandwidth and network convergence?

2012 was going to be the "Year of More Bandwidth"...LOTS of bandwidth through the wonderful world of fiber. It was also going to be the year in which we brought all of the PCs receiving SCLS technology services onto the SCLS network (often referred to by SCLS staff as "convergence" or "network convergence").

Funny how things work out, isn't it?

As you may remember, in February 2011 the Department of Administration declined the fiber grant. With fiber nixed and the Badgernet contract stalled, SCLS staff met with engineers to begin planning for an alternate type of secure bandwidth-to-SCLS. When the BadgerNet contract was finally renewed in November 2011, SCLS requested bandwidth increases for SCLS member libraries from TEACH. TEACH approved approximately half of those requests. Because requests were prioritized based on current bandwidth utilization, the libraries in most dire straits were the ones granted bandwidth. Libraries began receiving their upgrades in spring 2012, and network convergence began as bandwidth and staff time were available.

So where are things at now?

• Some libraries still need additional bandwidth to move ahead with convergence. We are working out the final details of a solution ("VPN") to provide additional bandwidth to libraries using 3rd party ISPs. This will enable us to continue to support libraries as though they are on the SCLS network. We ran into some technical issues which delayed the pilot testing of this solution, but the issues have been worked out and we're back on track to start piloting shortly. For more on the pros and cons of VPN, take a look at the "Library Broadband Future" section of this post.
• Some libraries still need to have their PCs upgraded to SCLS-supported configurations and brought onto the SCLS network. This is still happening. There was a flurry of ordering at the end of 2012, and the PC techs are working their way through these orders while continuing to upgrade existing PCs and move them to the SCLS network where possible. If we haven't gotten to your library yet-- don't worry. You're still on our radar!

What do libraries need to do?
For now, just hold tight and bear with us. And if you have any questions about this post or what's going on with your library, please let Kerri know!

SCLS Technology Services Staff Re-organization, Phase 1

SCLS and the technology services staff have been evaluating the various service areas to best determine how to fill the vacant position left by the departure of Jon Mark Bolthouse.  Another factor in the evaluation was the shift that took place last summer of Dan Jacobson from supporting non-LINK PCs to behind-the-scenes server administration.  The result of the evaluation is that some staff will be taking on responsibility for different service areas. 

Andrew Hoks will now be spending the majority of his time developing Windows images and working with Dan on server administration.  His new title is "PC / Server Support Specialist."  Craig Ellefson has moved to the lead PC technician position (PC Technician II).  One of Craig's new responsibilities is ordering new PCs and peripheral equipment.  This shift created a vacancy in the PC Technician I position.  We conducted an internal search and the position has been filled by Michael Fehrenbach.  You may remember Mike as he completed an internship with us last fall.  We are very pleased that Mike is joining us full-time and you can expect to see Mike and Craig out in the field installing new PCs, upgrading software and providing a variety of other services.  Joining them at times will be Kerri Hilbelink who will also be doing field work. 

We will provide additional details about Kerri’s new roles, along with other SCLS technology services changes in a future blog post.  The changes described above are just the beginning of a series of planned shifts in the technology services responsibilities, including the Help Desk.  In the near future, you can expect that there will be direct support for some services available via the Help Desk rather than individual team members (Library Online is one example).  It will take us some time to get everything in place and we will keep you updated via this blog.

All of these changes are designed to provide libraries with the best service possible.  As technology needs have changed, we have taken the opportunity to incorporate people's talent and experience into re-designed positions that will allow us to best meet the challenges ahead.  We hope that by streamlining support through the Help Desk, we will make it easier for libraries to get the help they need.

With these shifts, it is more important than ever that you call the Help Desk for your SCLS-supported PC needs.  As a refresher, please read the One–stop Shopping blog post explaining the consolidation of PC support at SCLS. 

If you have any questions about this process, please feel free to contact me.