SCLS Technology News

Networking Strategies: Divide and Conquer

Public libraries have a broad range of needs when it comes to the provision of networked information services for their staff, their patrons and even their building infrastructure. By extension, when libraries choose the SCLS Network as the platform for delivering those services, SCLS has a broad range of needs as well.

Unfortunately, items within this range are not always compatible with one another. In some cases they are distinctly incompatible. For example, providing anonymous computer access is in conflict with core security concerns with respect to the privacy of library data and the operational stability of ILS systems. How do we resolve such conflicts? Simple: divide and conquer.

The SCLS Network in your library is not one network. SCLS routers and switches provide a platform on which several Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) can be run side by side, with appropriate separation between them. Different network segments join together only at the router. The router functions as a gateway and as a traffic cop between the VLAN segments. The diagram below shows some of the common VLAN segments used by SCLS.

For the most part, these segments are configured such that systems in any one segment cannot see any systems in the other segments. This helps ensure that different devices and users, with varying needs and abilities, cannot accidentally or intentionally interfere with one another.

Of course, this also means that the separated systems cannot directly cooperate either. That is why some of the boundaries are more flexible. For example, the Shared Resources VLAN contains mostly network-attached printers and print server devices. Systems that need access to network printers are allowed to communicate across VLAN boundaries for that purpose. Patrons and staff share printer access in this way.

Did you ever want to add something unusual to the network? SCLS allows libraries to attach “unsupported” devices to the network through the Local Library Resources VLAN. For example, if you have wired Mac OS systems for your patrons, SCLS provides Internet access here, but no support beyond raw connectivity. Likewise, if you have a local wireless system rather than SCLS Enterprise Wireless, that will be connected as a local resource. Similarly, specialized building systems like HVAC controllers may attach in the Isolated Systems VLAN.

In summary, the SCLS Network platform is flexible and extensible, and there is a place for everything. Even "unsupported" devices can have connectivity, allowing libraries to provide services that are not part of the core SCLS service set.

Moving to Windows Vista and Windows 7

The bottom line
Google announced at the end of September that on Nov 14, 2012, it will begin to discontinue Google Apps support for IE8. Other Google services and other non-Google websites may follow suit in upcoming months. This will present some challenges because Windows XP PCs are unable to run IE9.

Until all of your library staff PCs are Windows 7 capable and all of your patron PCs are Windows Vista or 7 capable, this is the interim solution for websites no longer supporting IE 8:

• SCLS staff XP PCs – can use Firefox or Chrome
• SCLS patron XP PCs – can use Firefox
• “Non-LINK” XP PCs – the Tech Team will be working to provide a secondary browser on these PCs (most likely Firefox)

SCLS will not upgrade PCs older than 5 years. For these PCs, this event begins a degradation of service that will continue until Windows XP is no longer supported at all on 4/18/2014.

What will SCLS do for libraries with PCs older than 5 years?
SCLS Tech Staff will contact you in the next few weeks --first via email and then in a follow-up phone call-- if your library has PCs that are older than 5 years that will be unable to be upgraded to Windows 7 or Windows Vista.

What does this mean for your library?
SCLS has posted updated versions of the library PC Status Reports.  You can use your library’s report to help you plan for your PC replacements.  Check your report to see if you have any PCs with “birthdates” listed in red.  If you do, SCLS will be contacting you.
(click on chart to view it larger)

* PCs older than 5 years old will not be upgraded to newer versions of Windows.

• Hardware older than 5 years is not licensed for Vista or 7 and will not run it.
• PCs older than 5 years may remain on the network, but SCLS will not be able to provide hardware or software troubleshooting or support.  For more information about this, please refer to the SCLS Hardware and Software Support Policy. After April 18, 2014, PCs with Windows XP can no longer remain on the SCLS network.

What can your library do?
Follow a PC rotation plan to ensure that your PCs are not older than 5 years old:

• Identify your total number of PCs.
• Plan to replace 1/5 of that total every year.
• SCLS recommends a “PC domino” replacement plan:
  • Replace oldest staff PCs first
  • Repurpose old staff PCs to replace older patron PCs
• SCLS tech staff can work with you to plan your PC replacements. Contact the Help Desk to set up an appointment. 608-242-4710.
• If you are behind in your rotation and you need to replace PCs and have money available in your 2012 budget, order PCs now.  Due to the upcoming work on the Windows upgrade project, orders will be processed as time permits.

Where are we now with the Windows Project?

• Libraries that TEACH approved for BadgerNet bandwidth upgrades have received them
• The Tech Team is working on a VPN solution for libraries that have insufficient bandwidth
• The PC techs continue to “converge” libraries that have sufficient bandwidth and configure PCs as centrally managed SCLS PCs for ease of updating and support
• The PC techs are installing Windows 7 on staff PCs that are Windows 7 compatible and have Windows 7 licenses
• The Tech Team is getting ready to pilot test Windows 7 and Vista images for patron PCs

With 50+ sites, around 250 PCs to still bring onto the SCLS network, and hundreds of PCs to upgrade, these activities will take some time. However, SCLS will make a focused effort to upgrade PCs as soon as possible once the Windows 7 and Vista pilot testing is complete. Due to the quantity of PCs that must upgraded, scheduling will be done based on a variety of factors and we hope that libraries understand there will not be a lot of flexibility within this schedule.

Cruising, Crunch, Crisis

The Technology Committee met on October 3.  The minutes are not available yet, but the SCLS Technology Team report is available. There was lots of information shared at this meeting.  The notes are a report of the projects that the Tech Team has been working on this year.  As I reflect on the information that was shared at this meeting, it seems that what we do falls into three categories which I am calling: Cruising, Crunch and Crisis (I like alliteration).

Cruising

Each year SCLS puts together a technology plan to map out the projects we will be working on.  Much of the work we do falls under the "cruising" category.  We are cruising along, making progress and getting things done.  The bulk of the October Technology Team report reflects these planned projects.  Each of these projects usually requires lots of investigation, planning, setup and testing long before it reaches the libraries. 

Crunch

Every once in a while we need to adjust our workflow to incorporate something that was not necessarily part of our plan, but which will have a definite impact by a certain date.  At the meeting it was shared that on September, 14 Google has announced the end of support for IE 8 effective November 15, 2012.  This puts us into a "crunch" situation. SCLS needs to update a lot of PCs in a short period of time.  What this will means is that we will go through a testing phase, but in order to get this work done, SCLS will need to put together a rigorous schedule to visit every library in the very near future.  SCLS will need to set the schedule based on a variety of factors and we hope that libraries understand there will not be a lot of flexibility within this schedule.  There will be a full report and plan for this project in next week's Tech News post.  The "crunch" project is not a desirable situation of course, but it is inevitable and we do our best to adapt as the situation arises.

Crisis

The implosion of the Sophos antivirus software which occurred on September 19 is a prime example of a crisis situation.  No one could have predicted this.  In the end, it involved a rapid deployment of the whole investigation, planning, setup and testing process.  It meant that many Tech Team members had to drop what they were doing in order to provide a solution. Many PCs were fixed within a week and the ones that failed are just now getting fixed.  We cannot predict when this type of situation will occur, but once again the Tech Team is agile enough to jump in and get the job done.  The down side to a crisis situation is that all of the work we had planned to do in this timeframe gets pushed aside.  This means the "cruising" project timelines become delayed.