Transcript Slide 1
The University Computing Service
36th Managed Cluster Service Forum
Wednesday 4 th December 2013
Managed Desktop Solutions
Agenda
• Next meeting – RNB 21 st May 2014 • Computing Service Reports and Plans • Questions, discussion & AOB • Refreshments • Slides are on the MCS web site via http://www.ucs.cam.ac.uk/support/mcs-support/mcsadmin/mcsforum
Computing Service Reports and Plans
• Migration works update • Windows • PC Imaging • Macs • Linux • MCS Advice • Training Rooms update • Printing • Admin including software • MCS Survey • General, Infrastructure and Development News Ask Questions at any time
Migration Works Update
• Many months of planning, preparation and migration • Out of A301 to new geographically dispersed locations • Moved all of the DS servers, storage and networking • Internal storage network (10GbE dark fibre link) • UCS staff move • After all that - normal service and a new MCS site
CNH RNB
MCS Windows
• Tara Jeffery joined the workstation team • Windows XP withdrawn • Windows 7 • Only apps that were requested and would run on 64bit Windows were transferred • e.g. old 16bit apps CANNOT be transferred and we DO NOT provide legacy support
MCS Windows
• New Version of App-V (5.0) being tested • Allows for user targeting of application licencing • For example - teaching software is licenced for a specific category of user and this should roam with the user.
MCS PCs - Imaging
•
Windows 7
• Rolling update schedule • No fixed rollout dates • Not using Ghost to deploy build • Greater resiliency to allow for imaging at any given time
MCS Macs
• AY 2013/14 - OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) • UX now auto mounted on login • iLife licence changes • AY 2014/15 - OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) • 10.9 is a free OS upgrade so no charge • AMP expires April 2014, to be reviewed in future
MCS Macs - Imaging
• Mac Image 27 (OS X 10.8) • Rollout • See http://www.ucs.cam.ac.uk/support/mcs-support/info/imagedates • MCS Mac imaging Procedure see http://www.ucs.cam.ac.uk/support/mcs support/info/macimaging
MCS Linux -
Review of MCS 2013 deployment
• This year we: • Moved to a 64-bit OS.
• Enabled IPv6 support.
• Enabled secure DNS resolution (DNSSEC-
bis
) • Enabled experimental, limited SMB2 support as an opt-in mechanism for /ux • Built many, many software packages, some of them from first principles, to satisfy software requests.
• coot, eclipse, libreoffice, mathematica, matlab, CIFS kernel drivers, openbugs, R (with dozens of extra libraries), vmd, etc.
• Have a shiny new blue login screen. :-)
MCS Linux -
Review of MCS 2013 deployment
• Behind the scenes, we also: • Built a completely new flexible bootstrapping system, to replace our use of Ghost.
• Improved our tooling so that we can control package deployment more effectively.
• Replaced our package distribution system with a new, fault-tolerant cluster.
• Replaced our log servers.
• Moved machine-rooms!
MCS Linux -
Experiments with SMB2
• We were right: SMB2 support is not yet viable for general-purpose use.
• However, it does provide a performance benefit, at the cost of lacking support for other essential features (like symlinks, Kerberos authentication, ...!) • Have found a way to add an extra, unsupported SMB2 mount of /ux in production • /servers/.ux.smb2.this-is-unsupported • If you explicitly use it, you'll get read-only access without symlink support.
• Strictly unsupported, but has fixed performance issues seen by the CL when running classes using applications stored on /ux, rather than on the local machine.
MCS Linux -
Late requests for software
• However, we've had a huge number of late requests for software, some of them very late indeed.
• This has been a significant burden, in an already busy year!
• We have not yet been able to satisfy all of these.
• We will stop accepting new requests for software for MCS 2013 from now.
• (Unless they're really trivial.)
MCS Linux 2014
• Plan is to build the 2014 MCS release on
Ubuntu 14.04
.
• Will be re-imaging rather than attempting an inline upgrade.
• Will also be: • Investigating options for speeding up package installation.
• Monitoring upstream development of the SMB2 kernel support, with an eye to using it more widely when it proves ready.
• Looking at ways to mitigate some of the reliability issues caused by long-lived logins and access to the filestore.
MCS Advice
Purchasing of PC's
• University Desktop Tender Dell Premier Pages http://www1.euro.dell.com/ • NDNA framework in the future – mini competition
Microsoft Licensing and Software requirements
• software sales [email protected]
• or http://sales-web-server.csx.cam.ac.uk/software/
UCS (MCS) Training Rooms
•
West Cambridge
• 2 New RNB rooms (shared with MISD) – Ely Training Rooms •
NMS
• TTR1 and 2 moved and updated – Cockcroft 2 • Expanded to 80 seats • Phoenix Teaching Room2 (previously PHUA) • No changes to the Phoenix Teaching room (PHTR1) • Service Desk smaller user area (term time only)
MCS Printing & DS - Print
•
MPS Growth:
• 17 MFDs plus 1 trial • 2 Printers • 4 Common Balance •
Managed Print Totals:
• 30 Departments, 25 Colleges using Managed Print • 28 Departments, 15 Colleges participating in Common Balance Scheme • 58 MFDs
•
MCS Printing & DS - Print
•
PaperCut Print Management Update:
• Over Summer vacation updated to 13.4 providing general fixes and behind the scenes improvements.
•
Supporting Visitors: -
Available soon to early adopters.
•
PaperCut Print Client In NAT Network Environments:
• PaperCut recognise NAT is in use by the wider community, however, today have no reliable solution to support this type of network environment.
•
Supporting Linux:
• Appetite is growing to provide printing from an individual's unmanaged workstation.
• Collaborating with Unix Support to investigate feasibility to support platform.
MCS Administration
MCS charges:
• A 1% increase for AY 2014-2015 • Approved by the ISSS • These charges can be found at http://www.ucs.cam.ac.uk/support/mcs support/mcsadmin/mcscharges • Software request window in early 2014 (TBC) for all three platforms • 6 week window – encourage all requests at this time
MCS Survey
MCS Survey
• Whilst migrating services, gain feedback from the MCS community • 23 rd April – 31 st May 2013 • Logon to the MCS • End user feedback direct to the UCS • Encourage comment and define development plan • Previous survey over 4 years ago
MCS Survey
Who responded?
67% 0% 2% 1% 2% 1% 1% 26%
Total = 1234 Academic staff Admin staff Computer Officer Other Other Staff Other Student Postgrad Ugrad
MCS Survey
What are your principal uses of the MCS?
1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0
MCS Survey
•
Problems
• Lack of availability across the University • Slow machines and access • Old versions of software – (Office, Latex) • Many problems turned out to be requests
MCS Survey
•
Improvements
• Many, many requests for Chrome • Extra storage space • Faster performance
MCS Survey
•
Development
• Linux printing from unmanaged device • Simpler and mobile access to the filestore • Remote access to the desktop • Ability to use own device
MCS Survey
•
General Findings
• Confusion over PWF and MCS • Difficult to find information on the MCS • Useful and valuable service • Good to see lots of applications in one place • Printing is invaluable • Lost without the service
MCS Survey
BEST COMMENT - MCS is a grate service, please keep it up!
General, Infrastructure and Development
•
Development
• DS-Files V2.0 - Demo • DS-Remote • Visitor Printing •
Infrastructure
• New Data Centre – West Cambridge • More sites wanting to join the MCS •
General
• Merger – Changes and opportunities