WSC Projects
- Asset Management
- Automated Software Deployment
- Cyber Security
- Novell File and Print Services (Bldg. 937 Only)
The WSC initiative depends on an accurate list of assets. The list is used to allocate the efforts of workstation support staff, plan for replenishment of primary and shared computers, and develop budget projections. Because the data in the Lab’s Asset Management System (AMS) was not current, IT needed a better way of identifying changes in steward, custodian, and location of managed assets.
In order to assist with property management and preventive maintenance of managed computers, each computer in the WSC program will be electronically inventoried (both hardware and software). This will help the IT Division know where each computer is physically located. Automated inventory is available to any group who participates in the Windows Active Directory, although it is primarily being developed as tool for WSC and our partners in the Engineering Division. The automated inventory collection of DOE property numbers occurs at login time without impacting the user. As of July 11, over 1360 systems at the Lab have been inventoried, many of which are part of WSC. For further information go here.
When WSC support staff provides customers with a new computer or takes an old one away, the property verification capability will allow IT to electronically record proposed computer asset changes as well as verify the accuracy of data in the AMS. A new self-audit capability (type “WSCAudit” in your browser) was developed in response to this need. IT developed the process in cooperation with the Lab’s Property Management group.
The WSC team is looking at ways of deploying software over the network using Windows Active Directory. Automated software deployment will reduce acquisition costs and delivery time. In the fall of 2006, IT will begin automatically deploying Visio, Photoshop and other Adobe products, as well as standard load software. Secondary software products like Visio are paid for out of the requesting department’s budget. To request any of the products listed above, create a help ticket and include your account number. Our central software license group will acquire a license and deploy it to you automatically.
Over the next several months the methods IT uses to protect individual Windows XP computers will change. IT will replace the current Symantec SCS 2.x product, which has anti-virus, intrusion detection and firewall components, with the newest antivirus-only product (SAV 10). We will replace the firewall component with one that is configured using Active Directory and uses the native firewall product built into the XP operating system.
The IT Division is also adopting Microsoft’s anti-spyware product (MS Defender) as its primary spyware tool and will be deploying this via automated methods in the future. We will continue to supplement it with Spybot until IT concludes that Spybot does not offer any real added value.
Novell File and Print Services (Bldg. 937 Only)
All Novell file and print services will now be managed by a single group within the IT Division using equipment housed in the computer room in Bldg. 50. This move is part of the continued effort to consolidate services within IT. All home directories and shared folders now located on individual Novell servers in Bldg. 937 will be relocated to a new Storage Area Network (SAN). The move will be transparent to our customers. Home directories for staff formerly in Bldg. 939 have already been moved to Bldg. 90. As of July 11, all home directories have been moved with shared folders to follow. The actual movement of data is accomplished at night after staff have logged out for the day.
Last updated 7/11/06