It’s been a VERY busy week at work. (I dunno why, but I almost typed school there.)

Basically, May, my colleague, and myself have to migrate our undergraduate teaching computer system from a Solaris UNIX server to a Dell Windows one. This includes moving all the data and the accounts.. Oh and making the Dell an NFS/NIS server so that the dual booting PCs can use the home directories under Linux. The whole thing is complicated by the fact that the Dell server will straddle two sets of IP addresses, the internal, private 10 network and our public 163.1.22 network. Add to this that the server cannot be a proper DNS primary server as the Oxford University DNS is a single, flat file with all the hosts being named host.unit rather than delegating authority and it makes setting up Active Directory nearly impossible.

After four reinstalls of Windows Server 2003 (resetting A.D. screws up the machine totally, so a re-install is necessary, it seems) I think we have a mostly working service on that front. Now “all” we have to do is get the user accounts set up properly and the data moved. This, of course, is going to be a major problem in itself. I’ve imported the password file using the “Services for Unix” migration tool, but I will need to go through each entry doing all the final settings.. Only a couple of hundred there. I just hope that it actually works.. Oh, and then I have to create all the profile directories and share them and set their permissions.

We also have to unpack and install all the 34 PCs, create the disk image on the prototype machine, including getting all the applications installed before imaging it and finally put the image on the machines.

All this has to happen in 3 weeks, before the beginning of term, ready for classes to use it for practicals almost on day one.

If you add to this the fact that we also have to service all the normal day-to-day problems in the department, induct the new postgrads who arrive in a couple of weeks, install a few new Sun W2100z workstations, two of which need to run Windows but Sun doesn’t supply the drivers and I needed to find the right ones to allow the Windows install to actually see the disks. Oh, and then there’s the new access control system with the swipe card management with software which makes it as difficult as possible to add cards.

I think you get the idea about how busy it is at the moment.

Anyway, today’s been pretty quiet. All I’ve done is shop in Oxford for wet weather gear. I’ve found a decent waterproof coat with integral fleece (Sprayway) and a day-glow yellow lightwieght waterproof jacket for cycling. The last one replaces my old cycling waterproof jacket which is a mere 20 years old exactly.. It was bought just before going to Uni for the first time. Unfortunately, its waterproof properties have failed even though it looks OK. Even after several dousings of waterproofing stuff it still lets water. I wonder if the new jacket will last that long.