SOG-UK-L Archives

Archiver > SOG-UK > 2003-08 > 1059747262


From: Chris Broomfield <>
Subject: SoG and IT - was [SoG] is it just quiet?
Date: Fri, 01 Aug 2003 15:14:22 +0100
References: <BAY4-DAV119BHxvZ9aZ0000a201@hotmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <HPEDJEBNFLMCIJNMIKAMOEAMFEAA.john.hanson@one-name.org>


At 07:26 01/08/2003 +0100, John Hanson wrote:
>Hugh

snip..


>In terms of the database behind the catalogue - >it is a proprietary
>database structure consisting 122 Tables and a total of 1100 fields (we do
>not use all of them!) The data and indexes as currently structured are about
>12GB. There are between 30 and 40k subject terms.<
>
>The software licence required to put the catalogue online is extremely
>expensive and unless you have a spare £30,000 unlikely to happen in the
>foreseeable future. Having been in the database industry for a number of
>years I would not want to start unravelling that.

I looked at the Price list for the SoG Web Hosting Company (not the
cheapest but reliable)

For a Dedicated Server top end of their range (Specification not quite
meeting the requirements for running the Library Catalogue) Approx £6500
per year.

See why we are careful about what we commit the SoG to.

So the cry goes up well buy your own server - and connect it to the
Internet - all sorts of issues but taking just two.

Security: I have spent about 2 days in the past week investigating and
planning updating all of the 50 PC in the Society to overcome three or four
security alerts relating to the various version of Microsoft software the
SoG uses. Running a server will magnify this sort of issue - where are the
resources to come from?

PCs in the Library:
John and I have over the past 2 week rebuilt 3 PCs to improve the
facilities available in the Library and for Staff. This task is still
incomplete

Oh and this morning I have to remotely (by talking a member of staff
through the process) re-program the Firewall to trap Port 445 DoS attacks
(see CERT Advisory CA-2003-19 Exploitation of Vulnerabilities in Microsoft
RPC Interface http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2003-19.html) BTW the
following systems are affected

* Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
* Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Services Edition
* Microsoft Windows 2000
* Microsoft Windows XP
* Microsoft Windows Server 2003

(Tim is safe) But Win XP users on Broadband should take notice.

I am not complaining about the work load but there are only so many days a
week I am willing to devote to the SOG.

Chris

PS I forgot all about maintaining the website - I am still looking for
someone to help edit the web pages so that they are W3C compliant. This
task can be done anywhere all that is needed is a downloaded copy of a page
and some knowledge of W3C HTML4 requirements and a willingness to look at
accessibility tools to incorporate. Contact me off list.

>snip

Chris Broomfield




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