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Department Info
Michigan Technological University
201 Fisher Hall
1400 Townsend Drive
Houghton MI 49931-1295

Phone: (906)487-2111
Fax: (906)487-2283

Email: cechelp@mtu.edu

Personnel
Director: Dave Kraus
Systems Engineer: Jim Hoel
Systems Administrator: Pat Krogel
Systems Administrator: Chris Linn

What does the CEC do?

"Everything having to do with computers in Fisher Hall."


System Administration

Some level of expertise in the following operating systems/variations
SunOS 4.x
Solaris 2.6
Solaris 7
Solaris 8
Solaris 9
Solaris 10
Redhat Linux 7.x on i386
Redhat Linux 7.x on Alpha
Redhat Linux 8.x
Redhat Linux 9.x
Fedora Core 1 (Linux)
Fedora Core 2 (Linux)
Rocks Cluster 3.0 (Linux)
Rocks Cluster 3.3 (Linux)
Irix 6.x
Microsoft Windows 95
Microsoft Windows 98
Microsoft Windows ME
Microsoft Windows NT 3.x
Microsoft Windows NT 4
Microsoft Windows 2000
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Windows XP Pro
Microsoft Windows XP Home
HP Tru64 on Alpha
Unicos X.X
OpenBSD 3.x
Digital Unix on Alpha
Maintaining existing system services
NFS services for home directories
NFS services for shared executables
NIS services for 11 NIS domains
SMB services for home directories
SMB services for authentication
SMB services for print spooling/routing
NT domain authentication
NT domain print spooling
NT domain disk shares
License servers for licensed products
SunRay servers
Monitoring home directory usage
Home directory cleaning
Daemon restarts as needed
Print spooling/routing
Security updates for all systems
Patch tracking for all operating systems
Patch application for all systems
Security workarounds
Trojan/worm/virus removal on infected systems
Firewall design/creation for system protection


Hardware Maintainance
Dust bunny removal
Fan replacement
Disk replacement
Card insertion/removal
Monitor replacement
Keyboard/mouse repair/replacement
All other system diagnosis and repair (ala A+ certified technician)


System Design
Gather requirements
Research subsystem components
Research integration needs
Order subsystem components
Integrate subsystems into system


Network Design
Manage shared network resources
  (See above NIS/NFS/SAMBA above)
Create clustered systems outside of IT network


Desktop Support
Designing supportable desktop systems
Supporting unsupportable desktop systems
Supporting laptop systems
Adding/removing/modifying operating systems on all types of computing hardware
Making whatever random things anybody happens to bring in do whatever they want it to
Physical system moves

Operating Systems on currently supported desktop systems:
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000 Pro, Windows XP Pro, Redhat Linux 7, Redhat Linux 8, Redhat Linux 9, Fedora Core 1 (Linux), Solaris 7, Solaris 8 + Sunray thin clients under Solaris 8, Irix 6.x

Desktop Environment Support:
CDE, KDE 2.x, KDE 3.x, Gnome 2.x, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows 98

Application use support for the following applications and more:
Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Mathematica 4.x, Mathematica 5.x, SAS, LaTeX, OpenOffice.org, Word Perfect, FrameMaker, Pine, Mozilla browser, Mozilla Mail, Netscape, Kmail, Evolution (Mail), CDE mail

Answer questions of the form:
  How do I do X in LaTeX?
  How do I do X in Word?
  Please install foo on my machine
  Please install foo in the X lab
  My browser doesn't work
  My printer stopped working again
  My sound stopped working
  How do I do X in application Y?
  How do I do trivial operating system thing?



Network interface to Telcom/IT
Submit move requests
Submit account number changes
Submit port activation requests
Determine whether rewiring is necessary for port activations
Listen to complaints about Telcom charges
Listen to complaints about email services


Computing Equipment Acquisition
Design new systems (see below)
Gather quotes/bids
Create/push through purchase orders
Install systems in offices/labs/computer room


Research Support
Making current and future systems work in support of far-flung research support
Fulfill requests of the following types:
  Please negotiate my license renewal for foo and get it for less this time.
  Please compile bar and put it on the research machine.
  Please make me a cluster.
  Please build me a multi-terabyte storage system and not have it cost me any money


Physical facility
Monitor environmental services
Tune as needed
Notifiy facilities when work needs to be done

Manage power facilities

New construction Activities
Specify/Design/Monitor installation of computer and cluster room including
  Electrical
  Fire detection/suppression
  Air conditioning/environmental
  Raised floor loading



Departmental overhead
Budget
Accounting
Billing