Who we are

The Crystallography Computer Support Group (CCSG) consists of the following people.

• Richard Westlake
• David Houldershaw

What we look after

The CCSG is responsible for most of the computing resources in the department used for teaching, research and administration.

The School of Crystallography has a computer network of between one hundred and two hundred nodes (i.e.computers, printers etc) spread over three floors.

The network includes

• Three links to the College network.
• Multiple IP networks, one DECnet network area and a Microsoft Windows network.
• Gagabit Ethernet backbond
• Multiple Gigabit Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Ethernet and FDDI/CDDI links.
• The School's fixed cable and optical fibre links which are used for
  • Ethernet (10/100/1000)
  • Connections to terminal servers and other data links
  • Voice links
• A large number of switched Ethernet segments (Ethernet collision domains).
• Approximately 150 PCs
• Approximately 65 Unix/Linux servers and workstations
• Approximately 30 other workstations (Terminals, Macs etc)
• Several Linux Clusters

There are currently Fourteen different operating systems installed (Including nine versions of UNIX). We directly support eleven of these ( Eight versions of UNIX) and provide some support for the remaining three. For some operating systems we have more than one version to support.

Note - There will be a slight reduction the number of operating systems and versions as older equipment is retired.

The CCSG have to support a large range of hardware type and manufacture. For example there are approximately eight types of Silicon Graphics system in the department.

The CCSG is also responsible for PC Lab., the Glaxo-Welcome suite audio visual equipment and other locations as required.

What we do

The CCSG's work load includes and ever increasing list of tasks, some of which are listed below.

• Keeping all the above working.
• First line hardware / software maintenance.
• Looking after all the hardware and software maintenance contracts.
• Upgrading and Installiing new system software.
• Trying to fix problems caused by the new software.
• Provide support for some software packages
  • Simulation software / general software (David Houldershaw )
• Provide computer support for PPS and other web courses.
• Long term planing and advice.
• Purchasing hardware upgrades.
• Installing hardware upgrades and fixing any problems.
• Cleaning the laser printers when someone spills toner all over the inside.
• Trying to fix keyboards and computers which have had tea, coffee or anything else spilt in/on them.
• Ordering disks, tapes and printer toner etc..
• Having to cope with the college financial regulations.
• Balancing the books.
• Setting up new accounts for the UNIX, PC and VMS systems.
• Doing the backing-up of some of the file systems.
• Trying to give everyone a fair share of the disk space, an Impossible task.
• Providing the computer services required by the department courses.
• Keeping the systems in PC Lab. and their software working, despite what people do to them.
• Picking up the pieces after people have reconfigureed there own computers.
• Maintaining the department Internet Domain Name Servers (DNS).
• Supporting the email service, internet servers.
• Investigating abusive, harassing or threatening email.
• Dealing with breaches of the college and schoolcomputer regulations.
• Plan, oversee, implement and test the installation of new network links.
• Insurance claims for equipment theft and damage due to floods etc.
• Setting up the Computer data projectors in EB3 and elsewhere.
• Preparing costing and technical information for grant applications.
• Trying to keep up with new hardware and software developments, another impossible task.
• Restoring files which have been deleted by accident.
• ........

$Revision: 1.15 $ $Date: 2006/09/27 09:07:18 $