DICE Meeting 2002-05-28

Agenda

1. Corrections to minutes
2. Actions Arising from minutes of meeting of 2002-05-14
3. Timetable

Decisions

1. Common Home Directories: CHDs not to be finalised until after term/Exam Board to avoid disruption.

Actions

• actions carried forward from previous meetings
• all actions generated from this meeting.

1. Actions Arising: machine purchase details need to be finalised and a tender submitted. (noted 2002-02-19)
   [CEG]
2. Actions Arising - teaching software: summary message to go to all teaching staff. (noted 2002-05-14)
   [Jeremy]
3. Actions Arising - faster deployment: Use of XDM and issues of speeding up deployment of DICE. [CEG]. Final conclusions to be drawn. (noted 2002-03-05)
   [CEG]
4. Actions Arising - Doc types: Deployment tasks need to notify Alison what types of documents they will be producing. (noted 2002-03-05)
   [Alison]
5. Actions Arising - DICE deployment publicity: Site managers should make sure that this publicity is provided. (noted 2002-03-19)
   [Alastair/Jeremy/Ken]
6. Actions Arising - Conversion of accounts to UUN: Final UUNs being sorted out (noted 2002-02-19)
   [Roger]
7. Actions Arising - Filesystem Maps: minor details to be finalised. (noted 2002-05-14)
   [ Bill]
8. Actions Arising - MIS feed: check about getting data direct. (noted 2002-04-02)
   [Neil]
9. Actions Arising - Common Home Directories: List of 'top ten' groups from each site to be finalised (noted 2002-05-14)
   [Roger]
10. Actions Arising - Backups. Allocate person responsible for stage 1 task. (noted 2002-04-02)
    [CEG]
11. Actions Arising - Timetable: update progress page milestones with timetable dates. (noted 2002-04-30)
    [All]
12. Actions Arising - Groups Load group name<->GID mappings into LDAP. (noted 2002-05-14)
    [Roger/Bill]
13. Actions Arising - Spam: Get EUCS configuration for filtering mail from blacklisted sites. (noted 2002-05-14)
    [Craig]
14. Actions Arising - Hardware Remaining server hardware to be ordered. (noted 2002-05-14)
    [Alastair]
15. SSH/Kerberos: intro note about not using public keys with SSH (noted 2002-05-28)
    [Alison]
16. Milestones/bugzilla: add them to bugzilla.inf (noted 2002-05-28)
    [Jeremy]
17. Common Home Directories: decide site or en masse move (noted 2002-05-28)
    [Roger]
18. COs/DICE all remaining non-DICE machine COs to use DICE. (noted 2002-05-28)
    [non-DICE COs]
19. Bugzilla->cos@inf: gate bug reports in to cos mailing list. (noted 2002-05-28)
    [Simon]
20. Kerberos principals: resolve for new accounts (noted 2002-05-28)
    [Neil/Simon]
21. amd: still being investigated (noted 2002-05-28)
    [George/Alastair]
22. XDM XDM component to be ported (noted 2002-05-28)
    [George]
23. Trusted host list: generate list automatically for LDAP (noted 2002-05-28)
    [Simon]
24. Timetable: provide graphical version (noted 2002-05-28)
    [Jeremy]

Minutes

1. Corrections to minutes of 2002-05-14

   Action item 11 should be 'All', not CEG.

2. Actions arising from minutes of last meeting (2002-05-14)
   1. Actions Arising: machine purchase CEG to discuss machine purchase mechanism. (noted 2002-02-19) [Alastair/Jeremy/Ken]
      Tender process nearly comnplete and the decision to be taken this week.
      Ongoing
   2. Actions Arising - teaching software:
      A summary message is due to go to all teaching staff. It was also suggested that tutors and lab demonstrators, where known for next year, need to be included in the pilot process.
      Ongoing
   3. Actions Arising - faster deployment: Use of XDM and issues of speeding up deployment of DICE. [CEG].

      Still being discussed.

      Ongoing
   4. Actions Arising - Doc types: Deployment tasks need to notify Alison what types of documents they will be producing. [All deployment task 'owners'].
      Ongoing
   5. Actions Arising - DICE deployment publicity: Site managers should make sure that this publicity is provided. [Alastair/Jeremy/Ken]
      Ongoing
   6. Actions Arising - Conversion of accounts to UUN: Site managers should contact those users who will need to change their username to warn them again of the need for the change and should arrange for a list of things to change/look out for. [Alastair/Jeremy/Ken]
      Ongoing

      Final UUN changes are being clarified with Christine Rees.

      [Roger]
   7. Actions Arising - Filesystem Maps: the proposal has been made; there remain some naming decisions but these are minor and Bill has requested comments. [Bill]
      Ongoing
   8. Actions Arising - MIS feed: check about getting data direct.[Neil]
      Waiting for the feed to be setup in due course.
      Ongoing
   9. Actions Arising - Common Home Directories: unification of groups. [Roger]. List of 'top ten' groups from each site needs to be finalised
      Ongoing
   10. Actions Arising - Backups. A person responsible needs to be allocated to the stage 1 task. (noted 2002-04-02) [CEG]
       Ongoing
   11. Timetable: update milestones with timetable dates. (noted 2002-04-30) [All]
       Ongoing
   12. Profile Server: provide change instructions and templates. (noted 2002-05-14)[ Alastair]

       This has been done and it is noted that some people have already transferred. Others should transfer sooner than later as the old profile server will stop working.

       Done
   13. Groups Load group name to GID mappings into LDAP. (noted 2002-05-14)[Roger/Bill]

       This was clarified to refer to just the name<->GID mappings and does not include membership data. Simon pointed out that the update mechanism is the same for both so care needs to be taken not to affect membership data when updating.

       Ongoing
   14. Spam: Get EUCS configuration for filtering mail from blacklisted sites. (noted 2002-05-14)
       Ongoing
   15. Hardware Remaining server hardware to be ordered. (noted 2002-05-14) [Alastair]

       Mailserver has been ordered (15/5). Transit router specs are still being verified but we can operate with existing hardware at the moment. Login servers still to be spec'ed but can also use existing machines.

       Ongoing
3. General Issues

   ssh/Kerberos:

   Users who have public ssh keys setup will lose out on the Kerberos benefits as credentials will not be passed over new connections. We need to advise users to not have this setup on machines in the 'inf' realms. Alison to add this to the intro docs.

   [ACTION: Alison]

   However the standard ssh setup in their common home directory is useful/required for connecting to legacy. This will affect some existing users. Simon reckons this can be made conditional.

   Milestones/bugzilla:

   Simon suggested it would be useful to add the milestones to bugzilla.

   [ACTION: Jeremy]

   Common Home Directories:

   Confusion over the final date for Common Home Directories was resolved. The final date will be the end of June as sites supporting students with cross-site affiliation don't want to change until after term/Board of Examiner's meetings. Roger will resolve whether sites move individually or en masse.

   [ACTION: Roger]

   There will be no /legacy at KB. At FH/SB the /legacy structure will be finalised this week.

   [ACTION: John]

   COs using DICE:

   Remaining COs need to move to DICE by as default system to iron out problems. CHD now available for COs at all sites so that should make things easier. This needs to be done by the end of the week (31/5) where possible.

   [ACTION: non-DICE COs]

   There are concerns about various bugs that seem to exist and assumptions about who does or doesn't know about them. All COs should now report bugs on bugzilla.inf and all new bug reports will be copied to cos@inf. Simon to set this up.

   [ACTION: Simon]

   Most bugs reported will be naturally picked up by the owners of the associated task. Those that span tasks will be allocated by CEG.

   Known issues:

   Kerberos principals for new accounts:

   Neil/Simon still have to resolve how this is being done.

   [ACTION: Neil/Simon]

   amd:

   this seems to be related largely to laptops but is being investigated.

   [ACTION: George/Alastair]

   Netscape/fonts:

   these are usually environment problems but are still giving problems for some people.

   de-Hesioding:

   this still needs to be done.

   test login servers:

   the date for setting up these will be decided at the forthcoming Infrastructure meeting (Fri 31/5).

   default environment:

   Craig is away so status not known. This needs to be clarified.

   XDM:

   the XDM component needs to be ported. (It is noted that we accept the issue of XDM traffic being in the clear and therefore insecure for the moment).

   [ACTION: George]

4. Trusted inf hosts

   Simon will look at generating a list and populating LDAP as there are some wrinkles with spanning maps that he is familiar with.

   [ACTION: Simon]

5. Timetable

   A number of updates were made to the timetable. The revised version for the internal events and some external events is below. The remainder still need to be clarified in terms of knock-on effects.

   Jeremy will try to provide a graphical version.

   [ACTION: Jeremy]

   Internal Events				Due
   minimal standard client (all relevant rpms ported)				15 Jun
   standalone minimal laptop				30 Jun
   local site infrastructure				30 Jun
   	transit routers and DICE networks			7 Jun
   	individual site ldap/kerberos/rpm/print servers			7 Jun
   	dump facilities for mail/homepages			30 Jun
   central infrastructure				30 Jun
   	mail			30 Jun
   	homepages			30 Jun
   	mailing lists			30 Jun
   	account creation possible			31 May
   NFS service (/legacy, firewalling)				31 May
   pilot login server(s)				7 Jun
   printing (legacy) via DICE				30 Jun
   machines ordered for BP/FH/KB/SB				7 Jun

   External Events				Due
   common home directories				30 Jun
   	site group unification			30 Jun
   	setting up /legacy			31 May
   	switching users to primary			30 Jun
   inf accounts ready for all current staff				7 Jun
   	UUN issues sorted			7 Jun
   legacy mail redirected to @inf				15 Jul
   	mail agent review			31 May
   remaining PhDs move to SMS mailboxes				30 Jun
   inf accounts ready for all current students				30 Jun
   support facilities				30 Jun
   	web form			30 Jun
   	fault tracking			30 Jun
   new machines (BP/FH/SB)				31 May
   	groups notified			30 Jun
   	installed			As appropriate
   teaching usage of DICE				30 Aug
   	which students using DICE			31 May
   	software availability			30 Aug
   associate accounts				30 Jun

6. Inter-site communcation

   We need to improve communication between the support teams given that sites are now more inter-dependent. Support teams to make sure other sites when there are local problems.

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