Software bug caused last week's e-mail crash
by H. Townsend, Computing and Network Services
published Nov. 8, 2005
Last week's central e-mail downtime on Nov. 1-2 was due to a software bug
that caused the file server to crash. The bug was in the
Veritas file system software (VxFS) used to manage the file system where all the
e-mail messages are stored. Veritas provided a patch that has been applied
and fixes this bug, and the system was brought back online Wednesday morning
after a lengthy recovery process that was required to repair the file system before
it could be brought back online.
The bug is triggered when the file system grows
above a terabyte in size, even though VxFS is supposed to handle file
systems much larger than a terabyte -- which is one of the reasons K-State uses it.
This file system technology has been used on all of K-State's Sun Solaris file
systems mounted on the Storage Area Network for 2.5 years without a problem...until
central e-mail grew to a terabyte and triggered the bug.
New servers are being added to improve performance and eliminate the
slow-downs still occurring, and will be installed within the next two weeks.
Major IT outage rescheduled to end of semester
by J. Bell, G. Robertson, Computing and Network Services
published Nov. 8, 2005
IT staff and the Division of Facilities
are still in the planning stages for the upcoming IT outage, and a major equipment part is
still on order. The timeframe has been moved back to December or later.
As soon as a firm date is known, it will be publicized throughout campus.
See the Nov. 1 article
for details on this upcoming change that
will affect many central computing systems, including e-mail, KATS, K-State Online, and more.
Calendar upgrade rescheduled to Nov. 14-15
by J. Bell, Computing and Network Services
published Nov. 8, 2005
The upgrade to K-State Calendar has been rescheduled to Tuesday, Nov. 15.
Calendar users need to sync their PDAs before 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14. Also, it's
recommended that users confirm -- and print -- their calendar appointments for the next day.
Last Wednesday, Nov. 2, the new K-State
Calendar was opened for users to determine if the applied patch resolved the
issue that was locking out users on the day of the initial upgrade. More than 100
users successfully accessed the system during the test period.
Other happenings:
- Documentation was updated based on input from users and administrators.
- The Outlook connector will not be supported at this time, but
will be investigated for possible future use.
- Updates to PDAs and Pocket PCs will be deferred until the calendar is up and running under
a full user load.
Questions about the K-State Calendar can be sent to the IT Help Desk,
helpdesk@ksu.edu.
Students: Earn $25 for 90-minute technology test
by S. Kearns, KSU Libraries
published Nov. 8, 2005
K-State sophomores, juniors, and seniors can earn $25 by completing the
ETS Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Skills Assessment.
K-State Libraries is participating in this pilot study, and the following test times are available:
- Friday, Nov. 11 -- 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 13 -- 1:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 16 -- 11:30 a.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 17 -- 11:30 a.m.
Those interested in participating can sign up at the Reception Desk in Hale Library (second floor).
Sign-up for each test day closes at noon the day before.
(Example: Registration ends at noon Nov. 10 for Nov. 11 testing.)
We still have room for about 50 students, so sign up soon!
The test will be administered in 401 Hale Library and will take about 90 minutes to complete.
Students will be sent a check in the mail within 6-8 weeks. Contact Sara Kearns
(skearns@ksu.edu, 532-7446) if you have questions.
Nov. 30 is last day for
Symantec AntiVirus CE 8.0
by R. Cheung, Computing and Network Services
published Nov. 8, 2005
Symantec will drop support of Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition
8.0 after Nov. 30 -- at which point Symantec may not provide the virus update, and affected computers
will have no protection from new threats. K-State
policy requires current, effective, active antivirus software on all
computers attached to the campus network (see the
Security for Information, Computing and Network Resources
policy).
K-State's antivirus.ksu.edu site currently has the latest
version, 9.0.3.1000, available for free download to K-Staters.
If your computer is still running version 8.0, please upgrade to a new version before Nov. 30.
Questions about the upgrade should be sent to your departmental technical support, the
IT Help Desk, or your SIRT representative.
TechBytes Nov. 11: Getting the Most Out of Your Digital Camera
by C. Rodriguez, Information Technology Assistance Center
published Nov. 8, 2005
Digital cameras have renewed interest in photography due to no cost
for film or processing. However, these cameras have become miniature
computers with more functions than most people want or need. Come learn how to
get the most out of these little marvels.
TechBytes seminars are 1:15 p.m. Fridays in 501 Hale Library and are
open to the K-State community. To learn more about the series or the
sessions, visit the TechBytes website.
IT by the numbers: E-mail
by the IT Communications Committee
published Nov. 8, 2005
During a typical week in October, K-State's central e-mail system handled 11 million e-mail messages --
6.4 million sent; and 4.6 million received.
| Q/A: IT questions from K-Staters |
by the editors, InfoTech Tuesday
published Nov. 8, 2005
How often should I back up my files?
K-Staters should back up their data periodically throughout the semester. The rule of thumb is
to do a backup every time you have enough data that you don't want to retype or can't afford to lose.
Especially at this time of the semester, when the IT Help Desk gets numerous requests to help
recover from hard drive and computer crashes. Staff help
restore theses, reports, dissertations, PowerPoint presentations, term papers, and more.
K-Staters are reminded to back up their information, and to use more than one method.
For example, copy your data to a thumb drive and a CD.
Have a question or comment?
TellTuesday@ksu.edu.
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| Web watch |
Gizmo project uses Internet phone technology
by the editors, InfoTech Tuesday
published Nov. 8, 2005
Gizmo is an open-source phone project that uses Internet phone technology. See
www.gizmoproject.com.
Find a good site? TellTuesday@ksu.edu.
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