Category: Jake

Blogging might be fairly light over the next few days because I’m doing a major overhaul of our company’s servers over the next four days or so. I’ll blog now and again when I can, but I’ll more than likely be pretty busy.

Here’s what I’m doing these next few days (of course, during the late hours so that nobody gets put offline that):

• Backup everything a few times over
• Upgrading NT 4 Domain Controller to Windows 2000.
• Replace NT 4 Citrix Metaframe server with Windows 2000 Metaframe Server that I’ve built (much faster than the POS we have in there), pull the other one offline
• Patch to SP4, etc…
• Setting up group policies, settings, etc…
• Migrate accounting’s data to new server
• Move hardware between a couple servers, pulling it from offline server
• Re-wiring the mess in our network closet
• Put it all back together
• Test and pray to everything that’s holy that it all works.

Then the next project will be to take that old Citrix server, upgrade it to Small Business Server 2003, getting a new switch in the server room (the one we have is crap — anybody have a nice 12-port or larger switch to get rid of?), recut some of the network cables in the wiring closet (as we have some some 30-foot cables that are going about 3 feet) — among about 400 other project that need to get done. Ugh…

Have any of the readers of this site done an in-place upgrade of a Windows NT 4.0 server to Windows 2003? I’m looking to do that on one of my servers, and wanted to hear if anybody’s had any pitfalls, problems, whatever. It’s my primary domain controller, file server and print server, and I really would like to be able to do an in-place upgrade so I don’t have to recreate all my profiles, policies, users, and printers.

E-mail me or comment here if you have any good tips or articles to check out. It’s the last server that needs to be upgraded, as my Web server is now running Win2K3 Web edition, and my Citrix Metaframe box will soon be running Windows 2000 (it’s getting built — just need some more RAM for the thing).

Really. I’m serious. At least in this case, it was fun, because I know now that it’s done, my life will be a lot easier.

My work site is powered by PHP. The off-the-shelf script I used to power the home manager is called Free Realty. I’m using an older version of it where the code isn’t as clean (and even the new version isn’t as clean as it probably could be, but it’s fairly plug and play). But the version I have used a TON of echo statements to create its various pages. Now, echo statements are fine if you’re processing variables inside those echoes, but there were just large echo statements full of HTML, and it was just annoying to look at, especially so since HomeSite doesn’t color code the HTML inside PHP tags — meaning it’s really hard to read. So today I got rid of a bunch of echo tags, did a lot more in-line PHP if/else stuff, replaced the longer echo blocks with short-tag versions of echo in-line with the HTML, reduced the amount of overall if/else statements and the code is a lot cleaner and easier on the eyes. It will make a future project I’m working on a hell of a lot easier, too (as I plan on reusing a lot of this same code).

I’m starting to pretend pretty well that I know what I’m doing with this stuff 😉 Prior to this job, I didn’t know a damn thing about PHP, other than knowing a coworker or two were studs at it. But working here was the first real shot I’ve had at it, and it’s a blast. Beats working on the piece of crap ASP server I have upstairs any day of the week.

I’ve never had to resort to it, but I had to file a complaint against a company today for being complete jackasses and not working with me at all. I mentioned earlier that I was having trouble with an auction on eBay. After several months, getting a circle jerk like you wouldn’t believe, I have filed a complaint with the Houston Better Business Bureau. It’s not a lot of money (all told, items and shipping charges back and forth ran about $60), but it’s the principle of the thing: You can’t treat customers like dirt and expect to get away with it. Regardless, my full complaint is in the extended entry of this post.

Meanwhile, I’m looking for (and selling) some computer parts again, because I had my original guy that I was buying ECC RAM from decide to bail on me. I’m also selling some parts as well (a few hubs, some PIIIs, and a few DLT tapes). Since I don’t really want to maintain the list in two places, check out my Anandtech forum post and let me know if you can help me out.

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Why does it suck? Mostly because I’m not in school anymore and don’t get to sleep in all week. I’m stuck here at work during one of the busiest weeks here. I was looking forward to actually getting some of the long-overdue projects done because the boss is out of the town and not nagging me for stupid crap, but I’ve yet to even dive into most of them. And I know if I don’t get anything done before he comes back, it won’t get done. Ugh… .

I’ve got a Kenmore dishwasher sitting in my utility room. It works fine and cleans just dandy, but the springs on the door are broke, so the door weighs 20+ pounds (it still shuts and locks fine). If you don’t have kids, it’ll be fine, but we just needed something else because we have infants and toddlers who are liable to get smashed by it.

It’s yours if you want it. Just get ahold of me via e-mail or phone (385-3084), or come by and get it.

I’m here at work — still. I’m taking a break from crawling around on my hands and knees to rewire our network closet upstairs for a new 48 port switch (I’ve got a 12 and 16 port for sale if anybody wants it). So far, everything’s working good, I just need to clean up the wire mess know (though it is much more organized than it was before).

Should be no more than an hour left, and I can scratch one more project off the list at work. Now I just need to finish building my new Windows 2000 Citrix Server (the old one’s going to become my Small Business Server 2003 box), and I need to get Windows 2003 Enterprise onto our domain controller (2003 Web Edition is already running on my IIS box). After all that’s all done, NT 4.0 will be LONG gone off our network — thank goodness.

Been a busy day. Finally got my parts and such to build my new server here at work, so I’ve been spending all day troubleshooting it all playing nice with each other, getting the RAID array setup properly, etc… . It’s been a barrel of laughs, let me tell ya, as it’s killed my entire day, and I don’t even have the OS installed. Ugh… .

I am still looking for a few more parts, especially a Slotket (a Pentium III Slot 1 to Socket 370 adapter) that will work in a dual CPU configuration on a Tyan Tiger 100 motherboard. If you have the parts, e-mail me your asking price.

On a related tech note, I’m going to probably be moving Web host companies later this week to hopefully resolve some speed issues that have come about on this site as well as the others I host. I’m also looking into redesigning the template for UtterlyBoring.com to make it a little less of an intensive load, but that’ll probably be coming down the line. I’ll keep you posted.

I’ve got a small budget approved here at work to buy some computer parts (and I’m also looking for a couple things for myself), so if anybody out there can help me out, here’s what I’m looking for:

• 800mhz or better slot 1, 100mhz bus Pentium III processors. I’d prefer the hard-to-find 1000mhz models, if you’ve got ’em (I’m not holding my breath). They have to be 100mhz bus, as the motherboard I currently have won’t support 133mhz. Update: I’ll also take a couple of SMP Friendly Slot 1 to Socket 370 convertors (Slockets), such as the Iwill Slocket II
• ECC/Registered PC100 256 Meg RAM chips — At least two of them.
• An 8 Port or Better KVM switch. Needs to be able to emulate PS2, but doesn’t need sound, USB, or any of that crap.
• A 36+ Port 10/100 Switch. I’d prefer a 48 porter, if possible. A 1000mbs ethernet uplink port or two would be nice.
• A good 350+ Watt, Server Grade, ATX Power Supply.
• Voltage Regulator Modules for Compaq Proliant 800 and 1600 server. They’re part number 320266-001 (spare: 329267-001)
• Heatsink for Compaq Proliant Slot 1 CPUs (need two). They look something like this.
• Lastly, non work-related, I need a cheap AMD Duron motherboard that uses SDRAM and will work with my 700mhz duron (100mhz bus) Duron. Needs an AGP slot, and a couple PCI slots, and that’s about it. I have a Micro-ATX board that it’s currently sitting on but the AGP slot’s toast.

E-mail me if you have something you can help me with, or comment here.

…our tape drive here at work finally bit the dust — a good HP DLT 30 SCSI tape drive. The LEDs are going bonkers, and everything I find on the Web says there’s a hardware failure if that persists. And it’s persisting, making a whole bunch of nasty noises.

Lovely.

Anybody have a DLT tape drive they want to get rid of? Can you get it to me yesterday 😉 ? I just need to convince the bosses here that we need to a) invest in a GOOD tape solution, or b) use an offsite backup provider, otherwise, this will be all too common (it’s the 2nd tape drive that’s busted since I’ve been here). Apparently our data isn’t important enough to invest in a good backup plan.

OK, done ranting, carry on…