[tech] Upcoming projects

[Matt Didcoe]

Howdy,

Got some projects in the works and wanted to give people a heads up
about what was on the cards.

1) Upgrading the UCC Jabber server

Looking at using ejabberd with a mysql backing. It's apparently quite
quick and flexible - also up-to-date.

2) UCC Wireless

Over the mid-semester break, we'll get back into working out the kinks
in implementing 802.1x with WPA2. At this stage, it's looking like
Windows XP is going to be the real hurdle, but the Mac OS was playing
up a while back as well.

Zanchey has a good idea of where we're at and we'll hopefully have
that in place by the time Semester 2 kicks off.

3) Windows 7 and Samba

They currently don't love each other. Dr Zanchey is doing some
relationship counselling, but it's not looking promising at this stage
- haven't heard back from samba/samba-dev lists. Will revisit over the
break when there's less people in the clubroom trying to use
computers.

4) Charging correctly for printing

There's some "specialness" about the way it works now, we'll hopefully
be ironing out those bugs when we get a new printer.

5) Re-wiring UCC

This one came up a few weeks back. Mark Tearle and I have caught up
since then and he's shared his thoughts on the topic. A (hopefully
accurate) summary of those discussions is below:

 - Fibre link to ITS: Don't even bother messing with it - costs lots
of money and is a pain in the arse.
 - Clubroom wiring: Upgrading this is doable and in theory we can
probably get it done quite cheaply.
    - Write letter to Panduit, who UWA funnel lots of money for
networking stuff. Mark will counter sign with "UWA hat on", asking for
free conduit, cables, patch panels, ports etc.
    - Person who supervises us installing / does the installing must
meet the following reqs.
       - ACMA Structured Cabling licence
       - Ability to sign off on a TCA1 form
       - Hold current public liability to $20 million
       - Workers Compensation insurance
    - If we get to the install stage, Mark will make contact with some
of UWA's preferred vendors/suppliers for wiring and see what favours
we can pull.

That's where we're at right now - I'm sure there's some projects going
on in the background that I've missed, but needless to say that
progress is being made around the club.

If you've got something you'd like to do, let us know and we'll see
what we can do to make it happen!

Cheers,
Matt [MRD]
UCC President 2010