September 2007 Archives

I just attended my first Common Solutions Group (CSG) meeting and found it to be very informative and interactive. You can find a bit more about the meeting and organization at http://www.stonesoup.org And, I met Jack from UW Madison who shoots skeet!!

I'll take the first topic on the agenda which was right on target with what we're looking at in the realm of repositories and how to aggregate data in the years to come. The title was: Shared Media & Data Repositories, and What's New in Scholarly Systems

The first presentation was by Jim DeRoest from The University of Washington. They have been working on storage of video data and it has morphed into adding work flow for images and other media. Their repository called DigitalWell (link to slides) is billed as an asset management system but by my definition it is much more. I have to note one of my ITLP colleages (Jim Kerkhoff) from UT Austin has been part of a fine arts repository and also presented some great information (UT Austin Slides). Both are home grown systems and are gaining traction at their respective institutions.

The question that I just can't get answered by anyone that has anything to do with development of an archive, media storage service, repository (whatever you want to call it), is: How do you plan on storing the data and who is going to pay for it long term?? I'm astonished that nobody seems to be thinking or worrying about it? It's going to cost lots of money to store this stuff over time. I can't figure out if everyone is too scared to answer or they think that storage is or will be such a commodity over time that it's not going to be an issue. I don't think that flies in the near term (5 - 7 years).

We are now seeing institutional and historical data being created in pure digital formats. What happens to the data over time and how do we assure that this data is preserved? Please remember I'm not an advocate of keeping everything. Actually I'd prefer keeping very little, but I believe there is truly data that will be lost because few are thinking about services around this long term preservation of born digital data.

Now, what if we do create a service around this archive, repository, media service...... Oh, and I have to remind you that it has to be easy to use and scalable or nobody's going to touch it. Then what's the best platform to assure we preserve it for the long haul?

DLT is currently working on questions regarding data that must be kept for the life of a student, not to mention publications that most likely will never be deleted. That's a long time in computing terms. We're working to answer the questions around best practices, platforms and how we life cycle the actual hardware and software over time (can we trust migration tools?). One must assure what's put in is what someone can get out, or a representation thereof 70+ years later? Will it be disk, tape, Content Addressable Storage (CAS) or a combination of them all?

Feedback will be great in this area, I'd like to get as many opinions as possible!

I was just looking at an entry that Jeff Kuhns posted on his Strategic Planning Page regarding how we approach Help Desks in the next 5 years.

I have always thought we could do better in how we provide service at our help desks. I want to clarify this right away in saying I'm not talking about the people involved in any way, I'm talking about the work flow and how we deliver the help or services! Basically getting the right people to the right place at the right time, to intercept the person needing help and delivering quality service.

This may go a bit far for some to agree but hear me out and maybe we can glean some worthwhile approaches from a totally different perspective (or is it?).

As many of you know I'm a paramedic and had worked as one for about 20 years while still working here at PSU. What I'm going to describe is what I had a hand in developing for a 6 county Emergency Medical Services (EMS) council well over a decade ago. Computer Aided (Assisted) Dispatch (CAD).

The concept of computer aided or assisted dispatch is far from new, with most if not all 911 centers in the country applying similar procedures and practices. For those not familiar with these procedures, the use of the computer, GPS, two way radios, cell, wireless, etc... is to streamline the decision making process and dispatch the correct emergency services to the proper location in the least amount of time. An integral part of this process gives the caller or patient a person to talk to prior to the arrival of more highly trained personnel. Having the person stay on the line is not only to help ease the person's mind or offer life saving assistance, it allows for updates to the responding agency(s). And in the worst case scenarios provides instructions for life saving procedures.

Here's how it plays out, pay attention to how we could use some of this work flow. A telecommunications officer answers the 911 call by saying " 911 what is your emergency", this is done to take immediate control of the call and requiring the caller to answer questions. The caller says my significant other is having chest pain. Immediately the person answering the call knows that it's an EMS related emergency. This call can then be transfered seamlessly to the EMS Telecommunications officer, typically in the same room. This person at the console in front of him has the telephone number and address of the person calling on the screen, and can dispatch an ambulance in seconds while still talking with the caller. There is a book or screen on the multi-monitor console that the tele-communicator can type "chest pain", and get back the steps (in flowchart format) in which they can convey to a lay person the initial life saving treatment. If there are updates the Telecommunicator can update the responding units and prepare them for arrival. Only upon the arrival of the emergency responders is the call disconnected. This provides the seamless delivery of services and hopefully a very positive experience for all parties involved.

This was just a quick scenario of something that goes on each day but with a bit of a different slant. How many times have you received a call at a help desk and it was as if they should have called the 911 center?

Ok, why can't we use this model in the next several years to improve the overall service we give to our students, faculty and staff? I know it takes money and time to develop but it may be worth it. The biggest problem I see are the disconnects between help desks and the hesitation of looking at a central approach. A single point of contact for all may be much more palatable than a bunch of different numbers to call with the person needing the help trying to figure out when and where to call. You will have a (The) knowledge base available and may be able to assist the caller without passing it on to the next help desk. And if you have to pass it on you have a flow chart on the screen or in a book that shows when a college, department or other ITS help desk is open and staffed to answer the question. If it's during normal business hours the call can seamlessly be transfered to the appropriate help desk with the caller never being dropped until there are three people on the line to agree that the outcome of the call will be handled at that location.

Let me hear what you think?

There have been several of us working on how to architect our storage here in DLT for the next several years. And you think we know (ha!). This is such an open can of worms that I only hope we make some good informed decisions, I'm sure they're not all going to be perfect.

One of the technologies other than spinning disks and tape, which we'll need for the foreseeable future is the concept of Content Addressable Storage or CAS. This isn't brand new but more companies are developing it as well as well as marketing it for compliance reasons. I believe we can go further and discuss how it can have a huge impact on repositories and other fixed content storage. It is very promising in allowing us to develop API's and offer this storage as a service to extend already in place repositories or giving you the ability to create your own. Using xml to describe the content seems to be the key to success. Not to mention the built in ability to meet compliance and regulatory standards.

There is a new standard afoot called XAM (pronounced Zam) eXtensible Access Method, which seems like a very good fit in our space. The SNIA XAM standard will allow the selection of multiple vendors and remove the "vendor lock", of many other platforms. I'm told that the three big players in this space (EMC, HP and Sun) will be demonstrating its interoperability at Storage Networking World in Dallas next moth.

Mike Bender, Ben Grissinger and Myself have just finished briefings with all three of these vendors. All vendors had interesting slants and compelling reasons to choose their product. EMC has Centera, HP has RISS and Sun has Honeycomb, now called Sun StorageTek 5800.

There are many factors to consider in our upcoming decision process. As soon as we have gotten together and debriefed from last weeks trip, I'll post the progress.

I could have made the title "I'd rather be fly fishing", but that's probably been taken.

Well, I'm going to get all my personal stuff out in the open and get right down to IT (I promise) in just a few minutes. Once in a while I get to sneak away from our (my wife's) Inn in Alexandria and Restaurant in Tyrone and get to go shooting! I've been shooting skeet on and off (off only because of time) since I was about 14 years old. Don't think I'm that good, I've just done it for a long time!

It's one of the most enjoyable activities not because of shooting shotguns but the people involved. I have met some of the nicest and most influential people anyone could have the pleasure of meeting! I also enjoy sporting clays very much but if I had all the time (and money) in the world I'd shoot skeet as much as possible. I have also gotten a few folks hooked in the IT space too.... (Right Pam?). If you're still not sure what I'm talking about visit: http://www.nssa-nsca.com/ and for more history and a field layout.

Involved a bit with Centre County Youth Services Bureau, in which they put on a sporting clays shoot every year called "On-The-Field". I've been fortunate enough to secure several teams which has allowed some PSU IT participation and increased awareness of the games. Check out: http://www.ccysb.com/onthefield

OK, That about sums up the title and so on, Next entry will be nothing but IT!