|
|
7. Print Services
Print services should be available on the network for all workstations and remote sites.
While PostScript is the most commonly used protocol and must be supported, we should
also support HP, ANSII, and Tektronics protocols. The simplest solution for support of
these protocols may be to purchase printers that support network connection and queuing
from all machines.
Simple commands supporting indented and wide printing should be implemented.
8. Spares
It is desirable to maintain a stock of common spares, which includes monitors, SCSII
devices, and power supplies.
|
|
|
|
Staffing is an issue that pervades all of the major categories in this report. In these areas
skilled professionals should be sought after. This means that competitive salaries must be
offered to attract qualified people. Many of the achievements in communications of the
93-94 season can be attributed to the ASA winter-over, Brent Jones, and Paul Eden at
Malibar. Together they were able to improve the system after station closing. Such
improvements have been historically sporadic and occur only when talented people are
available for operations.
The challenge associated with supporting four hardware and operating system sets is
recognized, but the productivity for research will be much higher if researchers are able
to work within a familiar environment rather than spending valuable time at South Pole
learning a new and unfamiliar system. We believe the investment in hardware, software,
and staffing can be very modest relative to the cost of retraining researchers and of time
lost from primary research objectives at South Pole.
A mixed computing environment is the norm for research groups, and system manager
support is rarely given unless there are critical real-time requirements. It is not
recommended that support staffing at South Pole be increased significantly to support the
specified systems. Instead, new paradigms for support should be considered.
Recognizing that a single systems expert might be useful in McMurdo and even at ASA,
South Pole might not have the expert on site for the entire summer season. With better
communications to the station, experts do not necessarily have to be at the Station in
order to help. Using remote logins, staff at McMurdo or CONUS may remotely assist
with software support or other problems. We recommend the following division of labor
between a systems Expert and a systems Manager to improve support at little added cost
(in all cases below we refer to 'systems' as meaning ASA provided systems - researcher
provided systems are the responsibility of that research group):
1. System Expert Duties
Experts should tune the computers, network devices, and communications gear near
station opening and near station closing each year. It is believed that less than a week on
site should be required for knowledgeable personnel to service these systems. The use of
system experts will help ensure uniform performance. It is demonstrably true that, in the
|
|