Got Geek?

[IchBin]

Ok, so I'm here at my new job  this week. I have finally got access to the stuff they want me working on. And guess what it is of all things? They want me to admin a portal. lol Of all things, I never thought I would be working on a portal. Let me just say that this portal is a friggen HUGE BEAST! Its a java portal run on Apache-Tomcat. Its friday morning and I'm bored, so I'm going to explain what I get to play with here.

At my Desktop I have a thin client. Also referred to as a terminal server. It connects me to the Solaris Unix server. I have a little box next to my monitor (called a Sunray2) about the size of a router/hub. It has a slot for a card (like a bank card) that I can put the card in. This card holds my session. So if I have like 5 or 6 windows open and I'm working on something important but have to leave, I pull the card out and it logs me off. I can then go any where on campus that has one of the SunRay2 boxes and plug my card in, and it will pull up my session as I had left it open earlier with the windows from when I was working on something. Is that cool or what? haha

As for the servers I work on its pretty scary. lol I've only had experience on working on small time servers. Usually I have setup only a single server for someones business. Now, I have access to about 13 servers. It really is cool how it all works. When someone hits the site it first hits a load balancer. Then the load balance machine randomly shoots users to the other machines depending on where they're going. There are 3 servers just for the portal. One server is a content manager which serves the content to the portal and home page. Never thought I would have my hands in something this complex. Anywho, I'll stop babbling now and try to get back to work.

[G6Cad]

Ok, i will never speak to you again, you have become such a nerd now, and another portal system then TP ?  How could you do that to us 



















Just a joke     Does sound like you will have a lot to deal with in your new job 

[GhostRider2110]

Sounds cool IchBin... I played around with Sunray's back before there was a Sunray2...  These were the LDC with the card slot built in... There were neat.  We used them for the SANS Institute Conferences as terminals for the attendees to access e-mail and such.  We ran 10 of the m off an old Netra T1 server.  Hope you are having fun.. new toys are a blast...

See-ya

[IchBin]

lol G6. If TP could do what this portal could I would convince them to move. This portal allows all of the college students to have their own myspace type of page. They can add content to their own page, customize the layout by clicking and dragging content to move it. Really is quite something to play with.

I didn't realize how expensive this stuff can be either. One of my co-workers was talking about a Solaris machine he wanted to buy off ebay that was like $3,000.

Sounds like you've had some fun to Ghost. I'll be having some real fun when I actually get to dig in and get dirty with this stuff. Right now I'm just getting a quick look at how its all working.

[G6Cad]

Just remember to check so the backups work before you get dirty   Not fun to have a few hundred collage students breathing down your neck  :coolsmiley:

[IchBin]

lol indeed. The good thing is we have a test server setup to test things on first. And the other good thing is, there are 3 servers I would have to screw up to make it all go down. So if I screw one up, I just redirect the traffic to the other 2. After seeing some of the college students I wouldn't mind if they breathed down my neck.

[G6Cad]

Oh please sir, can i get some extra myspace

[Ianedres]

I'll stick with TP, thank you very much! 

We use IBM thin clients at my work- but not to that level. They have been working more often (than not) here recently, but that what you get when you work for a municipal government entity (that still uses number-driven menus in archaic software) on an AS/400-based system.  :buck2: :buck2:

The setup sounds cool- I didn't see any mention of having Micro$oft anywhere... 

[IchBin]

I actually have a M$ machine I'm setting up soon too. I don't know why, but I guess I'll find some use for it. lol Right now, I'm happy with what I have setup on Solaris. I have Firefox and my mail is done through an exchange server, so I have Web access to that. Other than that, I only needed an IM client which Gaim is doing nicely right now.

Sounds like all government agency places have the old hardware problem. This place is running a few old technologies that I would boot right out the door if it were up to me.

[Smoky]

  you don't like the obsolete, ICH?? lol..