Robocopy works, well sort of

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I tested robocopy across our WAN link today. I need to build into the script a net send command to force a login on the remote server. The machines I am robocopying to/from are on different domains. Other than that the script sent the files just fine. The only problem is that it broke the web site we were testing in the process.

Turns out that currently our sites have connection information to our DB’s built into files in the web folders. If I am syncing these files between multiple servers this information will be different on all of them. If I do a sync now, it will break that file and thus kill the site. Miguel one of our ASP developers is working on a fix for it. We will meet to discuss tomorrow. We also want to see if we have issues with files being in use, and file locks. That is another test we will run. More information after we meet and discuss tomorrow.

FTP concept finalized

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My selection of vsftpd as our FTP server of choice for our new production system is now complete. We will use it for just passing information onto vendors. We will have another one we use for internal use.

The next step of this project is to configure RSYNC. I am looking into that now. I hope to have some information before I go on vacation, but work is piling up so I am not sure.

I need to coordinate with Keith to verify the configuration for the Local Director’s we will use to load balance the FTP site is almost ready.

Floor plans and other work related stuff

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I saw the final blue prints for our new kingston office. It looks nice. I am waiting for the CAD of the blue prints so I can import into Visio and manipulate it. It will take me tons of time, but I enjoy doing it. I just have to find the time to do it.

Gus is also getting a new laptop. We both just got IBM Thinkpad T30’s in march, but we need to get someone a laptop and he wants a T40. As with any company, the laptops move down hill once you buy them. I have no problem with that, since I take advantage of that corporate phenomenon when I get the chance.

Other flavors of linux

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I am a newbie to linux, even if I have “looked” at it for almost 2 years. I have not done much with it but install it to look at. Well that all changed recently when I was tasked to actually “do” stuff with it. So in the past year I have built a DNS server. it just slaves zones from a windows box, but it is a start. I have built an apache server, and am playing with FTP now. I have done this all with different versions of the Red Hat distribution of linux. I have used version 6 – 9. Since I am new I want to stick with one distribution, and at work we will continue to use Red Hat, but I wanted to try something different.

I downloaded last night the mandrake 9.1 version of linux. I want to put it on a desktop and play with it. I also might put it in vmware and see if it is any good. I don’t want to use it as a server or anything, but to use as a desktop for a while may be cool. I want to see what they do similar and different to red hat. I will let you know.

This may be successful or it may fail terribly like my attempt to install BSD 5.0.

The dentist, again

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I went to the dentist again yesterday. It didn’t hurt as much as I thought. They did two fillings. One with Novocain and one without. The one without wasn’t that bad. Only a minute of pain and then I was fine. I think I am good till my next checkup in 6 months.

I will see them both (bruce & richard) soon since bruce’s wife is having a baby soon. I did mention that both guys are my dentist (depending on who is available) and they are brothers who are very close with my family. Bruce drilled me this time, and he was gentle, so the baby gets a nice gift:)

Secured Commuting

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I work in New York City. I take the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to work every day. Because of this I have to pass through Penn Station twice a day. It is a peaceful commute most of the time. Ever since 9/11 their has been a significant presence of police and national guard troops in NY Penn station. Right after 9/11 you would see troopers ever 20 feet or so stationed around the place. Even thought they probably would be useless if something major happened it made you “feel safe”. as time went by you saw less troopers. There was always some, but noticeably less. In the past month or so I have noticed again more troops. One thing different is that they now carry M-16 riffles. In the past they had pistol’s only. Again I don’t mind the idea of armed troops around. They are not rounding people up en mass or anything. They are just making a show, or that is what it feels like.

All these troops hanging around brings up the question of if something did happen would these guys be any useful at all? And do people know that something is possibly going on that they armed the troops with riffles now instead of pistols? I was just wondering.

The only thing that did get me a bit nervous was the bomb sniffing dog unit at my train station for a few months in the beginning of 2002. The first few days were weird, then you got used to the K-9 unit just hanging out there during the morning commute.

The changing world we live in!!!

FTP on linux @ home online!

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So I took the information I learned at work with building an FTP server on red hat and went home and built one. I sort of hope I secured it well enough. I checked things out and it looked good, but their is always something you forget.

The next step is to customize the configuration enough so I can use it at work in a production environment. Gus and I are sitting down tomorrow to look at it.

Robocopy is coming along well also. I am going to replicate an entire website tomorrow with a developers help. I need someone to test it after I am done.

DVD’s

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I don’t hide the fact that I am a fan of Science Fiction. I like it. In this day and age it is ok to be geeky!!!! Now I draw a fine line between liking sci-fi and dressing up in a costume and going to some convention. That is just weird to me, but to each their own. Just don’t classify me in the weird category. I have enough trouble with languages that are actually spoken in this country, so I am not planning on learning made up sci-fi ones! With that being said I can discuss DVD’s.

I just finished watching season 2 of Babylon 5. That was a great show period. Well done, great stories, and good effects. In my opinion one of the best shows I have ever seen. Now that I am done I need to wait for season 3 to come out. That was probably the best season they had. Until then I am trying to catch up on other DVD’s I have gotten. I am getting season 3 of Star Trek Deep Space 9 while I am away. Now for some reason I keep buying these Star Trek DVD’s but I still can’t stand the dam series. The action is so fake. Who would stop and want to talk through a problem when the enemy is actually shooting at you. Come on, blow the bastards up already. But I still buy them. At least in the deep space 9 series they do get down to some fighting. I refuse to buy any other Star Trek series. This is the last.

I heard that the simpson’s season 3 is coming out after the summer. Now that I will get. The simpsons is also one of the best series ever made in my opinion. That show is funny on so many levels. By season 3 it started getting great. I was not a huge fan of the first 2 seasons.

The last of the “best series I have ever seen” front would probably be Homicide life on the streets. They haven’t made that into DVD yet, but I would get that in a heartbeat if it came out. It was always underrated but it was a great show.

Ton’s more I want to get on dvd. Including the family guy, band of brothers. Both are out already but I am trying to budget my DVD spending.

More on my useless DVD opinions later. The train is in the tunnel to Penn station. That is my signal to wind down my writing…

Monday Migrane alert & The Work week begins again today

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In a flash the holiday weekend is over. Tuesday is here and work must begin again. For me that means I have to survive 4 more days of work before my vacation begins. Or to think of it the other way I have to cram the work load of what I was going to do next week into the 4 days this week on top of the normal day to day stuff:)

As I mentioned before this vacation I will be disconnected from the world. Sounds like a good idea, but I am not so sure. I am not worried about work that much, it is that I just like being in touch. The internet age does that too you.

I didn’t do much monday. I got up late and the weather was terrible, so I decided to pass on going out anywhere. I did some work and watched some more DVD’s until I started getting a slight migraine. It figured I would get one. The weather was terrible, not too hot or cold, and damp. That is the perfect weather for me to get a migraine. I napped in the afternoon till like 10pm. It was a good nap, but when I woke up I still felt crappy. I had a snack and went to bed.

This morning I still had the left over feelings of a bad headache. As I get into my routine I am feeling better, but I am going to be careful today. Being able to sleep during the day yesterday prevented me from getting a bad migraine, but I am not stupid to think that I can dodge that bullet two days in a row if I got another one today.

I have another dentist appointment today. I think this is the last one. They will fill some cavities today, and hopefully be done for 6 months or so. We shall see. Of course that means I will have to leave early today to catch the dentist. Not sure what time yet. I have to check the train schedule.

It figures that the weather today is great, and all weekend sucked. The universe works in mysterious ways.