Projects
On this page you will find a brief list, as well as a small summary, of projects that Residential Computing has completed in past years. You will also find a list of projects that are currently in the workings. If you would like more information about a particular project that is listed here, please contact rescomp@rescomp.berkeley.edu.
- FreeCubs
- We're migrating our Computing Center servers from Debian 3.0 to FreeBSD 5.3 in order to increase management efficiency. The migration will allow us to better manage data and services while providing an increased reliability in service to the residents. Additions to the severs will include print management through PyKota, while ommissions will include the need for postgresql.
- LDAP
- This project seeks to unify the way in which authentication and even authorization takes place across our multiple platforms. Further, it will allow us to integrate several other data sources and perhaps someday with systems on campus.
- CC Operations Using the Gold Architecture (COUGAR)
- The CC Operations Using the Gold Architecture (COUGAR) system was developed in Summer 2004 to replace the largely defunct CC-Ops system. Major goals of the system were to update failing code, organize a more efficient scheme of user management, and replace the existing server management system with a scheme known as the Gold Architecture. Significant achievements of the system included a notable speed increase, centralization of the account database, and integration of LDAP-based machine logins.
- Batched Registration
- The Batched Registration project stemmed from our desire to speed up the registration process during Welcome Week. Developed in Summer 2004, the Batched Registration system deferred actual registration of users each day and was run en masse each evening, significantly speeding up user experience during Cal Connects.
- Security Cases Under Network Security Control (SCUNC)
- Security Cases Under Network Security Control (SCUNC) was developed during 2004-2005 to replace the Incident Tracking System (ITS). The change was required due to several changes in campus policy regarding the processing and handling of security and copyright incidents.
- Online Hiring
- The Online Hiring was rewritten during Spring 2005 to correct a number of problems that the old system possessed. Notable changes included decoupling the application process from resume/letter uploading and dramatic speed increases. The system was further decoupled from the Xavier Employees system to reduce complexity and increase speed.
- Employees v.3
- Employees v.3 was developed to replace the Xavier Employees system of 2001-2002. Employees2, while robust and extensible, utilized an internal representation (DOM) that was no longer tractable as a core system and possessed several issues that needed to be addressed. Version 3 replaced the internal data representation and moved away from XSL-based view mechanisms, to simplify the maintenance of the system in years to come.
- Contracts
- The Contracts System, a core application used by Residential Computing to interface with the Housing and Dining database and manage resident network connections, was upgrade in 2004-2005. The move to replace the old system was mitigated by the unsustainability of the old system, which had evolved in an ad hoc and often times, counterintuitive, fashion. Features of the new system include a generalized parsing infrastructure for disparate feeds of contract information, a reorganization of relational database schema to better represent the data set, and a more modular approach to the code base.
- Helpdesk System
- The Helpdesk System is scheduled for upgrade during the Summer of 2005.
- U1CC/U2CC Moves
- With the heavy construction taking place at both Unit 1 and 2, ResComp upgraded and expanded both units' Computing Centers which included buying new machines, setting them in the new centers with fresh images for both PC and Mac, and ensuring technical support.
- UVA Upgrade
- University Village Albany had several requests for new computing facilties; among them were kiosks located at several frequently visited locations in the UVA campus, as well as setting up a UVA Kids Computing Center, with children-friendly machines.
- KeyServer
- In order to maintain budget costs and support resident use of popular software titles, we manage and maintain a KeyServer, which allows a number of licenses to be distributed among the 6 Computing Centers. This allows ResComp to lower costs on purchasing licenses and distribute the available software to residents as needed. We are looking at upgrading our version in the near future.
- Be Secure Disables
- To bring more computers into compliance with the campus-wide Minimum Security Standards, Network Security scans the residence hall network and disables computers running without a firewall. Residential Computing notifies these residents about In-Room Connection disables through email, written communications, and posted bulletins.
- Logo Redesign
- The Marketing team is currently phasing out the old ResComp logo. Throughout the 2004-2005 year, ResComp staff have reviewed various logo possibilities. A final design has been chosen and will be implemented in all ResComp publications and websites this summer for distribution in the fall.
- Dummy-LDAP
- The dummy-LDAP system is a replacement for "sync-macpasswds" and "sync-groups" script currently present in the Computing Centers. Instead of dumping the passwords to a textfile, propgating them to each client, and updating each clients' netinfo, LDAP will be used for authentication and user lookup.
- New Servers
- Both our database and shell/mail servers need to be upgraded. We will be getting new hardware and installing Debian 3.0.
- Incident Tracking System (ITS)
- The Incident Tracking System (ITS), was developed in Fall 2003 to replace the existing ISHTAR system, which had grown defunct and unusable. ITS extended the tag concept developed in the Helpdesk Tag System (2000-2001) to include tags for differing types of incidents, including security, bandwidth, and copyright violations.
- Wireless Authentication System Project (WASP)
- The Wireless Authentication System Project (WASP) was developed in Spring 2004 to allow authentication for differing classes of users to Residential Computing's newly deployed wireless network. Features include CalNet directory authentication, PandaCon automated registration, and Helpdesk integration.
- Bandwidth Lookup
- The Bandwidth Lookup system was developed to help detect spikes in bandwidth usage for security purposes. The application allows users to view recent bandwidth trends for specific users and/or network ports. An example use for the system is to detect Denial of Service (DOS) attacks originating from compromised hosts on the ResHall network.
- Be Secure CD
- The Be Secure CD was created to bring residents comptuers into compliance with campus-wide Minimum Security Standards. The project consists of two parts: an educational campaign consisting of a Be Secure brochure as well as the Be Secure CD. The Be Secure CD is designed to install Windows XP Service Pack 2, Symantec Client Security, and other applications with as little user interaction as possible.
- Homeland
- Homeland is the Network Security team's dedicated machine. The creation of Homeland provides a dedicated box for Network Security projects and daily use.
- RPC Patch / Blaster CD
- The RPC Patch / Blaster CD was created in response to the outbreak of Blaster, Welchia, and other viruses that took advantage of the Windows RPC vulnerability. The CD was designed to automatically clean, and patch vulnerable or infected computers and was utilized both by residents and Residential Computing staff.
- SNS Unblock
- Creation of a script and policy to quickly un-block the IPs of residents who were blocked by campus Systems and Network Security. This reduced turn-around time from around 2-3 days to 1-2 days.
- Papanda Jabber Integration
- Jabber, an open-source, XML-based protocol for instant messaging and communication was integrated as a mechanism for XML-RPC in the PAPanda system during Fall of 2002.
- CCStats
- The Computing Center Statistics project (CCStats) provided an interface for statistical data on Computing Center usage for Academic Center staff, for use in their yearly reports. Features included statistics on account creations, logins, and printing.
- PandaCon
- The PandaCon system was designed to provide an interface for Conference Services representatives to manage network connections for conferences using residence hall facilities.
- Online Checkout
- Our existing Inventory system, used to manage technical resources such as machines, books, and equipment, was upgraded to a new system, dubbed Online Checkout. Features include reservations, automated emailing of overdue items, and displaying equipment information.
- MassMail
- MassMail, our system designed to email large collections of residents with important information, was upgraded to integrate more features requested by users.
- Be Secure Website
- Creation of a new section of the Rescomp website dedicated to educating residents on how to use their computers securely on the residence hall network. This website is a central location for security information and updates relevant to the residence hall Internet users.
- Network Equipment/Security Model Upgrade
- The residence hall network is currently running on obsolete hardware. We are working to replace every piece of network equipment with new switches, which will provide better reliability, faster connections, and new features. With these new switches, we will be implementing a new model for network security, more appropriate to the needs of our clients and current network threats than our old system.
- MyRescomp
- MyRescomp is a personal page on our site which shows each resident a listing of relevant information and provide easy access to services which previously were unavailable or inaccessible, including viewing his/her open HelpDesk tags, bandwidth usage information, and port status, registering computers, and checking HelpDesk appointments.
- Xavier Employees System
- ResComp's internal section provides services to employees within ResComp as well as throughout Housing & Dining. Since this is a dynamic, constantly changing group, we need an employees tracking system that accurately assigns the least necessary access to every user. Thus, the Xavier project updates our employees tracking database with much finer control over access and job titles, and provides an extremely extensible interface that future systems can build on.
- Online Hiring Improvements
- A large portion of ResComp staff time is spent handling the hiring process, tracking applicants, scheduling interviews, and summarizing hiring recommendations. Much of this process can be automated, resulting in a more efficient and less stressful spring hiring period. This project extends the current online application system to include other aspects of hiring, based on the Xavier employees system.
- Bandwidth Tracking Tools
- Due to the massive increase in bandwidth usage by the ResNet, our campus partners were imposed a cap on our previously unlimited internet connection speed. As one part of our effort to work with this cap (others including the Be Nice campaign and strategic discussions on bandwidth), we are implementing tools to track, on a per-user basis, bandwidth usage. Obviously, privacy is an issue in such a system, so we will not track any information about traffic content or destination - simply a running counter of bytes transmitted. This information will be used to enforce our policy on excessive bandwidth. Each resident will also be able to check his/her own usage.
- HelpDesk Tag System
- In order to ensure no resident's problems are left unsolved because of accounting problems, this project implements a tag-based tracking system in which residents, by making a normal HelpDesk appointment, open a new trouble tag, which is not closed until the his/her problem has been solved.
- Resident Database Improvements
- Our old resident information database worked well for people who simply move-in in fall and then move-out at the end of the spring semester. This is not, however, always the case, especially concerning faculty and family housing. These non-standard cases occasionally resulted in a service interruption for those residents. This projects is a system for tracking residents by contracts and automating the move-in/move-out processes.
- Ishtar
- Network security and conduct cases require an accurate, up-to-date, secure, and permanent record with special emphasis on controlling access to the records for privacy-related reasons. Ishtar implements a system for tracking security incident investigations ResComp participates in.
- PandaCon
- PandaCon extends our current Panda system to accommodate people who stay in residence halls temporarily for conferences during the summer. They provide us with information about their computers and the dates of their conference, and then PandaCon does its thing: it allows them to have 'net access through any public port for the duration of their conference.
- Security Scan
- Security is becoming an increasingly important issue. Residents' machines are routinely compromised, and we are under increasing pressure from CNS and external entities to deal with inappropriate activity originating on networks under our jurisdiction. We would like to assist budding power users by offering a free, comprehensive security audit of their system so that we can identify common vulnerabilities and help them secure their systems before it's too late.
- Searchable Mailing List Archives
- ResComp makes extensive use of email lists to coordinate activity and it is often useful to consult past messages sent to these lists. However, our old system of archival was not searchable; with 70,000+ messages, this was a problem. This project add all mailing list traffic to a database and provides secure online access to these archives.
- Monthly Comment Cards
- In order to gauge how our RCCs are performing during appointments with residents, we will start having residents fill out comment cards to rate the RCCs who have served them. Each month, we will scan the duty logs entered by RCCs and send all residents serviced during that month an e-mail message telling them how they can evaluate their RCC if they want.
- Datadumper
- The idea here is to provide a simple way way for Computer Center Staff to view info statistical info based on the information currently stored on their CC servers. The thinking behind "DataDumper" is that the simplest way to allow people to get at a lot of the statistical data on the CC Server is to provide a mechanism where by they can get large "dumps" of data, for given date ranges. DataDumper will provide (what will appear to be) straight dumps of tables from the database. In actuality, the output can/will be cleaned up for the user: some superfluous info can/will be striped, computer encoded field (like dates) can/will be presented in more readable form, and cross table joins will be performed as needed (to de-normalize the data).
- Checkout/Inventory
- This project was a different approach to creating an online checkout system for all the equipment we have here at Rescomp. What we want to accomplish is an inventory system for the Rescomp Office. The solution is based on mySQL, with an web page front end.
- Helpdesk
- The Helpdesk will allow residents to sign up for an RCC appointment online, and give the supervisor and RCCs a simple way of managing their appointment schedule. Residents will have access to a list of appointment times which they may sign up for. The RCCs and supervisor will be notified of new appointments via email, and will also be able to access an online schedule of appointments. Some of the features include: sid/phone validation, list of available appt times for residents (radio buttons), office hours entered monthly, individual office hours may be moved not cancelled, auto-mail unit when resident signs up for appt along with a comment field, and a graphical schedule list by week.
- Computing Center Servers' Bugs Fix
- This was the project to fix all the bugs in the Computing Center Servers.
- Keyword
- The purpose of this project is to expedite (and encourage) duty log searches by the use of keyword. Some of the features include:
- Keyword Entry:
- Keywords are entered by the person who enters the dutylog (there will be an extra field in the dutylog page so that keywords can be entered).
- Keyword Phrases-which are sets of words enclosed by quotes and are treated as one keyword. i.e. "3com Etherlink III"
- Certain words (articles, prepositions) are going to excluded (delete these words during cgi-processing).
- Dutylog Keyword Search
- Keywords to be searched for will be entered in a field as a space separated list.
- Searches will be case insensitive
- The returns will be ranked, starting from the entries that match the most of the keywords to the entries that match the least of the keywords.
- Keyword Entry:
- Palm Pilot Address Dump
- This project was to create an interface with our employees database that would allow a dump of the information into your Palm Pilot Address Book.
- New Sybase Database Tables
- This project was to redo all the tables in Rescomp's Sybase database relating to residents and RCC's in order to better the system and the efficiency. Included in this project was the rewriting of tables about residents, their computers, their eligibility, RCC dutylogs, information about IRC, minihubs, and PAN (as well as some other things).
- Inroom Scripts V2
- This project was to rewrite the code for the inroom scripts, keeping the same functionality.
- CKC Wiring Project
- To wire the entire Clark Kerr Campus for data connections. This includes connections in every residents room, as well as connections for all administrative staff and for the surrounding staff apartments and other surrounding University facilities.
Benefits: The completion of this wiring project and the Bowles wiring project would bring the campus port to pillow ratio down to 1:1, with every residence hall wired for high speed data connections. It would also allow for a large portion of the staff living on the Clark Kerr Campus to have high speed data access to the campus network, including the Vice Chancellor who lives on the Clark Kerr Campus. - Mobile IRC (PANDA)
- Mobile IRC allows In-Room Connection users to use their computers in Public Access Networking Ports. Public Access Networking (PAN for short) is a service being offered by the Office of Residential Computing to students living in the Residence Halls. It will allow owners of Ethernet equipped laptop computers to directly connect to the campus network from and of the PAN locations in the Residence Halls, and hopefully soon, anywhere on campus.
- Office Expansion
- This project was a request to knock down a wall in our old office in order to expand for more room. This was before we moved to our new office at 2510 Channing Way.
- Employee Lists
- In our bold mission to make all of our Perl libraries into modules, as well as providing new functions to the employee lookup and management pages.
- Summer 1997 Projects Meeting Minutes
- This section was the minutes for the projects meetings that occurred throughout the summer of 1997.
- Public Access Networking
- To produce a plan for implementation of Public Access Networks throughout campus and especially in the residence Halls. This project will research DHCP implementation , physical network security and accountability in different situations such as dorm rooms, offices, libraries, and public access stations.
- Windows 95 Pilot at Unit 3
- To set up the Unit 3 Computer Center Dell PCs as Windows 95 workstations for the 1996-1997 academic year. The main purpose of the project is to investigate how Windows 95 works as a client in a Netware 3.12 environment. If the pilot is successful, we may proceed to implement a similar configuration at all the centers the following year.
- Welcome Week
- This Project is the ongoing process of organizing and preparing for RCC Training, creating an online RCC Manual, having a Computer Fair During Welcome Week, and setting all sign up policies for the IRC Program.
- Submit Registration
- This project was a creation to submit registration requests in order to register a resident for and In-Room Connecting (IRC) as well as provide the appropriate information for the resident and the RCC.
- Application Tracking
- The app-tracking project was created to allow the computer centers in each unit to generate detailed usage reports from the logs created by KeyServer. The Key Server is ResComp's license management software.
- Ideal Mac Configuration
- The purpose here was to setup the Ideal Macs for all the computer centers. Some of the goals included creating one ideal Mac for all PowerMacs, updating the Unit 2 ideal Mac, and establishing communication with on-campus center administrators.
- Unit 3 Computing Center Upgrade
- To prepare for and execute replacement of all client machines in Unit 3 Computer Center. Possibly also reinstall wiring to central island. This project will have to work around U3CC remodeling, summer session, Win95 upgrade, etc...
- Appleshare Upgrade
- This project was to implement various improvements to the Apple Share server including the removal of the Meeting Maker server, upgrading the AppleShare server, redoing KeyServer, setting a backup on the AIX, and doing an ARA/Remote reboot.
- AIX Cleanup
- The AIX cleanup develops and implements a plan for access, security and administration for Unix development in Rescomp. It includes full documentation of all policies decided on, implementation of necessary security measures, and possible setup of a new Linux workstation for inhouse development.
- Housing Kiosks
- To plan, design and install Housing Kiosks at Unit 1 and Unit 2 providing residents with information about available resources and broadcasting Housing announcements.
- Manville Residents' SIDs
- To establish a procedure to include the Manville residents into the residents database in Sybase for SID lookup and IP assignment.
- PC Inroom Connectin Installer
- We would like to upgrade the In-Room Connections software that we provide to residents. The installer should have support for Windows 95, and we should offer Windows 95 apps along with windows 3.1 apps.
- Rescomp Homepage Reconstruction
- To upgrade and standardize the look of the Rescomp site and add/remove pages as necessary.
- Windows NT
- Our findings after several months of testing Windows NT as both a DHCP server and just a general file and print server.
Project Summaries from 2003-2004
On this page you will find a brief list, as well as a small summary, of projects that Residential Computing has completed during the year of 2003-2004. If you would like more information about a particular project that is listed here, please contact rescomp@rescomp.berkeley.edu.