i. Contents

• Introduction

1. Preparation and planning
2. Preparation and planning
   - existing services provided by external organisations
3. Estimated cost and time-line
4. Research; create required tools and configurations; build test system
5. Software profile compatibility; installation and configuration details
6. Issues people have found when testing software applications
7. Manual file format conversion
8. Software and licencing
9. Internet connectivity
10. Further services required from external organisations
11. Specify hardware to be bought
12. Install network
13. Obtain hardware
14. Build and configure hardware
15. Configure file server software
16. Configure firewall and NAT router software
17. Configure mail server software
18. Configure other network hardware
19. User training
20. Configure workstation hardware
21. Configure workstation software
22. Configure print servers
23. Backup strategy
24. Other peripherals
25. Final system testing and potential troubleshooting
27. Installation - workstation transition order
28. On-going IT support
29. Documentation
30. Warranty
31. Further useful functionality on hold until the future
32. Areas of importance not addressed by this plan
33. Changes / work completed after the last quote

Introduction

Intentions

This document describes a roadmap for implementing a computing system involving a file server and printers, accessible from any number of workstations situated throughout an organisation, by any number of people using any of those workstations.

Most software applications are installed on each workstation, with some installed just on a a single computer (the file server) and accessed by the system's users from the workstations; users identify themselves to the system using individual username and password and, assuming they are allowed access, are presented with an environment that can be both standardised and tailored on a per-user and per-machine basis - they will see a 'desktop' of standard icons representing software applications and be able to make use of private and shared disk space for storing data. Users can be members of groups, and the environment tailored on a per-group basis. Each workstation will have uninterrupted Internet access. Each user will have their own email address to which Internet email can be delivered and access to communal printers. Each user's data will be backed-up automatically every night.

Points beginning with an asterisk ('*') indicate a request for information from the organisation for whom this is being implemented, or tasks for them to perform.

Where possible this document intends (though doesn't quite yet succeed) to map the order in which events will take place, the time estimated for each point to reach completion and the costs involved. As often as possible feedback will be provided of the stage the proceedings are at and any other information upon request.

A word of caution...

It is important to build into the computing system capacity for future change, especially in areas of computing that can require significant alteration in its architecture. One such software application that has significantly differing requirements to the software described herein is digital video editing. If you know of any planned use of this system that hasn't been taken into account thus far then please identify it as soon as possible.

As the proposed system will affect everyone who uses computers within the organisation, you should show everyone the 'preparation and planning' section of this document and provide forum for them to discuss it and feed back to those implementing it.

Because of the scope of this plan in addressing every conceivable computing ramification (to our current abilities), every piece of software being used within the organisation needs to be made known, likewise that which is planned to be used in the future that isn't already being addressed by this roadmap; every format that existing information is stored in must be made known; basically, every information input to and output from the organisation, and every process that takes place with information within the organisation, and communication within and without the organisation, that pertains to computing, must be brought to light and catered for.
In terms of software used, this roadmap presents a delicately balanced, finely matched group of applciations that have been picked to work as well together and with the underlying operating systems as possible. For this reason, if unforeseen software applications, for example, are introduced late in the planning stage it can present greater problems than if they are known about earlier on.

When this computing system is agreed upon, you must be sure you have read this document carefully and checked that every aspect of the transition has been addressed. Any new activity required, after this roadmap has been agreed upon, that is not described in this roadmap, may cost extra. Failing to make light of user data requiring transition from old to new computing system could potentially result in data loss; this document represents all data and systems requiring transition, if they are not represented in this document then it should be assumed they are not known about.

The reponsibility for checking that all such data and systems are represented within this document lies with you, the organisation.

Some terms explained

• The 'desktop' in a windowing environment is the space from where the user usually begins, from where the functions of the computer are commanded. we will use the term 'desktop' to mean that and the collection of icons representing software applications, links to resources, etcetera, that we decide each user should receive as standard when they login to the computing system

• 'computing system' is the whole system of computers, printers, network hubs, cabling, software and its configuration, interconnected in a single system

• 'organisation' is the group of people for whom the computing system is being built

• 'GBP' - Great British Pounds

• 'USD' - United States Dollars

• 'Kbps' - kilobits per second - a measure of speed of transmission in data communications, where 1kb means 1000 bits; elsewhere kilo would mean 1024. not to be confused with kilobytes (KB). there are eight bits in a byte

• 'mbps' - megabits per second. see kbps

• 'MB' - megabyte - million bytes

Notes

• some costs related to workstations cannot be worked out until a detailed specification is taken from each workstation.
  other costs related to networking cannot be worked out until the building has been inspected.
  some other costs cannot be worked out until all feedback from the organisation has been received.

• everything generally useful that relates to this project will be documented and made available for Free on the web (apart from information pertaining to specific organisations which they may consider inappropriate for public display) using the GNU General Public License; this document itself is offered freely as a resource that people might use to learn from and save time and effort. In that respect, some of this writing is vague on specific implementation so that it may apply to a wider audience

• some prices in this document are in US Dollars, you may need to use a currency converter, there's one at http://www.xe.com/ucc/

• if software is bought for you by another party, and sold to you, then a tax must be added to its cost, unless that software was bought from an organisation outside of the United Kingdom

• add UK VAT to all prices, unless otherwise indicated

Preparation and planning

total time: ? hours

Analysis of your existing computing environment so as to understand the new computing environment required to update it and how to make the transition

• * identify what you think is required of the computing system by its users and agree with those implementing it for you on what exactly can realistically be provided. This is an intentionally broad question and some of its answers will be covered in the rest of this section, but it is intended for you to explore all facets of what you want, some of which will not have been expressed yet in this document. We can discuss this in person after you have begun to talk amongst yourselves about it

• identify all functionality required and corresponding software /
  define specific software preferences/options/configurations, plug-ins, language modules required

  
  

  Desktop software functionality required	Software to use	Computer(s) it'll be installed on	Future upgrade plans
  workstation operating system	Microsoft Windows 2000 Pro SP3	workstations	keep up with Service Packs
  word processor	OpenOffice Writer 1.0.3.1	workstations	keep up with occasional updates; 1.1 due 8/8/03ish. update spellchecker dictionary
  word processor (insurance)	Microsoft Word 2000	1 workstation	remove completely
  spreadsheet	OpenOffice Calc 1.0.3.1	workstations	keep up with occasional updates; 1.1 due 8/8/03ish
  slide presentation	OpenOffice Impress 1.0.3.1	workstations	keep up with occasional updates; 1.1 due 8/8/03ish
  image manipulation	The GIMP 1.2.3	workstations	keep up with occasional updates
  image viewer	IrfanView 3.80	workstations	keep up with occasional updates
  multi-track audio record and edit	Audacity	workstations	keep up with updates
  drawing	OpenOffice Draw	workstations	keep up with occasional updates; 1.1 due Q2/3 2003
  email client	Pegasus Mail 4.11	file server	keep up with occasional updates; 4.11 available now
  web browser	Mozilla 1.3.1	workstations	keep up with updates every 15 weeks (1.4 will be a major stability milestone)
  database (1)	Microsoft Access 2000 SP3	1 workstation?	keep up with Service Packs. move to MySQL?
  accounting (incl. payroll)	Intuit Quickbooks Pro 2002/2003	specific workstations	keep up with occasional updates; move to 2003?
  address book	Pegasus Mail 4.11	file server	keep up with occasional updates. 4.11 available now
  semi-featured WYSIWYG personal web editor	Mozilla Composer	workstations	keep up with updates; OOo Q2/3 2003; Mozilla every 15 weeks
  web content management system	?	?	?
  multimedia audio player	ZINF 2.2.1 for MP3, Ogg Vorbis and WAV formats	workstations	keep up with occasional updates
  plain text editor	NoteTab Light	workstations	keep up with occasional updates
  PDF reader	Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.1	workstations	move to AFPL Ghostscript and GSview
  file compression	7-Zip 2.30 beta 30	workstations	keep up with updates
  CD writing (data)	Nero 5.5.10.20 and Nero BurnRights 1.0.0.7 on appropriate workstations	? workstations	keep up with frequent updates
  CD writing (audio)	Exact Audio Copy 0.9beta4?	workstations	?
  anti-virus	F-Prot 3.13	workstations	keep up with occasional program updates and frequent definition updates
  web browser plug-ins	Macromedia Flash 6.0.79	workstations	keep up with occasional updates
  web browser plug-ins	(Adobe Acrobat 5.1; Sun Java Runtime Environment 1.4.1_02)	workstations
  web browser plug-ins	(Adobe Acrobat 5.1; Sun Java Runtime Environment 1.4.1_02)	workstations
  fonts	those bundled with operating system + Microsoft TrueType Core Fonts for the Web	workstations	?

  
  

  Server software functionality required	Software to use	Computer(s) it'll be installed on	Future upgrade plans for it
  file server operating system	Debian GNU/Linux 3.0, AKA 'Woody'	file server	keep up with very occasional updates to whole package, frequent security fixes
  backup	tar	file server	?
  mail transport system	Mercury 3.32	mail server	keep up with occasional updates. move to SendMail or Exim on file server
  database (2)	MySQL 4.1.11 or Debian's version	file server	keep up with frequent updates or track with Debian
  database (2)	Apache 1.3.27 or Debian's version	file server	keep up with frequent updates or track with Debian
  database (2)	PHP 4.3.0 or Debian's version	file server	keep up with frequent updates or track with Debian
  database (2)	PHPMyAdmin 4.2.0 or Debian's version	file server	keep up with frequent updates or track with Debian

• if Internet email is required, choose a domain name

  • ...

• * what existing information / self-built tools do you have that are to be transferred to a new computing system and in what format are they? (i.e. their file format or atleast the name and version of the program used to create them)
  (this is a check list so that we know in advance what areas will need to be covered. specific time will need to be committed for converting or transferring each) [time: heavily dependant upon what requires transferring]

  functionality	organisation	individual (unless everyone)	moving from	moving to	conversion method	estimated time
  email
  word processed documents
  images (with layers)
  spreadsheets
  word processor templates
  web browser bookmarks
  email distribution lists / mailing lists
  email filtering rules
  other contacts database / address book

• users and groups of users

  • identify all individual users of the system that are known of now and define their usernames on the system. further users can be added in future.
    (usernames must be unique within the organisation (and potentially within all organisations that will use workstations to connect to this computing system - this will be clarified at some point), must be made up only of the following characters: a-z, 0-9, and '-' (dash) [see RFC1123] and of a maximum of 8 characters (this is currently defined by Pegasus / Mercury).
    we advise using first name followed by first letter of surname)

  • identify addresses to be used for email, either in addition to or other than those for individual users defined above. these can be other names individuals wish to be known as, but which will be routed to the same mailbox as those defined above; or they can be names of streams or projects, which can either be delivered to an individuals' mailbox or to a mailbox specifically for that group. all these email address names must be limited to the same restrictions on characters used as for usernames but it is only those which are delivered to their own mailbox which are limited to a maximum length of 8 characters.
    predictable first names for email like 'david' are more easily automatedly flooded with junk email, so a name like davida provides some protection from this - your need to have more informal names may be more important to you than the need for such obfuscation.
    Each email address can also have aliases associated with it, which can be longer than 8 characters.

    organisation name	person's name / group or function	system name	types of account (domain; email)	any email address(es) and any alias(es)	accessable by who else?	any existing address(es)	any further email processing
    	Mercury mailbox administration

  • identify all groups of people within the organisation that are to be represented within the computing system (i.e. organisation-name, group-names, staff, students, accounts, personnel)

    • group and sub-group names

    • usernames that belong in each group

    • are there any interdependencies / hierarchies that need to be represented?

    organisational name	sub organisational name	group / stream / sub name	sub-groups / projects / responsibilities	members of each group (or sub-group if appropriate)	computing system group name
    organisation name					organisation name
    		group-name
    		group-name

  • identify any role names within the organisation that are to be represented within the computing system, and in what manner (for instance they may only be appropriate to use for an email address)?

  • for the following areas, estimate how much disk space each will require for data, or, failing that, the nature of the information they'll be storing (i.e. a small database, a large database, scanned photographs, word processing documents, audio projects, etcetera). disk space can be increased for individuals if they request it. though difficult, estimating correct disk space size required has direct cost implications for how much disk space is initially bought and for the tape drive bought to back it up

    • each user for their private data:

    • each group for its own shared space:

    • the whole organisation for shared space available to everyone:

    • thus the total for all user data is:

• how much disk space will be required in total?

  • operating system: 3GB

  • swap space: 1GB

  • email:

  • user space: ?MB

  • user profiles: negligible

  • total:

• how much data is to be backed up each night?

  • operating system + email + staff data + shared data + user profiles = ?GB

• gather together all existing relevant software installation discs. for Microsoft software atleast, you need just one copy of the software media for everything you're going to use that requires a licence, though you may have multiple licences

• gather together all existing software licences that pertain to software to be used in the new system. Microsoft licences are a piece of paper, other companies may use something else. we can subtract the number of actual licences in your posession from the number we may need to purchase

• existing computing equipment that will be part of the new system

  • identify all existing computing equipment that will be part of the new computing system and approximate any short-term future purchases

  • give each PC and printer a reference name/number (without spaces, lower case, made up only of the following characters: a-z, 0-9, and '-' (dash) [see RFC1123])

  • list all servers, workstations, other IP addressable equipment, printers and scanners, described thus:

  • organisation	equipment function	equipment name	project / stream responsible	usually used by	location	rough hardware specification	IP address
    	(primary DNS) (secondary DNS)
    	file server	file-server					10.0.0.1
    	mail server	mail-server				HP Vectra VE 6-xxx series 8 (P-II 266 / 64/128MB RAM / 3GB HDD)	10.0.0.3/254 DHCP
    	router and firewall					HP Vectra VE 6-xxx series 8 (P-II 266 / 64/128MB RAM / 3GB HDD)	10.0.0.?
    	ADSL modem / router / DHCP server					?	10.0.0.2
    	workstation						10.0.0.3/254 DHCP
    	workstation						10.0.0.3/254 DHCP
    	workstation						10.0.0.3/254 DHCP
    	workstation						10.0.0.3/254 DHCP
    	workstation						10.0.0.3/254 DHCP
    	scanner						n/a
    	printer (black)					HP LaserJet 4+	10.0.0.3/254 DHCP
    	printer (colour)						n/a

  • Summary of the most relavant hardware device drivers and their versions to be installed on workstations

    computer name	motherboard chipset driver name & version	video driver name & version	audio driver name & version	network driver name & version	other driver name & version

  • For each computer, identify all specific information stored on it that must not be lost when it is re-configured as a workstation in the new computing system (make a de-facto list for each computer and stick it to the side of the computer. see the list further back 'what existing information/tools do you have that are to be transferred to a new computing system...' for an idea of what might need backing up. for the likes of word processing documents, images, etcetera it is enough just to provide the top-most directory within which they're stored if they're organised logically, i.e. 'My Documents')

  • make a detailed note of the specification of all computing equipment (i.e. for PC, printer, scanner, CD writer, etcetera) using the PC Hardware Tech Spec Form (atleast for PCs) [time: 35 minutes per workstation]

  • identify any hardware that isn't upto spec for the way we want to use the intended operating system (i.e. processor too slow, not enough RAM) [time: 5 minutes per workstation]

  • identify any hardware that isn't upto spec for the way we want to use the intended applications and make sure a minimum within spec are available [time: 5 minutes per workstation]

  • identify any workstations without required hardware (i.e. in need of network card) [time: 1 minute per workstation]

    • ...

    • ...

    • ...

  • check all hardware is supported by the chosen operating system(s) and prepare for potentially replacing it if not

    • workstations - consult the Microsoft Windows 2000 Hardware Compatibility List or atleast make sure there are device drivers available for Windows 2000.
      whilst looking, it makes sense to also download those drivers and write to CD now [time: 1 hour per workstation]

    • servers - check availability of drivers on the Linux Hardware Compatibility HOWTO at http://en.tldp.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO.html or that they come as part of the distribution [time: 1 hour per server]

• define shared spaces and their network drive mappings available to users and to software applications

  organisation	explanation of share or sub-directory	who has this mapping in their profile	who has access (group that directory is a member of)	how they can access (owner / group / everyone; read / write / execute) for directory on down	drive letter	name of share mapped to	location on server
  root drive mappings
  	each users' own home directory	everyone		rwx.r-x.r-x ?	H:	HOME	/home/'username'
  	for all organisational groups to be housed in	everyone		rwx.r-x.---	M:	GROUPS	/home/organisation-name/groups
  	for installing some programs to	everyone		rwx.r-x.---	P:	PROGRAMS?	/usr/windows
  	shared space for all users	everyone	organisation-name	rwx.rwx.---	S:	SHARED	/home/organisation-name/shared
  organisational sub-directories
  	a directory for each organisational group	everyone	group-1	rwx.rwx.---	M:	GROUPS	/home/organisation-name/groups/group-1
  	a directory for each organisational group	everyone	group-2	rwx.rwx.---	M:	GROUPS	/home/organisation-name/groups/group-2
  	a directory for each organisational group	everyone	group-3	rwx.rwx.---	M:	GROUPS	/home/organisation-name/groups/group-3
  	a directory for each organisational group	everyone	group-4	rwx.rwx.---	M:	GROUPS	/home/organisation-name/groups/group-4
  	a directory for each organisational group	everyone	group-5	rwx.rwx.---	M:	GROUPS	/home/organisation-name/groups/group-5
  technical sub-directories
  	for installing some programs to	everyone	organisation-name	xxx.xxx.xxx	P:	PROGRAMS?	/usr/windows/programs
  	software repository	everyone	organisation-name	xxx.xxx.xxx	P:	PROGRAMS?	/usr/windows/windows-toolbox
  	anti-virus updates for clients to download	everyone	organisation-name	xxx.xxx.xxx	P:	PROGRAMS?	/usr/windows/updates/anti-virus

• printer(s)

  • black and white printing by laser printer(s)
    high capacity black and white laser printers are recommended for most work and will be suitable to be shared amongst large groups of users, making them suitable to be placed one per floor.
    If have to obtain new printers, it is advised to obtain second-hand reconditioned HP LaserJet 4+ (networked with 10Mb network card / duplex / PostScript / 24MB RAM / ?300/600?DPI / 8PPM / 9 month warranty) at a cost of £215 incl VAT; or new HP LaserJet 2200DN (networked with JetDirect 500 box / 10/100Mb/s / duplex / 8MB RAM / 1200x1200 DPI / 18PPM) at a cost of £659 + VAT

  • colour printing by inkjet printer(s)

Preparation and planning - existing services provided by external organisations

documenting these helps us further understand what is currently going on in the organisation and allows us to consider what can be replaced

• domain hosting

  • how much do you currently pay for this?

  • what domain name(s) do you currently have registered?

  • what host name(s) do you currently have registered?

• email hosting

  • how much do you currently pay for this?

  • who currently hosts your email?

  • what is your reference number / contact person / contact address?

  • is there a limit on the number of names at that address you can have, and if so how many? (we need to either have 'wildcard addressing' (the ability to use any name) managed by someone else, or to manage it ourselves

  • what email names do you currently have registered?

  • what is the username and password you use to collect email (there may be one for all names, or individual ones for each name)

  • how do you access the account? (i.e. POP3, IMAP, web-based)

  • what is the name of the server from which the email is collected?

• web hosting

  • how much do you currently pay for this?

  • who currently hosts your account?

  • what is your reference number / contact person / contact address?

  • what domain name(s) / host name(s) does your web server respond to?

  • what is the username and password you use to login to the host

  • what is the host name of the server upon which you put your weg pages?

Estimated cost and time-line

• one way of breaking it down

• 1. preparation / planning / testing / learning: £? + VAT

• 2. procurement: £? + VAT

• 3. hardware installation (network cabling, building workstations) £? + VAT

• 4. training £? +VAT

• 5. software installation (server; workstations) £? +VAT

• total: £? +VAT (not including training. this figure has been reduced from our initial estimate through buying second-hand hardware for the file server via eBay)

• another way of breaking it down

  • total cost of labour: about 180 hours = £?
    (of which 12 hours (£?) covers networking)

  • total cost of computer hardware: £?
    (of which £? covers networking)
    (Definitive hardware costs will not be given as they're subject to so much change. Costs given where second-hand components are expected to be sourced are costs for buying new, as a clear picture of second-hand costs is even more difficult to give. Add £? for more future-proofed tape backup option. Various delivery charges will need to be added, they cannot be calculated in advance as they change if items are out of stock and need re-ordering or ordering from different suppliers.)

  • total cost of software licencing:
    one-off: £?
    yearly: £?
    (subtract from this £45 for each Windows 2000 Pro or Windows XP Pro licences already owned)

  • total cost of Internet connectivity:
    one-off: £?
    monthly: £?

  • total: £? + £? per year

  • (the cost of documentation hasn't been included)

Research; create required tools and configurations; build test system

total time: ? hours

prior to work at the organisation

• to test software applications that have gone through major development since last installed in this kindof situation

• to test software applications never used in such a situation that will be required

• to test new server software that will be used

• researching file server hardware specification

at the organisation, and if possible, for prototyping, so staff learn the new software sooner, and can test software and have input into its configuration

• setting up the prototype system initially, which includes stuff that will be re-used later (pseudo file server, mail server software, a number of workstations setup and the rest attached, mapping drives, Mozilla and OpenOffice installed on each) [time: ?]

Software profile compatibility; installation and configuration details

This section has moved to the seperate document sw-compatibility.html because the width of its table was messing with the width of this whole document

Issues people have found when testing software applications

It is important that people report any issues they are experiencing that appear when testing software we're proposing to use that could prevent them from using it. We will keep track of such issues here.

OpenOffice's bug tracking database can be searched from http://www.openoffice.org/issues/query.cgi
Mozilla's bug tracking database can be searched from http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/query.cgi
Other software's bug reporting and discussion either takes place on mailing lists or not publicly atall.

Manual file format conversion

total time: ? hours

• list here all file formats that will need conversion and the amount of time expected for each to take

Software and licencing

total time: ? hours / total cost of licencing: £? + £? per year

• Obtain software

  • server operating system (download and write to CD. free)

  • server operating system updates (download and write to CD. free)

  • workstation operating system (buy one copy of the CD media) - Windows XP Pro [cost: £18; see software licences further on]

  • workstation operating system updates (download and write to CD. free)

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Pro Resource Kit tools [cost: £51 (is there VAT to add to this?)]

  • software applications (download and write to CD. most of them are free)

  • (hardware device drivers have been covered earlier)

  • download firmware updates for applicable hardware (motherboard, but only if required), CD-R/CD-RW) [time: 1 hour]

• Obtain software licences (where necessary. note: with Microsoft software, the licence is bought seperately from the software)
  [cost: for each of these licences, if I purchase it the cost for doing so is 1 hour, if you purchase it there is no additional cost]

  • workstation operating system licences

    • Windows XP Pro 'upgrade', charity rate. this is a lasts-forever licence (rather than the 3 year 'software assurance' licence); upgrading any previous version of Windows that came with existing workstations (for which you must have an existing licence) to the current latest version of Windows; downgradeable to Windows 2000. Note that this licence must also be bought for workstations that currently have a licence for Windows XP Home. Organisations with charitable status can buy a charity licence which is cheaper than others; in order to prove charity status, the charitable organisation must order and pay themselves [cost: £54 per workstation, £20 for 1 CD, £12.50 carriage for CD; from: Civica's charities department 020-7760-2802 / info@civica.co.uk]

      • number required: ? [cost: £?]

  • software applications licences

    • Pegasus Mail and Mercury: It isn't a legal requirement, but to help ensure the continued development of Pegasus Mail and Mercury it is recommended to take out a Full Support Subscription (gives access to formal, personal, technical support). [cost: prices vary depending on numbers of users, 6 to 20 users would be 175USD per annum (at time of writing this is £112); from: http://pmail.com/mu_manuals.htm]

    • F-Prot anti-virus for workstations (minimum number of licences that can be purchased is 80USD worth, with the 25 percent non-profit discount, 26 can be bought for 80USD) [cost: 2USD per year per workstation] [cost: 80USD (currently £52) per year]

    • Nero - hopefully you have enough licences that came bundled with CD writers, otherwise they're £11.75 (incl. VAT)

Internet connectivity

total time: ? hours / total cost of connection: £260 + £79.99 per month (about £960 per year)

• decide on most appropriate means of connection and obtain it

  • ADSL (Advanced Digital Subscriber Line)

    • find most worthwhile ADSL provider and connection format

      • provider: BT OpenWorld
        package: Business 500 Plus
        specification: 500kbit downstream / 256kbit upstream speeds; 20:1 contention ratio
        (costs for ADSL are in addition to existing cost for analog telephone line, but you keep the existing line, so if you're already paying for it then that isn't an 'extra' cost)
        [cost: £260+VAT installation + £79.99 per month]
        terms and conditions: http://www.btopenworld.com/broadband/terms_busi/#current_business_500
        more information: http://www.btopenworld.com/broadband/pro30/0,,toPage=1%7CpageSet=business_products_business500PLUS,00.html
        contact: 0800-400-400 1 1 3
        order form: http://www.btopenworld.com/broadband/ord10
        (contact details; broadband support:0845 600-7020 then business: 1, technical:2; service condition: 0800 169 0199)

    • complete form and arrange connection

    • ISP installs extra socket alongside existing analog telephone socket and installs ADSL router

Further services required from external organisations

• list any here

Specify hardware to be bought

total time: ? hours / total cost of computer equipment: perhaps £1979.50 (this needs a little amending to reflect price changes) / total cost of networking equipment: perhaps £226
(Definitive hardware costs will not be given as they're subject to so much change. Costs given where second-hand components are expected to be sourced are costs for buying new. Add £133 for more future-proofed tape backup option. Various delivery charges will need to be added, they cannot be calculated in advance as they change if items are out of stock and need re-ordering or ordering from different suppliers.)

• file server

  • motherboard - Tyan Tiger MPX S2466N [Billing Details - Cost: £166, but includes £50 worth of network card (originally estimated (for motherboard only) at perhaps £100); From: MD; Reference: ; Paid Using: ]
    
    Server motherboards, processors and presumably chipsets appear to focus on MP and thats not important for a low-end Samba server. Also, server motherboard feature more than we need (i.e. a 66MHz/64-bit PCI bus); or they integrate devices that can be added as expansion cards ourselves (i.e. SCSI controller). However their design will be even more focused upon stability than with desktop motherboards. we want to have ECC memory support and can't find any motherboards that support ECC and not MP - MP costs a fair bit extra. If the motherboard only supports the MP processor, then the Athlon MP is three times more expensive than the Athlon XP, so its preferable to have a motherboard that supports both. Desktop mnotherboards will have unnecessary multimedia features, which could possibly complicate the motherboard. Its worth being aware of power issues as server motherboards may consume more power and may require new ATX power connectors.
    
    The Tyan Tiger MPX S2466N is a comparatively low cost entry-level server motherboad; accepts various power connectors, CPUs and RAM modules; includes network card that we would have chosen in its stand-alone variety if not already incorporated. chipset: AMD760MPX (AMD 768/762); CPU: 1 of Athlon XP 266MHz FSB at 1GHz to 1.2GHz (1500+ to 2400+); 1 or 2 of Athlon MP at 1.4 GHz - 2.0 GHz (Athlon XP 1600+ to 2400+). RAM: DDR266(PC2100) / DDR200(PC1600) DDR SDRAM DIMM, ECC and non-ECC, registered and non-registered (Unbuffered DDR DIMM modules are supported by 2 banks only: DIMM 1 & 2, not 3 & 4). Bus: 66MHz/33MHz 64/32-bit PCI bus. video: 1.5V AGP 2.0 (2X/4X). network card: 3Com 3C920 ASIC (based on 3C905) (£50 individually) Plenty of people run Debian 3.0 with it. References: http://www.tyan.com/products/html/tigermpx.html, http://www.tyan.com/products/html/tigermpx_spec.html
    There may have been a comment somewhere about only being able to use Tyan approved RAM: http://www.tyan.com/support/html/pc2100_tg_mpx.html
    
    In comparison: Tyan Tiger MP S2460 (£129): comparatively low cost entry-level server motherboad, but has limitations on CPU and RAM. chipset: AMD760MP (AMD 768/762). accepts a standard ATX style power supply. However, the P/S must be able to supply a minimum of 30A on the 5-volt line. CPU: 1 or 2 Athlon MP 1GHz to 1.2GHz (1500+ to 1900+). RAM: DDR reg ECC only(?). bus: 64/32-bit PCI bus. References: http://www.tyan.com/products/html/tigermp.html, http://www.tyan.com/products/html/tigermp_spec.html
    Tyan Thunder (£360): This is here just for example. similar to above but with integrated 68pin LVD Ultra160 SCSI, so much more expensive (i.e. £350), but may be required for rack mounting. With this SCSI you'll have to buy another controller for running DAT, and the corresponding hard disks are more expensive

  • CPU - AMD Athlon XP-1700+ 266MHz (Palomino core) [Billing Details - Cost: £41; From: MD; Reference: ; Paid Using: ] (originally estimated perhaps £35)
    
    The AMD Athlon MP 1800+ (1.53 GHz / 266MHz / Palomino core) is £100 - we don't need multi-processor support now and this is considered too expensive a future-proofing

  • cooling / heatsink and fan - Global WIN CBK-II58 [Billing Details - Cost: £20; From: VIP; Reference: ; Paid Using: ]]
    
    chosen for its quietness

  • memory - 512MB Crucial PC2100 CL2.5 184pin unbuffered ECC 7.5ns 2.5V 64Meg x 72 DDR SDRAM DIMM (part no CT6472Z265) [Billing Details - Cost: £100 (includes delivery); Order #: ; delivery note #: ; From: direct from Crucial; Paid Using: ]
    
    Reference: http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/listparts.asp?Mfr%2BProductline=Tyan%2BTyan&mfr=Tyan&cat=RAM&model=S2466+Tiger+MPX&submit=Go
    We require ECC RAM, which is more expensive than non-ECC, and made by a major manufacturer (for stability). we only need 512MB now (for light-duty server workloads, the working set is unlikely to go above 128MB, and additionally each Samba process uses from 3 to 4.5 MB (25 users could be a maximum of 112MB)). Registered RAM is more expensive and slows the system down. CL2 is too expensive. If we use 512MB non-registered RAM then we're limited to a direct upgrade of only one more 512MB module, without removing the original module, which is acceptable

  • I/O controller(s)
    (Ideally we want to use SCSI controller card(s) in such a way that there is enough channels that we need not not mix both SE and LVD devices on the same SCSI channel - unless the controller uses SpeedFlex technology to isolate LVD and SE segments), in which case keep same speed devices attached to the same cable - so as to maintain maximum operating speed (unless in the case of devices of different generations actually talking with one another))

    • in example (a) we might need to provide for a SCSI hard disk, SCSI tape drive and SCSI CD-RW.

      • 1 of Adaptec AHA-29160N for internal hard disk (68pin internal LVD) and external tape backup (68pin external) drives [Billing Details - cost: £72 including postage second-hand (£141 new)]

      • 1 of Adaptec AHA-2940UW for internal CD-RW (50pin internal LVD) [billing details - cost: £31 including postage second-hand; From: ; Paid Using: ]

    • in example (b) we might need to provide for 4 SCSI hard disks, a SCSI tape drive and ATA CD-ROM.

      • 1 of Adaptec AHA-39160 (64-bit/32-bit, 66MHz/33MHz, 3.3V/5V, PCI 2.2, OEM) for internal hard disk (68pin internal LVD) and either internal or external tape backup drives (depending on which we get) (68pin external or 50pin internal or 68pin internal). [billing details - cost: perhaps £104 including postage second-hand the AHA-39160 (which is more than we need, but nice to have its extra speed and flexibility, and saves possibly having to buy a 2nd one) would be a lot more new); From: ; Paid Using: ]

  • data cables

    • example (a)

      • 1 of 68pin internal LVD SCSI, 7 way cable, includes LVD terminator (for hard disks) [Billing Details - Cost: £31 new; From: MD; Reference: ; Paid Using: ]

      • 1 of 50pin to 50pin, high density, external SE SCSI cable (for tape backup) [cost: £?]
        one on eBay ends 01-Feb-03 11:48:53: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2303287378&category=3668

      • 1 of 50pin internal SE SCSI cable (for CD-RW) [cost: £3]
        [Billing Details: ]

    • example (b)

      • 1 of 68pin internal LVD SCSI, 7 way cable, includes LVD terminator (for hard disks) [Billing Details - Cost: £31 new; From: MD; Reference: ; Paid Using: ]

      • 1 of 50pin internal or 68pin external (LVD or SE/Alternative-2 (or FPT-3,FPT-18,FPT-27?) ?) SCSI cable (for tape backup) [cost: perhaps £10]

  • data cable termination
    (The terminator, as-well as being of the same number of pins and density, wants to be of the same type as the cable (i.e. LVD or SE). some devices are self terminating and do not require termination)

    • example (a)

      • internal 68pin female LVD (or LVD/SE) SCSI cable terminator (for hard disks) (comes with cable)

      • 1 of 50pin external, high density, male, Active/Alternative-2 (or FPT-3,FPT-18,FPT-27?), SE SCSI cable terminator (for tape backup) [cost: £4 from: MD]

    • example (b)

      • 1 of 68pin female LVD (or LVD/SE) SCSI cable terminator (for hard disks) (comes with cable)

      • 1 of 50pin internal or 68pin external (LVD or Active/Alternative-2 SE? (or FPT-3,FPT-18,FPT-27?)) SCSI cable terminator (for tape backup) [cost: perhaps £10]

  • hard disks

    • example (a) : 4 of 36GB at £135 each = £540 (unless there's any operating system issues with using 4 disks) [cost: £? (original estimate was for perhaps a maximum of £620)]
      (36GB IBM SPI-3/Ultra3/Ultra160 10000RPM 68pin disk is currently £135)

    • example (b) : 36GB IBM SPI-3/Ultra3/Ultra160 10,000RPM 68pin SE/LVD SCSI (not self terminating) Ultrastar 73LZX (5th generation; model no: IC35L036UWD210; spec: http://www.hgst.com/hdd/ultra/ul73lzx.htm) [Billing Details - Cost: £135; From: MD; Reference: ; Paid Using: ]

  • network card - 3Com 3C920 ASIC (based on 3C905) incorporated into motherboard [cost: nothing, but see motherboard cost. originally estimated at perhaps £50]
    
    what differentiates the 3Com server network card from desktop network card? 32-/64-bit, 33/66MHz PCI; 32-/64-bit, 33/66/100/133 MHz PCI-X; differences in drivers (but this might only be in Windows drivers if we didn't use the 3Com Linux drivers: (http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/linuxdownload.htm)); PCI Hot-Plug, which our motherboard may not support anyway; load balancing, when combined with more NICs, but we shouldn't have high enough load.
    the 3Com range that our intergarted network card is part of:
    3Com 3C980C-TXM: Reference: http://www.3com.com/prod/en_UK_EMEA/detail.jsp?tab=features&sku=3C980C-TXM (£50 from http://www.morecomputers.co.uk/extra.asp?product_number=3C980C-TXM (0114 292 2930))
    3Com 3C996B-T £81: Reference: http://www.3com.com/prod/en_UK_EMEA/detail.jsp?tab=features&sku=3C996B-T Giga ethernet; 32-/64-bit, 33/66 MHz PCI; 32-/64-bit, 33/66/100/133 MHz PCI-X. Supports higher system bus speed AND network speed than we need so paying extra for that
    3Com 3Com 3C905C-TX: A desktop netcard but confusingly similar to what we need from the server netcards, including 2kb transmit and 2kb receive buffer. Perhaps could use this if cash strapped

  • video card - 1.5V AGP 2.0 (Matrox are looking likely) [cost: perhaps £20+ (more as want something really stable)]

  • example tape backup drives - DAT

    • HP C6364A (C1556D) external DDS3 12/24GB SCSI-2 68pin (Linux drivers available) [Billing Details - Cost: £136 including p+p second-hand; From: ]

    • Seagate Scorpion 24 STD224000N-SB DDS3 SCSI-2 50pin (DDS3 will backup 24GB) (Linux drivers available)[cost: £329 + costs]

    • Seagate Scorpion 40 STD2401LW-S DDS4 Ultra2 Wide LVD SCSI 68pin (Linux drivers available) [cost: £462 + costs]

  • case and power supply - InWin Server Tower Q2000 with 2 of 300W power supplies (not specifically AMD approved but others in the range are and this is Intel P4 approved; ATXGES or ATX12V power?) and auxiliary exhaust rear chassis fan [cost: £140]

  • (case exhaust fan - included with case)

  • CD-ROM or CD-RW (SCSI)

    • Plextor 50pin (self terminating) SCSI CD-RW [cost: £]

    • ATA CD-ROM [cost: £?]

  • floppy disk drive [cost: £8]

  • mouse [cost: £3]

  • keyboard [cost: ]

  • monitor (small, low-end) [cost: should be able to find one for free]

  • uninteruptable power supply (UPS) - APC Smart-UPS 1400 (second-hand with new batteries) [Billing Details - Cost: £122 including VAT and delivery (perhaps £350 new). From: ;]

• mail server

  • reconditioned HP Vectra VE [cost: £59]

  • 2nd network card [cost: £7]

  • delivery [cost: £15?]

• firewall and NAT router

  • reconditioned HP Vectra VE (with 3 month warranty) [cost: £59]

  • 2nd network card

  • delivery [cost: £15?]

• networking

  you may require a complete new network infrastructure to be installed if there is none already.
  or you may require existing network cabling to be replaced (as its current throughput may be too limited for the increased traffic in the proposed new computing system and leaves no room for growth) and new network infrastructure to be installed where the existing network isn't already installed

  • you can have either of the following
    a) traverse rooms along the skirting and under carpets, tacked down with 'U' clips;
    b) traverse rooms within ducting (ducting is optional), breaking out from wall mounted sockets (either one per workstation or located sporadically and conveniently for future expansion and the movement of workstations)

  • network cable - Category 5e, Unshielded Twisted-Pair (UTP). Impel, low smoke zero halogen (LSZH/LS0H), PVC-free [cost: £? + £? delivery]

  • network cable connectors - UTP connectors [cost: perhaps £5]

  • network cable boots [cost: perhaps between £5 and £10]

  • wall tacks [cost: perhaps between £5 and £10]

  • 10Mbps switched hub(s), with 100Mbps backbone between them
    these will be second-hand high quality rack mountable units. (* it is presumed you wouldn't want to afford a rack to mount these in)

    • as many as required of either:
      3Com 1000, 24 port [Billing Details - Cost: £80 + £7 postage; From: ]
      3Com 1100, 24 port [Billing Details - Cost: £90 + £9 postage; From: ]

• workstations

  • various upgrades for workstations (as identified earlier)

  • extra workstations required

• printer(s)

• media

  • atleast 5 of DAT tapes, for a daily system backup revolving atleast once a week. having a couple more multiples of 5 would increase the resiliance of the backup [cost: perhaps £27.50 for 5]

  • 20 of blank floppy disks (for server and workstation setup disks, BIOS upgrades, drivers, etcetera) [cost: £4]

• sundry

  • multi-card flash media reader/writer [cost: £18]
    
    for transfer of information between the most widely used various removable flash memory media and the computing system (this one supports Compact Flash and Smart Media, but not Sony Memory Stick), attached to one workstation, so as to support people using digital still cameras, personal organisers, and other digital devices. for simplicity, there will be no provision for attaching the devices themselves

Install network

total time: ? hours

• individual cables will be required between the following:

  • between workstations and hub(s)

  • between server and hub

  • between printer(s) and hub(s) (for those printers with network connectivity)

  • between hubs (if you have more than one)

  • between firewall and NAT router and hub (if using firewall and NAT router)

  • between incoming Internet connection and firewall and NAT router (if using firewall and NAT router)

• calculate where cables will run and lengths of cable required [time: probably 1 hour]

• draw schematic diagram of network [time: probably 1 hour]

• make-up cable runs and lay cabling [time: ? hours]

• install switched hub(s)

• test cabling

Obtain hardware

• 1 file server

• 1 mail server

• 1 firewall and NAT router

• ? workstations

Build and configure hardware

total time: ? hours

• build file server [time: 2 hours]

• build workstations [cost: £50 per workstation]

Configure file server software

total time: 8 hours

• see the File Server Software Installation document [time: see the related document]

Configure firewall, NAT router software and optionally DHCP server

total time: 15 mins

• configure FloppyFW as per http://thegoldenear.org/toolbox/unices/floppyfw-config.txt[time: 15 mins]

• import pre-written IPTables rules as per http://thegoldenear.org/toolbox/unices/firewall-rules.txt

Configure mail server software

total time: ? hours

• install, update and (minimally) configure Windows 2000 Pro [time: 4 hours]

• install Mercury; configure Mercury for POP3 collection, SMTP relay, synonyms, aliases; add user mailboxes

• see the Mail Server Software Installation document for the generic tasks

Configure other network hardware

total time: 2 hours

• we don't expect to have to spend any time working through hub and other networking issues but we will throw in some time just in case

User training

total time: ? hours

• suggestions for training

  • operating system [time: ?]

    • the WIMPS environment (Windows, Icons, Menus and Pointing Systems)

    • cut and paste

    • drag and drop

    • keyboard

    • files and directories/folders

    • navigation

    • the file management application (i.e. Windows Explorer)

  • the new computing system [time: ?]

  • software applications [time: ?]

    • differentiating one application from another

    • how to use the various applications

  • how best to use computers (see computer use policy document) [time: ?]

Configure workstation hardware

total time: 11 minutes per workstation X ? workstations = ? hours

• copy any existing user data somewhere accessible [time: 10 minutes per workstation]

• remove any unrequired hardware from each workstation (i.e. modem, scanner I/O controller) [time: 0 minutes]

• insert any new hardware as required in each workstation (time depends upon hardware required and will be known after making the detailed hardware specification in section 1.). [time: ? minutes per workstation]

Configure workstation software

total time: ? minutes + (? minutes per workstation X ? workstations) = ? hours

• see the workstation section of the Workstations and Mail Server Software Installation Summary document for the generic tasks and costings. [time: see the related document]

• the only part of the above document that changes per organisation, other than the total number of workstations, is: upgrade firmware on applicable hardware [time: 10 minutes per workstation that requires it]

• install any applications specific to individual workstations for individual users

• list them here

• ...

• ...

• ...

• install any application-specific software or parts of software (including any dirty-hacks to get software that isn't so comfortable in this environment to work) [time: ? per workstation]

• configure operating system

• machine-specific settings, as per http://thegoldenear.org/gg/to olbox/win32/docs/windows/win-nt-config.html
  (I'm currently writing a means of automating this that would bring the time down to almost nothing, but this is taking a while to complete) [time: 10 minutes]

• user-specific settings, as per http://thegoldenear.org/gg/to olbox/win32/docs/windows/win-nt-config.html
  (this is embodied in the user profile, which is imported from the file server when the user logs in. its a combination of NT5's Group Policy, NT4's Policy Editor and defining the registry settings ourselves and getting them written into a user's registry file(s))

• connect to required printers [time: 5 minutes per workstation]

• install printer drivers manually (before connecting to the printers)? or are we having them copied over automatically when we connect?

• set printing preferences (can this be pre-configured?)

• set default printer

• ? scanner drivers [?10 minutes?]

• label each workstation with its individual IP address and network name, instructions on how to login, details of who to contact locally for assistance and/or technical support (email, web, telephone number) [time: perhaps 1 hour]

Configure print servers

total time: 5 minutes per print server X ? print servers = ? minutes

• HP LaserJets (of type defined earlier, with network card) - currently printed to direct rather than managed by the server [time: 20 minutes]

• other laser printers and inkjet printers

  • attach to a workstation (can be attached to dedicated print server in future)

  • install drivers (has this been covered in previous section?) [time: 10 minutes per print server]

  • make a share and give it a name [time: ?]

  • set printing preferences [time: ?]

  • connect all workstations requiring access to this printer when set them up [time: ?]

Backup strategy

• user home directories

• user shared areas

• user mailboxes

• mail transport system configuration

• master workstation

• server's operating system

• more?

Other peripherals

total time: ? minutes

are there other existing peripherals to be incorporated into the system? if so they will each involve some configuration

• Scanner(s)?

• CD writer(s)?

• ZIP drive(s)?

• anything else?

Final system testing and potential troubleshooting

total time: 10 hours?

• system testing [time: 4 hours?]

• the potential for things to break and need fixing [time: 6 hours?]

Installation - workstation transition order

Before installation begins, the file server will be available on the network and staff can copy their private data to it before it is wiped from their workstation. Installation will take place one workstation at a time, in logical groups. We can loan you a machine so that each member of staff has a workstation whilst their's is being transitioned, so there should be little inconvenience. During the transition the existing system will operate alongside the new system as much as is practicable. People will continue with the existing system until their workstation is transitioned, where-upon they will switch to logging into the server; any additional collaborative features provided by the new system will not be fully functional until all people have transitioned to the new system, yet at the same time none of the old functionality will be lost, so nobodoy misses out on anything, again reducing inconvenience.

Installation can take place in the order most convenient to all of us. Please give feedback as to the following suggested transition:

On-going IT support

total time: ? hours

• define the IT support role

Documentation

total time: ? hours

everything that can be, should be documented

• specifying, planning and costing (this document)

• computing system configuration

• instructions for carrying out simple administrative tasks

  • adding a new user

  • ?

  • ?

  • ?

• 'how to' documents in case of emergency

• computer use policy

• Ethical Computing Policy

• User manuals for desktop software

  atleast one copy of each documentation per room. perhaps also available on-line internally

  • OpenOffice

    • The OpenOffice.org Resource Kit (available March 31st in UK)

    • The Book of OpenOffice.org (available May 1st in UK)

    • Special Edition Using StarOffice 6.0 by Michael Koch

    • OpenOffice ClueSheets

    • OOoSwitch: 501 Things You Want to Know About Switching OpenOffice.org from Microsoft Office (available May 1st in USA)

    • print off some documents from www.openoffice.org and www.ooodocs.org

    • web-based introductory material: OpenOffice Intro (uses Flash) and 'Writer First Steps'

  • Windows 2000 - Windows 2000 Pro: The Missing Manual?; Windows 2000 Administration in a Nutshell?

  • Pegasus Mail - print the manual that we'll be paying for with the support contract

  • Mozilla - no printed book available yet. 'Mozilla Keyboard Shortcuts' is worth printing out

  • GIMP - get a printed book (there are a few available) or 'GIMP - The Official Handbook' is available on-line aswell as in print

  • Nero - print off the 'Brief Instructions' that come with the software

  • Exact Audio Copy - there are documents on-line

  • NoteTab - print off PDF manual

Warranty

• hardware

  • unless otherwise stated, your warranty lasts for 1 year from the date of installation (instances where this will differ are with equipment bought second-hand). this includes network cabling, hubs, servers

  • if anything is actually broken, and has been used in a manner considered by us the supplier as normal for that equipment then it will be fixed

• software

  • the system will be installed and you must judge whether it provides what is defined in the roadmap. this system is warrantied for three months, within which time if anything comes up that is broken it will be fixed. defining broken may be difficult. I'd say the system should provide what has been defined in the roadmap. 3 months should be enough time to become familiar with every facet of the system. during this time it is likely additions will be required; it will be important for us to differentiate between enhancements and breakages. obviously it is better if as many required features can be envisaged and implemented before installation rather than after, but most anything should be able to be incorporated afterward

  • Unless agreed on seperately and specifically, there will only be support for the software described here-in; and even with some of these there are limitations:

    • there will only be limited support for Microsoft Office and DARP as these are not software packages I have a deep knowledge of

    • Allthough Windows XP is not included anywhere in this specification, so as to be completely clear I will explicitly state that there will be no support whatsoever for Windows XP (Windows NT version 5.1)

Further useful functionality on hold until the future

• dedicated print servers for printers without on-board network connectivity

  • these printers could be attached to a dedicated (GNU/Linux) print server to save workstations having to be on for people to use the printer attached to them

  • old computers can be found for use as print server(s) - preferably with a minimum of a Pentium 66 CPU and as much RAM as possible - these should be able to be picked up for free but a Pentium II 266Mhz with 3GB hard disk and 128MB RAM with keyboard and mouse but no monitor costs £59

• users logging into the system from outside of the organisation

• faxing from the desktop ("mgetty+sendfax or HylaFAX")

• Internet proxy (for when Internet connection down)

• further adoption of the Ethical Computing Policy

• incorporating users' personal email accounts into the mail transport system

• Mozilla extensions as per user requirements

• an issue tracking system, using Mozilla.org's Bugzilla, into which users can report and query issues with the computing system, and potentially any other area of the organisation

• shared calendar/diary

  We want a Groupware server that uses ical/icalendar(?) format. We can potentially use this server software or some other server-based software integrated with it to provide email with IMAP mailboxes.

  • client: due in a forthcoming release of Pegasus Mail. Pegasus Mail's solution will presumably be to integrate with Mercury. If we can replace Pegasus and Mercury with Open Source / Free Software alternatives we're in a much better position

  • client: the Calendar project for Mozilla is in development (http://www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/), which will integrate with OpenOffice. Its abilities from within Mozilla for sharing amongst a group sound limited though, using a WebDAV server: "Automatically updating the calendar will give you a poor man's calendar server" (http://www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/faq.html#share)

  • client: OpenOffice.org are developing 'Glow' (http://groupware.openoffice.org/) (still in early development)

  • client: Columba

  • client: OSAF Chandler (still in early development)

  • client: Mozilla Thunderbird + Calendar (still in development)

  • server: PHPGroupWare (http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/phpgroupware/). Does it offer a web interface to save us using dedicated client software?

  • server: OpenGroupWare (http://www.openlabs.it/mirrors/opengroupware.org/) (still in early development)

  • server: other people have advised: PHPGroupWare and Squirrel Mail for an IMAP server; Postfix, Imap and Squirrel Mail; Postfix, Cyrus IMAP, OpenLDAP, amavisd-new, clamav and fetchmail; Courier IMAP suite

  • web-based: such as Yahoo! Calendar (http://calendar.yahoo.com/) (but they're owned by AOL/Time Warner and we're trying to get away from relying upon multi-national corporations for our services), but there must be others (search Google for them) such as http://www.webevent.com/

• multimedia

  • transfer of information between digital video (DV) cameras and the computing system, using one IEEE1394 (Firewire) card installed in one workstation and VirtualDub (if it captures DV aswell as analog). note that this is not to support DV editing, but merely to enable information to be transferred between the two. [cost: perhaps £70, plus the cost of a cable]

• BitBeamer looks a worthwhile improvement over LeechFTP (by the same author) but it costs (a little) money

• incorporate any existing incorporated photocopier / laser printer / scanner / fax machine into the computing system

• modem attached to server for secure dial-up access from outside for administrative purposes (Genius GM56FLEXE-V / fax / modem / V90 56kbps / V92 / external, serial, hardware / chipset: Lucent / cost: £26.50)

• firewall and NAT router, DNS server, web server and mail server

  firewall and NAT router	IPTables	IPTables	n/a	yes
  (primary) DNS server	BIND saves paying someone else to manage it	n/a unless get a static IP address for firewall and NAT router from MCIN	n/a	no
  mail transport system	SendMail? some form of mail system needs to be run and this method also saves paying someone else to manage it	Fetchmail?/Mercury? (SendMail? if get static IP address for firewall and NAT router from MCIN)	n/a	no
  web server	Apache optional. for low volume web serving. saves paying someone else to provide it. this may require its own machine to be run on	n/a unless get a static IP address for firewall and NAT router from MCIN	n/a	no

  • 1 static IP address (facilitates DNS, email and web server) [cost: £100+VAT per year]

  • obtain secondary DNS and backup email from easyDNS (http://www.easydns.com/) [cost: 15USD per year per domain]

  • cost to transfer domain hosting: ?

  • Configure firewall and NAT router (DNS server, web server and mail server) software

  • install, update and configure Debian GNU/Linux, including all required packages [time: 1.5 hours]

  • configure IPTables rules (firewall and NAT router) [time: 20 minutes]

  • configure BIND (DNS server) [time: 30 minutes]

  • configure Sendmail (mail transport system) [time: ? hours]

  • configure Apache (web server) [time: 30 minutes]

Areas of importance not addressed by this plan

• web site
  the following areas may need to be considered by someone:

  • architecture

  • design

  • content

  • training for administrators

  • purchase reference books

    • 'Learning Web Design - a beginners guide to HTML, graphics, and beyond' by Jennifer Niederst, O'Reilly, 0-596-00036-7 [cost: 35USD]

    • 'Web Design In A Nutshell' (2nd edn) by Jennifer Niederst, O'Reilly, 0-596-00196-7) [cost: 30USD]

• databases

  • Microsoft Access can be replaced with MySQL, using PHPMyAdmin as a graphical user interface

  • database design and implementation can be addressed if need be

Changes / Work completed after the last quote

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