Thursday, July 27, 2017

Change is the Only Constant in Life 

All types of systems have to deal with changes but in computing those changes are more rapid, more abrupt and at more levels than most people imagine.  We conceptually think of software as an asset like a car: it has a finite lifetime and unfortunately it does have to spend time offline in the shop occasionally.

Many users are surprised how much retooling has been necessary for, say, Windows 10 deployments, or why a Web site that worked for years may stop working one day.   

When we deploy a system, such as a typical web based database application or a file server, the very standards to which we adhere (such as SSL or TLS, or CIFS/SMB) change rapidly because vulnerabilities are discovered in older protocols and hackers start attacking live systems quickly.   One day it just becomes unsafe to use the older versions.

Also, most applications are based on ‘libraries’ (clib, PHP, JavaScript, SharePoint, etc.) that provide functionality such as a nice user interface or security features, but as vulnerabilities are discovered or other issues force upgrades, we must create and install new versions, while trying to offer compatibility and continuity to users. 

The browsers (and we test all browsers) and the operating systems get upgraded every few days (Microsoft), or every few weeks (Google, Apple, Firefox) to deal with security or add enhancements and sometimes they remove functionality found vulnerable to hacking.  Yet Microsoft and others often chose not to add new functionality (such as a decent TLS security layer) to older version (such as the still popular Windows 7).

The servers we use to communicate (file servers, DNS, Email, etc.) and policies regarding their use change too.  Even the campus WatIAm system for userid lifetime management is changing this year. 

For many systems there are so called ‘sliding windows’, such as supporting Windows 7 through Windows 10, Firefox of certain vintages forward to a certain release, etc.  We have to pick a minimum supported level and say nothing prior to that version can work.  But our decision is not based on the actual date, rather on the oldest version known not to contain the worst bugs or intolerable vulnerabilities.

I’ve long maintained, our job is to try to provide the “illusion of continuity despite the constant change of the environment”, and it is in the computing industry which is addicted to flux and attached to less than totally reliable electrical and network systems.

Engineering Computing has provided continuous file systems since about 1985, the N: drive and its files have remained there despite many changes in the underlying technologies (Watstar, Network Appliance, and now Samba/FreeBSD and various underlying file systems from DOS to WAFL to UFS to ZFS).   If you logged in every day, everything stayed working despite the changes happening around you.

For practical considerations, a ten year life of a service is becoming impressive in this industry, though some of our built systems have had longer lives with periodic upgrades for things that just work well.   A well-designed local system can last longest because it can benefit from process knowledge of the users.

Purchased local and subscribed cloud systems tend to be more in flux than ever before.   Companies are constantly changing licensing arrangements or selling divisions to other companies.  They have a vested interest in getting people to upgrade yearly to give the illusion of service or higher margins from the same purchasers.  What should be minor improvements are made to be more obvious to give the impression that more is different than really was changed.  (Anyone remember the ribbon bar or paperclip in Word?) 

Whenever a new system goes in, say a financial system or a learning system for example, we must invest much more than the contract amount.  We must retrain people and retrofit many business practices and other systems to reflect the software’s design and we lose some compatibility with the past.   




Wednesday, March 25, 2015


What's Wrong With the Jetsons

Those of us who grew up in the sixties and seventies (old folks now), grew up with the Jetsons, or in their reruns.  They offered a futuristic utopia... or so it would seem.  But they didn't even have cell phones, let alone smart phones.

How many episodes would have been non-starters if George could just call his wife on a cell phone and say what had happened or where he was.

That was our reality in the 1970's - you would make plans to pick up people at certain times in the day in advance, and would be frustrated when they were not punctual.  We might all be at a concert but had no way to find each other.  We didn't even have the same time on our watches, people would easily be five minutes out of step with our loved ones.  Not everyone synced their clocks to the CBC's beep at 1pm, and mechanical watches would often be slow or fast.

The world of the 2010's is so different.  We have communication devices foretold in Star Trek - the ability almost anywhere (except in the Canadian north)  to communicate, to know the real time, to check our texts, read our mail, even run apps that do insanely helpful or simple or fun things for us.

When I was a UW student in the '80s, just like George Jetson, we waited in line and got annoyed with people around us.  Now people wait in lines looking at their phones and being info-tained.

But why are there still lines?  Many things can be accomplished right on the phone, or at worst, on a desktop or laptop.  You can order books to be delivered,  pre-order food, or do many things.

If IT is done right, we should be eliminating most lines, or at least helping people be more productive than just waiting in lines all the time.  A case in point is that some hospitals will text you when you are being summoned to the doctor when waiting at the emergency room.  Great, you can finally go to the bathroom or listen/watch entertainment without worrying you will miss your turn.  

Good IT doesn't just replace existing processes, it revolutionizes them.  If you are simply moving paper to disk, you've missed the point.  Always think of how you can empower people, or at least annoy them less.

Erick

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Faculty, Grads and Staff Use Wireless



The popularity of wireless devices is not limited to undergrads.  Faculty, staff and grad students account for 11,756 devices.  

The table below shows the percentage of users which each device.  So in Arts, 85% of mobile users had a blackberry.   Blackberries were the most common device, there are 2,869 of them, followed closely by Windows, at 2,801.

Faculty
Fac/Staff/
Grad
w/device
Non-
Ugrad Devices
android
iphone
ipad
Black
berry
mac
windows
Arts
744
1703
22
27
14
85
34
48
AHS
277
635
18
27
21
79
31
53
Eng
1865
3511
37
32
12
34
20
54
Env
387
776
20
28
11
53
42
48
Math
621
1318
35
29
17
61
33
38
CS
161
346
30
30
14
63
43
35
Science
1173
2286
26
35
12
43
33
45
A.Support
743
1181
21
40
13
27
19
38

The battle between Windows and Mac really depends on which faculty we examine.  Macs have a lower presence in Academic Support because they are not recommended.   In Computer Science, Macs have a big lead. 
All systems intended to be rolled out over the next few years should be made compatible with Mac, PC, Linux, and as many mobile platforms as possible.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Time for Mobile




Several recent projects rekindled my interest in mobile devices.  Sure I use my laptop every day, and my smartphone is indispensable.  But could I make better use of my own, and better yet, could we do more to support our mobile users.  

In today’s post, I’ll tell you how pervasive wireless is at UW based on stats collected between January 15, 2013 and February 15th.
 
About 42,800 are devices used by 26,700 undergraduates.   An average of 85% of Full Time undergrads have used one or more mobile devices.  It varies by faculty and department.
Faculty      
% with devices
Arts
85
AHS
81
Eng
79
Env
81
Math
96
CS
100
Science
77

(My Math numbers include CS)

Half the students have exactly one mobile device they’ve used at UW; the other half have 2, 3 or more.  Note however, some may be cases where a person upgraded to a new device.


Percent Ugrads With This Exact # of Devices
Faculty
1

2

3

4
Arts
50
41
7
0
AHS
48
41
7
0
Eng
57
47
11
1
Env
52
42
7
0
Math
49
47
12
1
CS
52
46
11
1
Science
50
45
7
1


What products to students use?  At one time years ago the then-Associate Provost of Computing thought to declare Apple products as unsupported by IST.  Now a third of all people use some form of Apple product, or as it turns out, several Apple products.  But in recent developments, Android makes a strong showing, particularly in Engineering, Math and CS.







Percentage of Total Devices


Faculty
android
iphone
ipad
mac
windows
Arts
22
32
8
32
42
AHS
20
31
5
34
40
Eng
40
26
8
18
39
Env
20
30
7
34
38
Math
38
43
16
25
41
CS
51
35
11
27
45
Science
23
29
7
30
41

What is exciting is that a large number of people have devices which are wifi connected and yet portable enough to bring everywhere.  It used to be that laptops had to be heavy, bulky and have short battery lives.  Only a few years ago the industry was banking on netbooks to fill that niche – but consumers largely disagreed.   The surge in smartphones, tablets and super light ultrabooks has changed the landscape.

Engineering Computing labs still fill a particular niche – they provide consistent and modest cost access to software which would be  prohibitively expensive to have students buy,  They will probably be dominated by Windows for some time, just because that’s where the heavy duty Engineering applications live right now.  But we are also rethinking other services we offer to deliver a good experience where users live – and increasingly that space is mobile.

If you have ideas on useful mobile apps, or any sort of useful application, or comments on our services, please Email me: erick@uwaterloo.ca

Erick