Adventures in Underland

AS I’m learning more about the services consumed by our member libraries, I find myself toying with ideas focused on standardizing, volumizing, and centralizing management of those services.

Standardizing:  We’ve got a standard Antimalware (antivirus+antispyware) solution that’s kind of \ sort of centrally managed by WVLS in partnership with RMM Solutions.  I’m thinking of other services as well.  Sandboxing for instance:  Deepfreeze, SteadyState, etc… 

Volumizing:  This one is simple.  Pooling resources and buying in volume generally saves everyone money.  The current antivirus is a good example of that as well.  Anything that we can agree to standards on can then have a volumizing plan drawn up.  Sandboxing software, Microsoft product licensing such as Office and Windows, and even PC hardware.

Centralizing:  The write up of my job description, along with the implicit duties not specified, boil down to one thing: I’m here to help increase the value of being a participant in the WVLS IT system.  By centralizing management of some of the common services, I can reduce the amount of resources members commit in order to use them.  Other services which could be centralized are authentication management (active directory or a similar solution), disaster protected file storage and sharing, VoIP phone services; you get the picture. 

Just for funzies, I’ve been sketching out a comprehensive centralized services plan (that’s why I’m still up at 1:45AM but NOT playing EVE Online).  I’ve been researching virtualization from simple server consolidation to cloud services hosting (internal and outsourced solutions).  I’ve looked at pricing and research\reviews on many different antivirus products (including Trend Micro).  I’ve been reviewing the available sandboxing software packages.  And I’ve been reading up on cases of libraries, schools, and other public institutions moving (some in part, some in full) from Windows based workstations and\or servers to Linux based workstations and\or servers.

My personal little pipe-dream is to flesh out these sketches into to fully formed multiphase project proposal with the end result being a fully managed virtual hosting solution offering both cookie-cutter desktops (new ones being provisionable within hours or minutes) and customizable staff workstations, reducing the 5 year TCO of the end user-workstation-experience by at least half.

I’m curious to hear peoples’ thoughts and ideas on the subject.  I encourage people to register with this blog but registration is not necessary (yet) for commenting.

Greetings and salutations,

Some people call me The Good Doctor, yeah, some call me the gangster of love …

Hello! I am the network administrator for Wisconsin Valley Library Service, or simply WVLS. http://www.wvls.org/ I’m starting this Blog as part of my personal goal to maintain a high level of acccessability to those whom I and WVLS provide services.

In just 4.5 short days I’ve already come to love the light and jovial nature that seems to pervade the libraries and systems throughout Wisconsin. I hope to incorporate a bit of my own laid back and happy-go-lucky personality into the overall experience my new collegues will receive from me.

One of the hardest choices I’ve had to make this week was a real doozie (spelling?). For those of you who Blog you’ll probably understand this. What do I name my Blog? How do I sign my posts? Where do I sign up? What if no one likes me? Should I Tweet instead? Should I Tweet as well? Should I Facebook? What did I get myself into? Is there life on other planets? If Max Plank was run over by a carriage as a young boy would Einstein have revolutionized Physics with his Theories on Relativity?

My mind is a weaving and wandering tangle of tangents and digressions.

I chose Adventures in Underland, an obvious play on the title of one of my favorite books. I thought it appropriately reflected the nature of our WVLS offices down in the “basement” of the Marathon County Public Library in Wausau. As to my identity, who did I want to be? For this I went back to an old nick name that was given to me back in the fifth grade. To this day I’m not sure if the name was originally intended to be degrading or endearing (as it was assigned by one of my cousins), but over the years I never let it have any negative power over me. I took it and made it my own identy for use on the web. The name I chose “The Good Doctor” is only a vague reference to the original nick name, but it is a reminder to me that I should continue to search for the positive aspects and opportunities presented in any situation.

I look forward to serving and sincerely hope that my sense of humor is not too dry.

P.S. – I am NOT a doctor.