What Would You Like to See in an Ops Center?

binaryspiral asks: "I work in a network operations center that has a fair amount of tours and escorted customer traffic. We (the ops employees) have been given the option of submitting ideas for a redesign that would upgrade our ops center to something more functional and visually impressive to potential customers who visit. I'm also looking into software applications that monitor our systems and put them on large displays but a lot of it looks ho-hum. Unfortunately, one of the criteria is that this redesign be functional and visually appealing. I would ask the Slashdor crowd to share with me the things you hate or love about your ops center. Any suggestions or ideas from this crowd might actually be what I'm looking for!"

Comments

Big Red Button

[ericspinder]

A big red button near the door, uncovered, and at the right height for a twelve yo to punch. The real question would be wether or not to hook the halon up to it. :)

Really, other than software, I'd suggest a good look at layout; are the work areas separate from the racks, perhaps even a separate area for 'problem' servers? Is there a good size parts room (perhaps off the 'beaten path'). Can you keep people away from the cabinets by having large windows to view the 'magic area'. Nothing says 'professional' like all LCD monitors (dual is better).

Just don't let them forget the break room and the bathrooms. Also be sure to have plenty of cameras For a touch of fun, you could install UV lighting, and reactive cables. Taking another page from the case mode handbook, liquid cooling might really 'wow' them.

Re:Big Red Button

[binaryspiral]

Remember this isn't a datacenter - it's an operations center I'm speaking about. Our DC is currently very well taken care of, we just need our Ops center to meet that level.

We all are based on Thinkpad Laptops with 17" secondary LCDs and docking stations.

Oh, and by code there are big red buttons on every exit from the DC (covered with acrylic break away covers)... it kills the power to all racks instantly. Don't even joke about pushing it...

Re:Big Red Button

[drsmithy]

We all are based on Thinkpad Laptops with 17" secondary LCDs and docking stations.

Do you really need laptops ? I ask because when I started at my current job, they offered to get me a laptop (with an external LCD) "like everyone else". Since the job didn't require any on-the-road work, I asked why "everyone" had laptops. "The just do" was the response. Now, having been there a few months and not seeing a single laptop ever leave it's docking station in that time, I just wonder why "everyone" wants laptops.

Since then, I've not once regretted getting the dual-CPU PC with SCSI RAID, 2GB RAM and dual 21" LCDs instead :).

Re:Big Red Button

[bluGill]

Well I take my laptop to meetings. It is handy to be able to do work while the boss is talking about some other project, then when the topic changes I come back. Sometimes that is the most work I get done in a day. Not to mention I often start a long test before a meeting, the laptop lets me fix stupid mistakes so it runs. (I never come back to: "big-test.dat" not found, when I have the laptop to copy that file to the right location and restart the test)

Though if I could trade a laptop for dual LCDs I would.

Impressions.

[Seumas]

A series of giant translucent displays hanging from the ceiling like giant columns throughout the NOC that show three-dimensional renderings of everything that is occuring on the network at the moment, like in the movie Hackers. Also, at least one of your main guys in the NOC should wear all black, have funky hair and carry a skateboard around with him through the office. Also, liberally spread around a few terminals. Most important of all, have a couple geeky/emo looking trogs arguing about RISC architecture off in some corner of the room, rather loudly. Follow my suggestions and you will not fail to impress!

Ambient Devices Orbs

[PylonHead]

I think a bunch of these in some systematic display would be pretty awesome. Maybe they pulse green slowly when things are good, and flash red when all hell is loose.

What every NOC needs

[GryMor]

A low yield fusion weapon to make raiding the NOC a bad idea. Only helps if everyone has one, should disuade invasion by hostile forces.

Re:What every NOC needs

[Keruo]

oh, I thought Cisco networks were self defending :P

Tell them thanks but no thanks.

[hackwrench]

Since you seem to be having trouble coming up with general areas in which you want improvement the obvious answer is to tell them that you are doing as well as you can given the current state of technology and notning should be done. Your customers and shareholders will thank you.

Re:Tell them thanks but no thanks.

[toddbu]

I once was told that the best way to scare away a venture capitalist is to invite them to your posh office and serve them a catered lunch. Most VCs are bottom line folks and understand that any money spent on flashy stuff is just wasted cash. The same can be true of your customers - they'd rather get good service than see a cool data center.

Re:Tell them thanks but no thanks.

[toddbu]

The company's growth has been off the charts and we've added a lot of new people

Ok, now you should really be scared. Very few companies can sustain massive growth spurts. More often than not, a company will get a bunch of new business and assume that more is coming, and they spend accordingly. If I were given this task, I'd focus on building a system that was extensible and forget about the looks. When they come in for a tour, tell your customers that while it doesn't look very sexy, you've chosen to build a solid system that can grow with their needs. Then put the money that you saved in a bank account for a rainy day.

Samurize

[Zackbass]

If you have some systems running Windows I highly reccomend hooking up a few displays with Samurize. It's what all the case modders use to display system data on auxilary screens and does some absolutely beautiful things with your data.

http://www.samurize.com/

hmm, maybe..

[hookedup]

if you've got an iis server/.net framework running somewhere, check this out

"Designed to display and monitor real-time data using a range of fully customizable Gauge and Dial types, Dundas Gauge is perfectly suited to developers building digital dashboards, manufacturing, financial, and other applications that monitor KPI's (Key Performance Indicators) and other critical data."

they would look pretty sweet on some big flat panels..

run Cacti

[NoSuchGuy]

Run Cacti on different monitors. View some screenshots here

You only have to live up to Hollywood

[nortcele]

The expectation of your visitors will only be what they have seen in movies. You meet or exceed that... excellent. If you are below that, visitors will think the system is below par. Personally. I like glass, lights, and large screens. Screens like NASA has. For the glass, I think machines behind glass like in the movie Sneakers is neat. Large glass windows like one sees in a shopping mall. Depends what you want the visitors to be impressed with. Security? Cool security things. Not some exit door alarm like the local bookstore has. First define the impression you want to make on visitors, then work from there.

Re:You only have to live up to Hollywood

[ChipMonk]

I once interviewed for an ISP housed in an old telco central office. They had the windowed room with the big racks and lots of blinkenlights, and five monster projection screens with real-time network activity indicators. Two rows of desks faced the screens, and every desk had a phone. Because it was in an old central office, it was also a fallout shelter (until some dope put in the glass front door), and it had a ton (possibly literally) of backup batteries and a big Diesel generator. I felt like I was interviewing on the set of War Games.

Re:Das Blinkenlights

[hardlined]

ACHTUNG!!!

Das machine is nicht fur gefingerpoken und mittengrabben. Ist easy schnappen der springenwerk, blowenfusen und corkenpoppen mit spitzensparken. Ist nicht fur gewerken by das dummkopfen. Das rubbernecken sightseeren keepen hands in das pockets. Relaxen und vatch das blinkenlights!!!

- Courtesy of BSD Forunte :-)

Three words

[PunkOfLinux]

Big flashing lights. Especially if the people have ADD... then it'll be 'ooh! pretty light!!'

Go the War Games route

[zymurgy_cat]

Have a computer play tic-tac-toe against itself as it also tries to discover nuclear launch codes. Have everyone run around in a panic, picking up phones and screaming orders, handing off papers, etc. Make sure you have a big red phone in the center. When it rings, answer, "Yes, Mr. President."

That'll impress them!

Oh, and hire this guy for your center. He needs a real job. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001056/

re: What Would You Like to See in an Op Center?

[cpt kangarooski]

What Would You Like to See in an Op Center?

Tom Clancy. So that we can deride him for his crappy books.

Giant screens

[Centurix]

You need three giant screens roughly 20' high each, on the first you would display all the current inbound and outbound traffic, status controls for nodes etc. The second would display routing information with a giant map of the world and flashing lines running backwards and forwards. Then the third would be allocated to display the biggest game of solitaire in the world. If the first two screens don't impress them, then the last will certainly make all the customers go "oooh!"

Then you need to buy 5 chimps from the local zoo and train them on how to change tape drives.

And THEN you need to hire about 30 circus midgets, paint them orange, with green hair and stripey suits, so that whenever a potential customer gets locked into a server cage they can magically appear and sing a little song...

Man, that's MY idea of a great ops building!

Re:Giant screens

[JediTrainer]

And THEN you need to hire about 30 circus midgets, paint them orange, with green hair and stripey suits, so that whenever a potential customer gets locked into a server cage they can magically appear and sing a little song...

With apologies to Roald Dahl...

Oompa Loompa, Doobidie Doo
Another Stupid Dumbass, Locked-in Are You!

Oompa Loompa, What do you See?
Don't let him out, he's a PHB!

Two words...

[mctee155]

Stripper poles

what would you like to see?

[BinLadenMyHero]

What Would You Like to See in an Ops Center?

Boobies?

ATT Global NOC

[paulywog]

AT&T has a pretty awesome global operations center:
http://www.research.att.com/areas/visualization/pr ojects_software/photo_global_center.jpg

Beer fridge.

[bergeron76]

Seriously.

Re:Das Blinkenlights

[WebCrapper]

Good lord, if I only had mod points.

ACHTUNG - ALLES LOOKENPEEPERS

Das Machine is nicht fur gefingerpoken und mittengrabben. Ist easy schnappen der springenwerk, blowenfusen und poppencorken mit spitzensparken. Ist nicht fur gewerken by das dummkopfen. Das rubbernecken sightseeren musten keepen das cotten-pickenen hands in das pockets - relaxen und watchen das blinkenlights.

The above was apparently based on the following, original version, from the early 1960s:

Alles touristen und non-technischen looken peepers! Das machinkontrol is nicht for gefengerpoken und mittengrabben. Oderwise is easy schnappen der springenverk, blowenfus, undpoppencorken mit spitzensparken. Der machine is diggen by experten only. Is nicht fur geverken by das dumpkopfen. Das rubber necken sightseenen keepen das cotton-picken hands in das pockets. So relaxen, und vatchen das blinkenlights.

And here's the phony-English version the Germans use:

This room is fullfilled mit special electronische equipment. Fingergrabbing and pressing the knoeppkes from the computers is allowed for die experts only! So all the "lefthanders" stay away and do not disturben the brainstorming von here working intelligences. Otherwise you will be outthrown and kicked anderswhere! Also: please keep still and only watchen astaunished the blinkenlights.

Of course, this warning would not be complete without the Internet version:

Das Internet is nicht fuer gefingerclickend und giffengrabben. Ist easy droppenpacket der Routers und overloaden der Backbone mit der spammen und der me-tooen. Ist nicht fuer gewerken bei die Dummkopfen. Die mausklicken Sichtseeren keepen das Bandwidth-spewen Hands in die Pockets muss; relaxen und watchen das cursorblinken.

Finally, the Palm Pilot version:

Das PalmPilot ist nicht fuer gefingerpoken und mittengrabben. Ist easy scratch der Screene, zappen RAM, und droppen-smashen. Ist nicht fuer gewerken bei das Dummkopfen. Das rubber-necken Sichtseeren keep die Hands in die Pockets -- relaxen und watchen Das Blinkenlights.