Don't blame Dell for your driver problem. Blame Intel who makes most of the chipsets used in the embedded Dell network adapters. And are you auto-updating the drivers? If so, stop. Doesn't matter whose hardware you run that's a bad idea.
First we buy the higher-end support options from Dell.
Second, and most important, we take the Dell Certified Service Engineer Exams. There is a cost to this, but by keeping Dell-Certified Techs onsite in our own organization we never have to sit on the phone while someone with less ability (or even no clue at all) tries to 'diagnose' the problem. We find the problem, order the part, and Dell ships it or sends a install tech the next day.
Granted, we're a large organization with 20,000 or so systems, but the Dell Cert process is only a few hundred dollars and would pay even with a few hundred systems.
All my rich uncles have either Alienware or Dell systems. These are users who need tons of support, and they are all equally happy. Also at the school district where I work we are 100% Dell. As long as the box is under warranty or service contract Dell is amazingly responsive to service and support needs.
Yes, I know RSYNC runs on Windows too and can even be configured as a Windows service. I set the system up initially with that configuration, and for smaller setups it would be adequate. But to run it in Windows you have to use the cygwin dll and a shell that is still contained in the Windows kernel. With data streams coming from dozens of sites the Windows server was overwhelmed, particularly in network and disk bottlenecks. Windows wasn't going to cut it at the level that we needed. But with Linux I was able to tune more parameters at the disk, memory, and network stack levels.
We need to back up 2 Terabytes nightly from 65 schools for our district. RSYNC on a Linux backup server has been the only way we have found that works for this. And we are saving a cool quarter million dollars yearly versus a commercial enterprise solution.
You started this spinning war - here goes...
When we and all of our computers are swallowed by a black hole, and that black hole evaporates, all the information on the computers, even what we deleted, will be released by the black hole. Hawking Rad makes computers immortal.
We've already seen worms used to control Zombie-Nets for DOS attacks. When will it occur to the script-kiddie set to build a social network into worm code? The 'cpu' part of an ant's brain is incredibly simple with very few lines of code when compared to some of the more ambitious worms in the wild. All that's needed is a 'colony instinct', with a division of labor in the community. Once you have that, you'll have a simulation of the 'virtual intellect' possessed by large ant and termite colonies.
Backups are always good karma, but in this case even more so. After you cleanse the body of the pc by reformatting, you reincarnate it with the restore.
Guess what? the most successful and harmful representations of self-replicating artificial life forms are computer viruses and worms. Their evolution, propagation and mutation features are nearly biological. Here's a theory: Computer worm/virus gets smart enough to secretly divert small unmonitored portion of benign nanotech facility to produce nanobots that seek out CPU chips to bind to and take over...
For our district's 2 Terabytes of nightly backup requirement. No commercial product could do it. But RSYNC with SSH does it securely and it works. The commercial product enterprise solutions all have widely-publicized security holes that are a bear to work close when you have hundreds of servers. So in this case shrink wrapped is not ready for education.
In the FA the author details Michael Dell's investment in Red Hat and the Dell Corp's bigtime deal with Novell. That's where it gets sticky sticky because Novell owns SUSE and, if you're a Novell customer, you have to keep your lips shut pretty tightly unless you want a widdle spoony woony of SUSE shoved in your wittle mouth.
For instance, when I took over the backup admin duties for our school district with 3 TereBytes of data distributed accross 200 schools needing nightly backup, I tried all the commercial solutions without success. Now I use RSYNC and a Linux array to successfully backup the enterprise data. I think that ubuntu and edubuntu will have a learning curve for an admin if they haven't messed with Linux much, but that curve is doable and short. I say go for it.
- Travis
I use the Opera WAP Browser on my tiny cellphone. I have to say it's a vast improvement over the built-in browser. And it's usable on my cellphone which is hugely more ergonomically and visually challenged than the DS.
Slashdot Mirror
You mean my uncle Mike!
Don't blame Dell for your driver problem. Blame Intel who makes most of the chipsets used in the embedded Dell network adapters. And are you auto-updating the drivers? If so, stop. Doesn't matter whose hardware you run that's a bad idea.
Here's how we get good support from Dell:
First we buy the higher-end support options from Dell.
Second, and most important, we take the Dell Certified Service Engineer Exams. There is a cost to this, but by keeping Dell-Certified Techs onsite in our own organization we never have to sit on the phone while someone with less ability (or even no clue at all) tries to 'diagnose' the problem. We find the problem, order the part, and Dell ships it or sends a install tech the next day.
Granted, we're a large organization with 20,000 or so systems, but the Dell Cert process is only a few hundred dollars and would pay even with a few hundred systems.
All my rich uncles have either Alienware or Dell systems. These are users who need tons of support, and they are all equally happy. Also at the school district where I work we are 100% Dell. As long as the box is under warranty or service contract Dell is amazingly responsive to service and support needs.
Yes, I know RSYNC runs on Windows too and can even be configured as a Windows service. I set the system up initially with that configuration, and for smaller setups it would be adequate. But to run it in Windows you have to use the cygwin dll and a shell that is still contained in the Windows kernel. With data streams coming from dozens of sites the Windows server was overwhelmed, particularly in network and disk bottlenecks. Windows wasn't going to cut it at the level that we needed. But with Linux I was able to tune more parameters at the disk, memory, and network stack levels.
We need to back up 2 Terabytes nightly from 65 schools for our district. RSYNC on a Linux backup server has been the only way we have found that works for this. And we are saving a cool quarter million dollars yearly versus a commercial enterprise solution.
You started this spinning war - here goes... When we and all of our computers are swallowed by a black hole, and that black hole evaporates, all the information on the computers, even what we deleted, will be released by the black hole. Hawking Rad makes computers immortal.
We've already seen worms used to control Zombie-Nets for DOS attacks. When will it occur to the script-kiddie set to build a social network into worm code? The 'cpu' part of an ant's brain is incredibly simple with very few lines of code when compared to some of the more ambitious worms in the wild. All that's needed is a 'colony instinct', with a division of labor in the community. Once you have that, you'll have a simulation of the 'virtual intellect' possessed by large ant and termite colonies.
Backups are always good karma, but in this case even more so. After you cleanse the body of the pc by reformatting, you reincarnate it with the restore.
Kurzweil. Sincerely, Your Daddy the Matrix
Guess what? the most successful and harmful representations of self-replicating artificial life forms are computer viruses and worms. Their evolution, propagation and mutation features are nearly biological. Here's a theory: Computer worm/virus gets smart enough to secretly divert small unmonitored portion of benign nanotech facility to produce nanobots that seek out CPU chips to bind to and take over...
For our district's 2 Terabytes of nightly backup requirement. No commercial product could do it. But RSYNC with SSH does it securely and it works. The commercial product enterprise solutions all have widely-publicized security holes that are a bear to work close when you have hundreds of servers. So in this case shrink wrapped is not ready for education.
Why not just put a Solar-rechargeable sensor that sets a time limit on engagement of the lock cylinders that only the use of a true key could meet?
It's just so nice and jingly.
Would get in the chamber door...
In the FA the author details Michael Dell's investment in Red Hat and the Dell Corp's bigtime deal with Novell. That's where it gets sticky sticky because Novell owns SUSE and, if you're a Novell customer, you have to keep your lips shut pretty tightly unless you want a widdle spoony woony of SUSE shoved in your wittle mouth.
For instance, when I took over the backup admin duties for our school district with 3 TereBytes of data distributed accross 200 schools needing nightly backup, I tried all the commercial solutions without success. Now I use RSYNC and a Linux array to successfully backup the enterprise data. I think that ubuntu and edubuntu will have a learning curve for an admin if they haven't messed with Linux much, but that curve is doable and short. I say go for it. - Travis
Would his failure to act on his knowledge of alleged lawbreaking make him an accessory?
Who cares about coffee?
Can have lasers!
Yes you are right. It is a full-functioning browser. My bad. Mods! Raise up the AC!
I use the Opera WAP Browser on my tiny cellphone. I have to say it's a vast improvement over the built-in browser. And it's usable on my cellphone which is hugely more ergonomically and visually challenged than the DS.
Duh! I mean the folks behind Get the Facts! Mod me down to heck where I belong please.
Dang! I meant the TCO of ODSL!!!! Sorry to be so Trollish!!! Users Guide for me: Open mouth, insert foot.
The Total Cost of Owning Enterprise Management Associates is? Willing to bet the folks behind the study know...