What Would You Like to See in an Ops Center? 128
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!"
Big Red Button (Score:4, Insightful)
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 (Score:1)
make sure you use xinerama or the nvidia equivalent, so people can drag one window across both screens; people love doing that at first.
Re:Big Red Button (Score:1)
Also, the dual monitors should be mounted on a pole that comes down from the ceiling with telescopic arms.
Just for anded impracticality, and added awesomeness, add some touchscreens with a pointless but sci-fi looking interface (LCARS, anyone?)
Re:Big Red Button (Score:2)
As an ops centre, having visibility over what people are doing/monitoring is probably something you want, especially in crisis situations.
Daniel
Re:Big Red Button (Score:1)
When I went on the 'family tour' of an IBM Facility in the early 70's, they told us the 'big red button' would immediately cut all power to the system. And that it would burn up as a result since the cooling system would power down as well.
Re:Big Red Button (Score:2)
we had the power off button, safety feature in case of a coolant leak. Great fun when half way through the days trading some dofus hit it. How fast can you bring up a machine that uses punch cards and reel to reel tape to loading the firmware to the disk drives so that we can then take the 15mins to ipl
Re:Big Red Button (Score:2)
a.k.a. the Big Red Switch.
On the box in our shop, it was the side of the main unit. Pressing it shot a bolt of aluminum[0] thru the main power cables, smashing the power unit. The box went down, quickly and hard[1], but the electricity was cut so totally (remember, this was in the early 1980s, and IBM mainframes were big and used lots of KW of electricity) that there was no possibility of electrical fires if water got in the units.
It goes without saying that anyone who ever pushed the BRS
Re:Big Red Button (Score:2)
Anyway, t
Re:Big Red Button (Score:3, Insightful)
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 (Score:3, Insightful)
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 lapt
Re:Big Red Button (Score:3, Informative)
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
Re:Big Red Button (Score:1)
How about upgrading the unix skills of the monkeys who go out to your cabinets for reboots? You know how hard it is trying to tell them to type '/usr/local/sbin' over a staticky cell phone when they don't have a clue what 'usr' is? I've been involved with four DCs in the last 5 years and it's all the same. I am sick of driving out to the data center at 3 am and seeing something like
Re:Big Red Button (Score:2)
Heh, I helped a client move a couple racks of gear out of there just the other day!
Re:Big Red Button (Score:2)
Just don't forget to put the big red button behind the door, so that when somebody rushes in and gives the door a hard shove....
Sound funny? It wasn't that funny when the all the servers suddenly got turned off at HP in Böblingen. They've since moved the button.
Back to the original topic: HP OpenView can display the status of lots of machines simultaneously. That looks quite nice, but the display also has to be somewhere where the ops people can see it too.
-- Steve
Das Blinkenlights (Score:2)
Re:Das Blinkenlights (Score:2)
On an only-slightly-less-serious note, I would love to have something that plugs into a USB port (or something) and
Re:Das Blinkenlights (Score:2)
Re:Das Blinkenlights (Score:2)
Ah, acoustic modems. 110 baud, from the look of them. Makes me a bit misty-eyed, remembering them.
Then I actually *do* remember them, and what a PITA they were, and how glad I was to get a direct-connect modem.
Re:Das Blinkenlights (Score:4, Funny)
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
Re:Das Blinkenlights (Score:4, Funny)
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.
Re:Das Blinkenlights (Score:2)
superslick servers out there? (Score:2)
http://www.orionmulti.com/products/specs_ds96 [orionmulti.com]
- Performance 230 GFlop peak, 110 GFlop sustained (Linpack) -
What else ??? ah, yes, an ugly as hell server I wouldn't mind this winter : http://www.iwill.net/product_2.asp?p_id=90 [iwill.net]
Dunno if many people are into rack server modding, but you cannot make it more ugly than it is on the outside....
The inside can host 16 Opteron 800 cores and 128Gig of Ram, which make it pretty hot - both senses.....
For th
Impressions. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Impressions. (Score:1)
Ambient Devices Orbs (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Ambient Devices Orbs (Score:1)
Re:Ambient Devices Orbs (Score:2)
screen saver.. (Score:1)
me? (Score:1, Funny)
visually
large displays
visually appealing
Boobies, of course.
What every NOC needs (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:What every NOC needs (Score:4, Funny)
Re:What every NOC needs (Score:2)
Tell them thanks but no thanks. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Tell them thanks but no thanks. (Score:1)
as for an easy way to make it look awesome, just make sure people can see neatly organized bundles of cable and lots of them. works for me every time
Re:Tell them thanks but no thanks. (Score:1)
Re:Tell them thanks but no thanks. (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Tell them thanks but no thanks. (Score:2)
Every company that I've seen actually do something like this went out of business shortly thereafter.
What sort of things did these companies do you ask? How about floor to ceiling windows that can go from clear to very dark at the flick of a switch in the conference room next to the data center floor. At the right time during a sales pitch -- and to "Also Sprach Zarathustra" -- the presenter flicks the switch revealing the data center and ops center.
Big plasma displays were all the rage for the op
Re:Tell them thanks but no thanks. (Score:2)
Why not make it look good in the process? Oh, and cost is a top priority - that's why I've asked slashdot for ideas. No money in the budget for pricey consultants who will just toss some LCDs on the wall.
Re:Tell them thanks but no thanks. (Score:3, Interesting)
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
Samurize (Score:4, Informative)
http://www.samurize.com/ [samurize.com]
Re:Samurize (Score:1)
Re:Samurize (Score:1)
I didn't know this thing existed, thanks!
Re:Samurize (Score:2)
hmm, maybe.. (Score:5, Informative)
"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..
Re:hmm, maybe.. (Score:2)
This is a company that sells software that creates analog graphic guages priced in the hundreds to thousands of dollars -- for one license.
Re:hmm, maybe.. (Score:2)
Re:hmm, maybe.. (Score:2)
If they've got an iis server/.net framework running, they'll be too busy to play around with dashboard widgets!
run Cacti (Score:5, Informative)
You only have to live up to Hollywood (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:You only have to live up to Hollywood (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:You only have to live up to Hollywood (Score:2)
The mostly server-oriented dept where he works is located in an old underground bank vault, complete with a metre-thick front door. They have the same setup with stats and alarms, with their desks facing it.
It's a supremely cool place to work, too.
That bastard.
Re:You only have to live up to Hollywood (Score:1, Funny)
Re:You only have to live up to Hollywood (Score:2)
(1) the entrance with double bulletproof doors set into granite, with an armed guard and fingerprint scanner, to use when visitors were around so that they would go away with good stories about the level of security at the place
(2) the normal entrance, that people used to get into their office when visitors weren't around
suggestion (Score:1)
Kind of rules out any advice /. might provide. Unless you'd like a color scheme to blind your customers into submission.
You never think they look like TV (Score:1)
Then I saw this [ibm.com] one in person. Straight out of the movies. You can't see it in the picture, but there's a briefing center behind it with glass that's normally opaque (translucent really) but turns transparent when current is applied (Exactly like the congressional hearing scene in Sum of All Fears). Fun to watch peoples'
Re:You never think they look like TV (Score:2)
Re:You never think they look like TV (Score:1)
All that being said, whatever you do.. invest
Re:You never think they look like TV (Score:2)
Missile command silos in the middle of Wyoming (for the Peacekeeper fleet, I think) were much more interesting. Obviously, there were some things they had to cover up, certain displays, but there *were* banks of switches and das-blinkenlights which were impressive.
Three words (Score:2, Funny)
Go the War Games route (Score:5, Funny)
That'll impress them!
Oh, and hire this guy for your center. He needs a real job. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001056/ [imdb.com]
The War Room from Dr. Strangelove (Score:2)
How about... (Score:2)
The tour guide can then point to a lonely machine in the corner and say they were all replaced with that one. Maybe have a memo handy.
Re:How about... (Score:2)
"No sir.. Your server is not down. It was stolen. Yes we have a ticket number. Thank you for calling."
re: What Would You Like to See in an Op Center? (Score:4, Funny)
Tom Clancy. So that we can deride him for his crappy books. [amazon.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Giant screens (Score:2, Funny)
Then you need to buy 5 chimps
Re:Giant screens (Score:3, Interesting)
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!
Heat! (Score:2)
practical yet convenient (Score:2)
Make 'em big, with nice labels for the timezone and names of the cities where your remote offices are.
functional art (Score:2)
Each column represents the network load on a given subnet.
As the network load rises on a subnet, the intensity of the bubbles increases.
Two words... (Score:2, Funny)
what would you like to see? (Score:3, Funny)
Boobies?
ATT Global NOC (Score:3, Interesting)
http://www.research.att.com/areas/visualization/p
Re:ATT Global NOC (Score:1)
Beer fridge. (Score:3, Funny)
Guns... Lots of guns... (Score:2)
Woah!
Good work stations (Score:1)
From experience... (Score:2)
- a dedicated viewing area; somewhere that visitors can sit/stand/watch that's glassed off from the day to day work area. If possible, with separate entrances so customers don't experience the joy of conversing with some out-of-it operator who's had to work a double shift in the outside smoking area
- the requisite lots of screens showing pictures of systems/apps in green/yellow/red. No customer who visits an ops centre actually u
etherape (Score:2)
http://info.biosci.ohio-state.edu/network/etherap e .png [ohio-state.edu]
http://etherape.sourceforge.net/images/v0.3.1.png [sourceforge.net]
Why are you bullshitting your customers? (Score:2, Troll)
Show them a clean, functional environment. That means you don't have cables all over the place. That means your staff are well dressed, well groomed, and act with the utmost professionalism. Make sure all servers are mounted in their racks with the correct number of screws. Make sure any PC-style servers aren't badly scratched and have t
Re:Why are you bullshitting your customers? (Score:1)
You really must be a PHB/MBA lurker, as no real Slashdotter would expect any staff to fit that description.
Also, a suit and tie really is a crappy outfit for crawling around fixing wiring and opening PC's. That's what black jeans and T-shirts are for.
Personally, I think big displays of lm_sensors or top stats, MRTG graphs, gkrellm/superkarama/gdesklets kinda things are going to impress on big plasmas.
Re:Why are you bullshitting your customers? (Score:1)
Sorry but well groomed, lined up, swept to me sounds anal. I hate it when people t
Re:Why are you bullshitting your customers? (Score:2)
Then why worry how the ops center looks at all?
Actually a clean enviroment like that would make it a more pleasant place to work as along as you don't have to do the cleaning.
Re:Why are you bullshitting your customers? (Score:1)
Yes! Do not leave small bundles of sticks [answers.com] lying around your NOC. Rural types will be comforted to see something familiar, but for ultra-super-intelligent types like the previous poster, they will be a disappointment.
useful things... (Score:1)
http://people.ee.ethz.ch/~oetiker/webtools/mrtg/ [ee.ethz.ch]
http://www.nagios.org/ [nagios.org]
Hardware:
Two high resolution projectors and screens to project them on.
Modding, Functional and Asthetic (Score:1)
Personally, I think it would be sharp to have modded towers. Maybe all acrylic cases that are uv reactant
http://www.girlgeekette.net/clear_tower.jpg [girlgeekette.net]
Or have different departments that have different tower designs
http://www.girlgeekette.net/tower.jpg [girlgeekette.net]
Even modded glow from the inside keyboards
http://www.girlgeekette.net/kb.gif [girlgeekette.net]
Course it is hard to photo the towers, but they do show up in regular fluorescent lighting in a building and not just with the lights dim (The flash reflects the inside so you
A tip jar (Score:1)
CVT! (Score:1, Offtopic)
A big "scoreboard" using bright plasma displays (Score:2)
All you need: (Score:1)
Jacob's ladder and/or plasma sphere.
Enormous red button with yellow stripes.
Sharks. With frickin' laser beams.
You need this: (Score:2)
http://www.ergotron.com/3_products/furniture/lan_o rganizer/default.asp [ergotron.com]
Plus a big multiscreen LCD like this:
http://www.ergotron.com/4_markets/financial/defaul t.asp [ergotron.com]
Then you can really impress people, they'll think they're in Enron's fake War Room!
A real big status screen (Score:2)
very detailed connectivity map via a cheap
LCD projector.
That's both visually attractive, and useful,
as it spots blown machines and links
relatively quickly, as longas you keep
the tests low-cost (ping, SNMP gets, etc)
--dave
eye candy (Score:1)
Glassed Conference Room (Score:2)
Otherwise the design of the NOC itself was pretty standard. Lots of big screens, a wall of projectors and professional-looking operators. Think NASA's launches, only with style.
Antiques (Score:2)
Find some antique computer gear, and make it work. 9 track tapes, paper terminals that sit on the floor and are filled with real tubes. Not many, but they look impressive in a "we never throw anything away" way. (This can be good to show bankers as they don't like waste) Seeing (and hearing!) the auto-loader on a 9-track reel to reel tape is impressive. Put Adventure on the paper terminal.
Of course you do your work on modern computers, but sometimes it is fun to work on machines older than you are
Marketing Question (Score:2)
So, there's very little need for detailed statistics up on the screen.
You want to show them you're "realtime" and "proactive".
Put CNN up on a plasma, along with the Internet Weather Report. If there's a hurricane coming through make sure the strike probability maps are up.
For some useful real-time data, you might want to layout your network on Interm [dartware.com]
Giant Lite-Brite (Score:2)
Build a matrix showing servers vs services and have an intern run around changing the Greens to Reds in real time.
SCoPD (Score:2)
How about The Spinning Cube of Potential Doom [nersc.gov]?
OT: Why do you need a body to fix traffic lights? (Score:2)
After a power failure or something, traffic lights blinks the red stop lights.
It takes *hours* for a body to get there, open the yellow panel, and push a button. Why?
Why can't this be done from that, err, Ops Center?
As your biggest customer, the old engineer (Score:2)
An ops centre is first and foremost a place for