|
|
|
|
|
 The CTSI Tech Times
Monthly Updates from Your Trusted Technology Partner
April, 2011 - Vol 3, Issue 4
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Area Events
|
4/26/11
Baseball - v. New Mexico, Dan Law Field, 6:00pm
4/27/11
Baseball - v. New Mexico, Dan Law Field, 3:00pm
4/29/11
Baseball - v. Kansas, Dan Law Field, 6:30pm
Miranda Lambert - City Bank Coliseum, 7:30 pm
4/30/11
Baseball - v. Kansas, Dan Law Field, 5:00pm
5/1/11
Baseball - v. Kansas, Dan Law Field, 1:00pm
5/3/11
Baseball - v. Dallas Baptist, Dan Law Field, 5:00pm
|
|
|
|
From David's Desk...
|
As many of you already know, one of CTSI's areas of expertise lies in what is commonly referred to as "Managed Services." Our Managed Services programs help us meet each client's operational needs by providing tiered levels of monitoring, management, and services at a fixed monthly price. Such models reduce the risk of a client having to shell out a significant
amount of money during a particularly "technology challenged" month, while at the same time making their IT budgeting much easier.
The nerve center of CTSI's Managed Services program is what we call the Network Operations Center, or NOC for short. The purpose of the NOC is to provide a central point of communications for all monitoring and notifications. Literally thousands of checks for backup failures, low drive space, internet connectivity issues, event log failures, server hardware problems, and numerous other potentially disruptive events take place continuously 24 hours a day. Any faults discovered become visible on the various displays adorning the wall at the front of the NOC. By keeping the center staffed during core business hours, CTSI is able to keep a watchful eye upon client devices, ensuring a prompt response if and when issues arise.
Here is an example of CTSI's Managed Services and NOC staff working proactively and how they can positively impact a client's workday: approximately a month ago, CTSI received an early-morning alert that a particular school district's server was down. After a phone call to the district to inform them of the situation, the NOC staff began working on the server remotely. Until the faulty server could be repaired, the district's Backup and Disaster Recovery device (also known as a BDR--you may recall me discussing these life-savers in previous newsletters) was utilized to temporarily perform the server's role on the network. Soon, the team was able to diagnose the problem with the server and repair it, all with minimal disruption to the users.
Through the ever-present monitoring of our Managed Services and the NOC, we were able to tell that there was a problem on the server before school even started that day. If we had not had both the monitoring and the BDR in place, the client wouldn't have known about the server being down until they came to work and tried to access their files or applications. Given the nature of the failure, this would have likely cost them a full day without their network. However, we were able to detect a problem, notify the client, start identifying the root cause, remotely implement a virtualized copy of the failed server on the BDR, repair the problem, and set everything just as it was before--all without impacting the client's operations.
I hope you can see the value that our Managed Services programs and Network Operations Center can bring to your organization. If you have any questions about how you can use these powerful programs to decrease your network downtime and increase your productivity, feel free to contact me or a member of our Technology Consulting Group.
Until Next Time,
David D. Baucum
President & CEO, CTSI
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Softball coach Shanon Hays was an assistant coach at Texas Tech in another sport.
Can you name it?
Look for the answer at the end of the newsletter.
|
|
Technology Tip of the Month
|
|
How to Encrypt your Flash Drive
Memory sticks are a great way to store data and applications for access on any computer you come across. With storage capacities already reaching 256 GB, today's USB sticks are often larger than yesterday's hard drives. Thanks to increased storage space and lowering prices, you can easily store nearly all your personal files on a tiny, go-anywhere USB memory stick.
There's a downside to all that cheap, easy storage, though. It means there's even more data at risk should your USB stick be lost or stolen.
Luckily, it isn't hard to encrypt the data on your USB stick so that, should misfortune snatch it away from you, at least you can rest easy knowing that your data is secure.
Encryption on Windows
There are a variety of Windows-based tools for creating an encrypted volume on a USB stick, but our favorite is the free, open-source FreeOTFE. FreeOTFE uses on-the-fly encryption, which means that data is automatically encrypted and decrypted without you needing to do anything other than enter a password or possess the right keyfile.
To get started, download and install FreeOTFE. Then open the application and select your USB, click on the "New" icon. FreeOTFE will then walk you through the process of setting up your encrypted volume and help you choose an encryption algorithm or set other options.
Once FreeOTFE finishes, your USB stick will contain an encrypted volume where you can store sensitive data to keep it safe from prying eyes.
An alternative system is TrueCrypt, although unlike FreeOTFE, this requires you to have administrator rights to even start it on any computer you wish to use your encrypted thumb drive on.
Encryption on Mac OS X
Mac OS X actually has a nice built-in encryption tool you can use right out of the box.
To get started, just plug in your USB stick and open up Disk Utility (you'll find it in the Utilities folder inside your Applications folder).
In Disk Utility head to File >> New >> Blank Disk Image. Select your USB stick as the destination and choose one of the encryption options. You can also set the size of the volume, number of partitions and the format.
Once that's done click create and enter a good password. Alternativly, there is a Mac version of TrueCrypt which may be used.
Article from Wired How-To
|
|
Staff Spotlight - Nancy Clark
|
|
Nancy Clark joined CTSI in October 2007 in the position of Administrative Assistant. She is CTSI's front desk receptionist and phone operator. In addition, she assists with many projects and tasks behind the scenes. Nancy is involved with everything from customer billing to arranging meals for CTSI's monthly staff meetings to making sure CTSI's supply closet is stocked.
Nancy grew up in Odessa, TX, and after attending Odessa Junior College, married and moved to Austin where she lived for 20 years. While raising her two children, she also worked for several different state agencies. When her kids were entering high school, the family moved back to West Texas, settling in Lubbock. After years of being a homemaker, Nancy rejoined the work force in 2003. Her main hobby is being Grandma to Jackson and Jillian in Lubbock and traveling to McKinney for Jacob. Aside from her grandmother duties, she enjoys traveling, reading, gardening, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
Nancy says she feels very blessed to have such a great place to work and to have such good people to spend her work days with. Nancy's favorite part about her job is the daily interaction with clients and coworkers.
|
|
Helen's Recipe of the Month
|
Helen Burns, CTSI's Purchasing Manager, has been with the company for the past ten years. In addition to her purchasing duties, Helen serves as our unofficial party coordinator. Helen (with help from our administrative assistant, Nancy Clark) makes sure we celebrate every staff member's birthday as well as various holidays by providing a wide range of delectable treats. Without further ado, from Helen's kitchen to you!
Easy Quiche
¾ lb ham, bacon, or sausage, cooked and crumbled fine
1 ½ cup grated cheese (cheddar, jack, or Mexican blend)
2 tblsp flour
½ tsp garlic salt
1 tsp garlic pepper without salt
4 eggs, well beaten
1 small can Pet milk
1/4 cup whole or 2% milk
4 oz diced green chilies
Unbaked deep-dish pie crust
Combine the first 5 ingredients and mix well. Spread into the bottom of the pie crust. Beat eggs and all milk together and stir in the green chilies. Pour over the other ingredients. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until set.
|
|
Tech Trivia Answer:
|
|
Basketball (Hays coached under James Dickey from 1999-2001)
|
|
The CTSI Tech Times
Monthly Updates from Your Trusted Technology Partner
April, 2011 - Vol 3, Issue 4
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Area Events
|
4/26/11
Baseball - v. New Mexico, Dan Law Field, 6:00pm
4/27/11
Baseball - v. New Mexico, Dan Law Field, 3:00pm
4/29/11
Baseball - v. Kansas, Dan Law Field, 6:30pm
Miranda Lambert - City Bank Coliseum, 7:30 pm
4/30/11
Baseball - v. Kansas, Dan Law Field, 5:00pm
5/1/11
Baseball - v. Kansas, Dan Law Field, 1:00pm
5/3/11
Baseball - v. Dallas Baptist, Dan Law Field, 5:00pm
|
|
|
|
From David's Desk...
|
As many of you already know, one of CTSI's areas of expertise lies in what is commonly referred to as "Managed Services." Our Managed Services programs help us meet each client's operational needs by providing tiered levels of monitoring, management, and services at a fixed monthly price. Such models reduce the risk of a client having to shell out a significant
amount of money during a particularly "technology challenged" month, while at the same time making their IT budgeting much easier.
The nerve center of CTSI's Managed Services program is what we call the Network Operations Center, or NOC for short. The purpose of the NOC is to provide a central point of communications for all monitoring and notifications. Literally thousands of checks for backup failures, low drive space, internet connectivity issues, event log failures, server hardware problems, and numerous other potentially disruptive events take place continuously 24 hours a day. Any faults discovered become visible on the various displays adorning the wall at the front of the NOC. By keeping the center staffed during core business hours, CTSI is able to keep a watchful eye upon client devices, ensuring a prompt response if and when issues arise.
Here is an example of CTSI's Managed Services and NOC staff working proactively and how they can positively impact a client's workday: approximately a month ago, CTSI received an early-morning alert that a particular school district's server was down. After a phone call to the district to inform them of the situation, the NOC staff began working on the server remotely. Until the faulty server could be repaired, the district's Backup and Disaster Recovery device (also known as a BDR--you may recall me discussing these life-savers in previous newsletters) was utilized to temporarily perform the server's role on the network. Soon, the team was able to diagnose the problem with the server and repair it, all with minimal disruption to the users.
Through the ever-present monitoring of our Managed Services and the NOC, we were able to tell that there was a problem on the server before school even started that day. If we had not had both the monitoring and the BDR in place, the client wouldn't have known about the server being down until they came to work and tried to access their files or applications. Given the nature of the failure, this would have likely cost them a full day without their network. However, we were able to detect a problem, notify the client, start identifying the root cause, remotely implement a virtualized copy of the failed server on the BDR, repair the problem, and set everything just as it was before--all without impacting the client's operations.
I hope you can see the value that our Managed Services programs and Network Operations Center can bring to your organization. If you have any questions about how you can use these powerful programs to decrease your network downtime and increase your productivity, feel free to contact me or a member of our Technology Consulting Group.
Until Next Time,
David D. Baucum
President & CEO, CTSI
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Softball coach Shanon Hays was an assistant coach at Texas Tech in another sport.
Can you name it?
Look for the answer at the end of the newsletter.
|
|
Technology Tip of the Month
|
|
How to Encrypt your Flash Drive
Memory sticks are a great way to store data and applications for access on any computer you come across. With storage capacities already reaching 256 GB, today's USB sticks are often larger than yesterday's hard drives. Thanks to increased storage space and lowering prices, you can easily store nearly all your personal files on a tiny, go-anywhere USB memory stick.
There's a downside to all that cheap, easy storage, though. It means there's even more data at risk should your USB stick be lost or stolen.
Luckily, it isn't hard to encrypt the data on your USB stick so that, should misfortune snatch it away from you, at least you can rest easy knowing that your data is secure.
Encryption on Windows
There are a variety of Windows-based tools for creating an encrypted volume on a USB stick, but our favorite is the free, open-source FreeOTFE. FreeOTFE uses on-the-fly encryption, which means that data is automatically encrypted and decrypted without you needing to do anything other than enter a password or possess the right keyfile.
To get started, download and install FreeOTFE. Then open the application and select your USB, click on the "New" icon. FreeOTFE will then walk you through the process of setting up your encrypted volume and help you choose an encryption algorithm or set other options.
Once FreeOTFE finishes, your USB stick will contain an encrypted volume where you can store sensitive data to keep it safe from prying eyes.
An alternative system is TrueCrypt, although unlike FreeOTFE, this requires you to have administrator rights to even start it on any computer you wish to use your encrypted thumb drive on.
Encryption on Mac OS X
Mac OS X actually has a nice built-in encryption tool you can use right out of the box.
To get started, just plug in your USB stick and open up Disk Utility (you'll find it in the Utilities folder inside your Applications folder).
In Disk Utility head to File >> New >> Blank Disk Image. Select your USB stick as the destination and choose one of the encryption options. You can also set the size of the volume, number of partitions and the format.
Once that's done click create and enter a good password. Alternativly, there is a Mac version of TrueCrypt which may be used.
Article from Wired How-To
|
|
Staff Spotlight - Nancy Clark
|
|
Nancy Clark joined CTSI in October 2007 in the position of Administrative Assistant. She is CTSI's front desk receptionist and phone operator. In addition, she assists with many projects and tasks behind the scenes. Nancy is involved with everything from customer billing to arranging meals for CTSI's monthly staff meetings to making sure CTSI's supply closet is stocked.
Nancy grew up in Odessa, TX, and after attending Odessa Junior College, married and moved to Austin where she lived for 20 years. While raising her two children, she also worked for several different state agencies. When her kids were entering high school, the family moved back to West Texas, settling in Lubbock. After years of being a homemaker, Nancy rejoined the work force in 2003. Her main hobby is being Grandma to Jackson and Jillian in Lubbock and traveling to McKinney for Jacob. Aside from her grandmother duties, she enjoys traveling, reading, gardening, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
Nancy says she feels very blessed to have such a great place to work and to have such good people to spend her work days with. Nancy's favorite part about her job is the daily interaction with clients and coworkers.
|
|
Helen's Recipe of the Month
|
Helen Burns, CTSI's Purchasing Manager, has been with the company for the past ten years. In addition to her purchasing duties, Helen serves as our unofficial party coordinator. Helen (with help from our administrative assistant, Nancy Clark) makes sure we celebrate every staff member's birthday as well as various holidays by providing a wide range of delectable treats. Without further ado, from Helen's kitchen to you!
Easy Quiche
¾ lb ham, bacon, or sausage, cooked and crumbled fine
1 ½ cup grated cheese (cheddar, jack, or Mexican blend)
2 tblsp flour
½ tsp garlic salt
1 tsp garlic pepper without salt
4 eggs, well beaten
1 small can Pet milk
1/4 cup whole or 2% milk
4 oz diced green chilies
Unbaked deep-dish pie crust
Combine the first 5 ingredients and mix well. Spread into the bottom of the pie crust. Beat eggs and all milk together and stir in the green chilies. Pour over the other ingredients. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until set.
|
|
Tech Trivia Answer:
|
|
Basketball (Hays coached under James Dickey from 1999-2001)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|