CONTACTS 
0201 - JPS Net                              800 711 5353 fax or 800...
020101 - Mr. Lance NLN
020102 - Shift Supervieor Customer Support Rep
020103 - Technical Service  =415 376 0121

SUBJECTS
Server - Barberra
Reliability
Connection failed 209 63 229 133
IP Address used by Server
Winipcfg IP Address Diagnostic
Internet Access Failed
Continual FTP Failed Access
Server Changed Barberra

1410 -    ..
1411 - Summary/Objective
1412 -
141201 - Follow up ref SDS 9 0000, ref SDS 7 0000.
141202 -
141203 - Encountered continued failure to access the server for uploading data
141204 - to the web site.  Got on-line once about 0530, but the rest of the day
141205 - could not get connected.  Several explanations were offered by JPS.
141206 - One explanation is that the server we are using has so many accounts
141207 - that it is in constant use for http activity.  This prevents time
141208 - allocated to ftp becasue http has priority. ref SDS 0 2255  As a
141209 - result, we changed the Unix server from Barberra to an NT server that
141210 - is used less for http activity. ref SDS 0 2528
141211 -
141212 -     [On 980626 got follow up on date transfer will be complete. see
141213 -     ref SDS 15 0000
141214 -
141215 -     [On 980630 completed transfer to NT server. ref SDS 18 0000]
141216 -
141217 -     [On 980716 JPS moved Welch files to another server without notice
141218 -     or consultation on the impact to service. ref SDS 20 2298
141219 -
141220 -     [On 980720 JPS improved its system. ref SDS 21]
141221 -
141222 -     [On 990423 JPS recommends changing back to Unix. ref SDS 22 9462]
141223 -
141224 -
141225 -
1413 -
1414 -
1415 - Progress
1416 -
141601 -  ..
141602 - Server Connection Failed for FTP
141603 -
141604 - This morning after making several uploads to the Web site, suddenly
141605 - began getting a message after clicking OK in the FTP program, that the
141606 -
141607 -                  Connection failed 209 63 229 133
141608 -
141609 - I called JPS and was told that our FTP program was broke and that we
141610 - had to remove the program and install it again.
141611 -
141612 -
141613 -  ..
141614 - Reinstalled Wsftp Pro Program for FTP
141615 -
141616 - I installed the FTP program again, using instructions from work on
141617 - 980421. ref SDS 10 1540
141618 -
141619 - Tried to connect and got same message.
141620 -
141621 -
141622 -
141623 -  ..
141624 - Server Full
141625 -
141626 - Called back and talked to Demitri.
141627 -
141628 - Demitri initially said that the problem was that our server is full.
141629 -
141630 - He said he could not log onto it either.
141631 -
141632 -
141633 -  ..
141634 - IP Address Diagnostics, Possible Error
141635 -
141636 - He asked me to run a command from the Start Run menu.
141637 -
141638 -                          winipcfg
141639 -
141640 - This produced a menu that showed the IP used by JPS for our records on
141641 - the server. It is different from our assigned IP address:
141642 -
141643 -                        209 63 229 133
141644 -
141645 - Dimitri said the IP address should be different, but he seemed to
141646 - indicate that the address shown in the menu from the diagnostics
141647 - program, was incorrect.  Dimitri indicated that someone may have
141648 - changed the IP address used for our account, and entered an incorrect
141649 - address.
141650 -
141651 - Dimitri said he would correct the IP address, and that I could try
141652 - the program in a few minutes.
141653 -
141654 -    See below where Mike indicates that Dimitri did not actually do
141655 -    anything that improved access. ref SDS 0 3421
141656 -
141657 -
141658 -  ..
141659 - Successful Connection to Server
141660 -
141661 - I did this and was able to log on an upload files.
141662 -
141663 -    Below Pat suggests that Dimitri did not actually do anything that
141664 -    improved access, indicating this access was a fluke, since the
141665 -    server Barberra is over-tasked with HTTP activity. ref SDS 0 3421
141666 -
141667 -
141668 -  ..
141669 - Failed Connection to Server
141670 -
141671 - I did several uploads for the next hour or so, and then about 0700,
141672 - the original problem occurred again.
141673 -
141674 - I called JPS back and talked to Mike.
141675 -
141676 - I explained the background.
141677 -
141678 - Mike seemed unable to investigate the IP address issue, and he would
141679 - not try to contact Dimitri to learn about his actions that solved the
141680 - problem earlier.
141681 -
141682 - Mike asked me to try to ftp the site from a DOS prompt with the
141683 - following command:
141684 -
141685 -                      ftp ftp.welchco.com
141686 -
141687 -     This command seems to be given after we use the phone program to
141688 -     access the server.
141689 - ..
141690 - Mike asked me to log onto the network using a phone number for
141691 - the East Bay...
141692 -
141693 -                          510 288 0023
141694 -
141695 - I had to go to a meeting, and so told Mike that I will call back later
141696 - today.
141697 -
141698 -
141699 -
1417 -
1418 -
1419 - 1642 called
1420 -
142001 -  ..
142002 - JPS Network Failed, No Access Until 1400
142003 -
142004 - Got message that the JPS system is down, and that it is expected to
142005 - be back on-line at 1400.
142006 -
142007 - Since it is 1642, I stayed on-line to talk to a support technician.
142008 -
142009 - On hold
142010 -
142011 -
1421 -
1422 -
1423 - 1718 talked to Pat
1424 -
142401 - Pat advised that as of awhile ago they were still having problems.
142402 -
142403 - Pat went off line to check on the status of the system.  He came back
142404 - and suggested I try the alternate phone number suggested by Mike, per
142405 - above. ref SDS 0 0713
142406 -
142407 - I explained that Dimitri was able to solve the problem without our
142408 - calling another number. ref SDS 0 1742
142409 -
142410 - Pat asked me to hold while he investigates.
142411 -
142412 -
142413 -  ..
142414 - Server Barberra is Over-Tasked, Gives Priority to HTTP
142415 -
142416 - Pat came back on-line and said that he was just told that our server
142417 - Barberra is extremely tasked right now.  He said that http services
142418 - are given priority, and so the problem is that the server will not
142419 - take any ftp operations, until the http activity goes down.  He
142420 - expects this will be a temporary condition.
142421 -
142422 -     [On 980630 service on NT server is slightly better. ref SDS 18
142423 -     1824]
142424 -
142425 -     [On 990423 JPS recommends changing back to Unix. ref SDS 22 9462]
142426 -
142427 - Pat suggested that we keep trying to log onto the server using ftp.
142428 -
142429 - He said we can change our configuration so that the ftp program will
142430 - continue try to access the server rather than time out because the
142431 - server is too busy.
142432 -
142433 - I agreed to do this.
142434 -
142435 -
142436 -  ..
142437 - Changed Configuration FTP Program to Continually Access Server
142438 -
142439 - Pat helped change the configuration of our wsftp program so that it
142440 - can continually try to access the server under ftp protocal, rather
142441 - than time-out, as it is doing now.
142442 -
142443 -        [On 980713 got further instructions on configuring local system
142444 -        to optimize FTP operations. ref SDS 19 2957]
142445 -
142446 -     I used the W95 Disk Explorer program to locate the directory for
142447 -     the wsftp.exe program which is in a folder that is in the My
142448 -     Computer folder.  The Wsfpt folder is at bottom of the list in My
142449 -     Computer.
142450 -
142451 -     In the Wspt_Pro folder, the second item from the bottom of that
142452 -     folder is...
142453 -
142454 -                         ws_ftp32
142455 -
142456 -         ...in the description field it says:  209 63 229 133
142457 -
142458 -         ...which is our IP address.
142459 -
142460 -     Using the right mouse button, we can get a menu that has an
142461 -     option for "site properties" and the "Advanced" tab
142462 -
142463 -     Pat suggested the following changes...
142464 -
142465 -          Connection retry from 0 to 40
142466 -
142467 -          Network timeout from 5 to 120
142468 -
142469 -
142470 -  ..
142471 - Continual Access Configuration Worked But Did Not Make Connection
142472 -
142473 - After making this change, I tried the new configuration.  It seemed to
142474 - work correctly, by continually trying to access the server, but over
142475 - about a 15 or 20 minute period, while Pat I continued our discussion,
142476 - it was not able to obtain access to the server for ftp operations.
142477 -
142478 -
142479 -
142480 -  ..
142481 - JPS Asks Customers to Keep Trying FTP Until It Works
142482 -
142483 - I asked when JPS expects to provide access for ftp operations which
142484 - is critical to us and which JPS agreed to provide in its contract?
142485 -
142486 - Pat said the current problem should not persist for very long, that it
142487 - is an unusual, rare event.
142488 -
142489 - I reviewed the history of our access being unavailable since about
142490 - 0300 this morning, and asked what action JPS plans to take that will
142491 - change the conditions from what has existed over the past 10 hours or
142492 - so?
142493 -
142494 - Pat said he does not know what to do.
142495 -
142496 - I asked if he would write up the record of the solution that Dimitri
142497 - seemed to have provided. ref SDS 0 1742
142498 - ..
142499 - Upon discussion, Mike feels Dimitri did not really solve the
142500 - problem.
142501 -
142502 - Pat said that the IP address, shown by the winipcfg program, is always
142503 - different from the customer's IP address because it shows the IP
142504 - address assigned by JPS when a customer logs on to ftp data.  He said
142505 - a temporary IP address is assigned randomly by the system each time a
142506 - customer logs onto the system.
142507 -
142508 - I asked Pat again about JPS' plans to provide access to the server for
142509 - FTP operations?
142510 -
142511 - Pat noted that JPS gives priority to HTTP access.
142512 -
142513 -
142514 -  ..
142515 - "Intelligence" Needs FTP to Keep Up with "Moving Target of Truth"
142516 - -----------------------------------------------------------------
142517 - I explained that our customers are contributing to HTTP over-tasking.
142518 -
142519 - Thye are using HTTP to access information, only because they expect
142520 - that FTP has been used to load current information they need in order
142521 - to perform the work that pays for using the Internet and everything
142522 - else.  They recognize that if "business intelligence" is not current,
142523 - it misleads, causing losses instead of increased earnings. There is a
142524 - huge swing in performance between relying on accurate or inaccurate
142525 - intelligence.  In the modern world of the Internet and other high
142526 - technology information systems, "truth is a moving target." ref SDS 1
142527 - 5678  What is correct at 1000 may not be accurate at 1400, therefore
142528 - maintenance of the data base is critical in order for business
142529 - intelligence to be useful and avoid being harmful.
142530 -
142531 - A recent article published in Today's Engineer cited the need to focus
142532 - on maintenance (e.g., ftp "anytime, anywhere"), ref SDS 13 0000, as
142533 - well as devising ingenious systems to use it (http), are both
142534 - essential to support a viable "Virtual Office" management model using
142535 - the Internet.
142536 -
142537 - As a result, using the Internet to support daily management requires
142538 - that, as work is performed and intelligence is developed that impacts
142539 - decisions, it must be uploaded using FTP so that decisions and
142540 - analysis are based on good "intelligence." ref SDS 2 1459
142541 -
142542 - This indicates that using the Internet for "business intelligence" to
142543 - lead and manage an organization, as opposed to a marketing environment
142544 - for selling, means that if FTP is not available, then HTTP is of no
142545 - value.
142546 -
142547 -    [On 980630 evaluated JPS NT server performance. ref SDS 18 1824]
142548 -
142549 -    [On 980720 JPS improved system to provide better service, see
142550 -    record at ref SDS 21 0000.]
142551 -
142552 - I asked to talk to a supervisor to explore solutions.
142553 -
142554 -
142555 -
1426 -
1427 -
1428 - 1806 talked to Lance
1429 -
142901 -  ..
142902 - JPS Planning to Add More Servers
142903 -
142904 - Lance is the supervisor for this shift.
142905 -
142906 - Lance said JPS will be getting a new server in a few weeks to reduce
142907 - the load on our server, Barberra.  He feels this will solve the
142908 - problem we have had today. ref SDS 0 8888  When the new server is
142909 - installed, JPS will transfer some customer domains from Barberra so
142910 - that it is less busy with HTTP tasks.
142911 -
142912 -     This problem shows limitations of "Virtual Office" per article in
142913 -     Today's Engineer reviewed on 980613, ref SDS 13 2070, and
142914 -     discussed with USACE CESPN on 980520. ref SDS 12 7470]
142915 -
142916 - I asked when he expects the current problem on Barberra to subside, so
142917 - we can upload?
142918 -
142919 - He feels that we should be able to ftp data by midnight, but there is
142920 - no reason to believe this problem will not continue in the period
142921 - ahead.
142922 -
142923 -
142924 -  ..
142925 - Customer Can Request Transfer to Different Server, Must Reload Data
142926 -
142927 - Lance said we can request a new domain, and this would mean we would
142928 - be transfered to another server right now without having to wait for
142929 - the new server to be installed in a few weeks or months, as he
142930 - explains above. ref SDS 0 1715
142931 -
142932 - I asked how long it takes to transfer the "domain" to another server?
142933 -
142934 - Lance said it takes 24 - 48 hours from the time of the request.
142935 -
142936 - He said that the customer has to upload all of the data though. JPS
142937 - will not transfer data from the current server to the new one.
142938 -
142939 -     [On 980626 JPS will transfer the data. ref SDS 15 1066]
142940 -
142941 - I noted that this seems to conflict with the goal of efficient data
142942 - management.  It takes 5 - 10 hours to upload the complete data base,
142943 - but JPS can do it in a matter of minutes.  Moreover, Lance has
142944 - indicated that JPS will transfer the data if they install a new
142945 - server, so why not do the same transfer to correct the problem of an
142946 - over-tasked server?
142947 -
142948 - Lance said he does not understand the JPS policy on this.
142949 -
142950 -     [On 980626 JPS will transfer the data. ref SDS 15 1066]
142951 -
142952 -
142953 -  ..
142954 - FTP Access Availability is Difficult to Estimate
142955 -
142956 - It appears the problem arises in part from assigning too many accounts
142957 - to a single server.  It may be difficult to estimate the frequency of
142958 - this access problem, since it depends on the popularity of the web
142959 - sites on the server and the type of activity that occurs, e.g.,
142960 - downloading data.  There can be some sites that are rarely used and
142961 - others that are in constant demand.  The type of data may also impact
142962 - the load on a server.  Ordinary text that transfers quickly is less
142963 - burdensome than graphics and exe files.
142964 -
142965 - The demand on a server can be independent of disk space available on
142966 - the server.  A situation could arise where the disk on a server is not
142967 - even half-used, yet because the Web sites are popular, the http
142968 - feature is in constant use and this blocks ftp activity to load data.
142969 -
142970 -
142971 -  ..
142972 - Approved Change to Different Server to Improve FTP Access
142973 -
142974 - I asked Lance how certain he is that if we transfer the domain to
142975 - another server, we will not have problems, as he recommends above?
142976 - ref SDS 0 1984
142977 -
142978 - He advised that we will be using an NT server instead of Unix.
142979 -
142980 - Lance said he believes very strongly that transferring to the server
142981 - he has in mind will solve the ftp problems we have had, because NT
142982 - servers work better than Unix servers for our type of operations.
142983 -
142984 - I asked him to make the change per his recommendation, ref SDS 0 1984,
142985 - and analysis at ref SDS 0 1448.
142986 -
142987 - Lance took our email address.  He said we will be notified tomorrow
142988 - when the domain transfer is complete and we can upload information.
142989 -
142990 -     [On 980626 confirmed that change to NT server is made solely on
142991 -     JPS advice that it will work better than Unix. ref SDS 15 4800]
142992 -
142993 -     [On 980626 reported that at 1900, ftp transfers were successful.
142994 -     ref SDS 15 2750]
142995 -
142996 -     [On 980629 JPS said it would not transfer Welch files, and
142997 -     demanded that Welch do this task. ref SDS 16 4774]
142998 -
142999 -     [On 980630 completed uploading so Welch is back on-line. see work
143000 -     at ref SDS 17]
143001 -
143002 -     [On 980716 JPS moved Welch files to another server without notice
143003 -     or consultation on the impact to service. ref SDS 20 2298]
143004 -
143005 -     [On 990423 JPS recommends changing back to Unix. ref SDS 22 9462]
143006 -
143007 -
143008 -
143009 -
143010 -
1431 -