Networks, VPN's and Politics, Oh My

Question of the day, if a web server has no network to connect to is it still a web server? We still do not have a network. Apparently there exists many security issues with it that have not been resolved and one big one that dose not look like it can be resolved. They all have to do with access to the system, both by our libraries and by SirsiDynix. Our meeting this week with the State’s network people was supposed to resolve this. As this broke down into a finger pointing clash of policies, standards and liabilities nothing was accomplished. Well, no, that is not true. We know now that this system will not meet its potential shackled to the State network. The powers that be who sit over that network have policies and standards that in the library environment do not work. Their principles are sound and the security is warranted but the practicality is just not there. To be fair, it is wrong for us to force changes to their model either. It is really as simple as; would you go to a pizza parlor for Chinese food? You wouldn’t, and what we need this system to do falls well outside of what the State’s network can provide. So where does that leave us? We have $222,000 of computer equipment and two technicians coming in on Monday to install it to… Maybe I can get a U-Haul and plug it into my Earthlink dial up at home. snicker snicker I didn’t think so. It’s time for a few more meetings and an interim solution for now.