Chemistry IT's perspective of issues with the stockroom WebApp system and likely order of addressing them as projects
Table of contents
See also
Service workflow within Chemistry
If Stockroom staff have a problem, they just have to report it to Chemistry IT:
Service providers and related context
| Provider | Realm of focus | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Brightworks <help@brightworks.com>
| High-level integration and work-flow consulting. Stockroom's Quickbooks configuration, function, and use. Quickbooks and related documentation. Both end-user and technical. Quickbooks reports. Quickbooks 2-way connection to the custom stockroom Web App. Consulting on underlying Windows OS and application, including versions, patching, and upgrades. Consulting on backups and security. | Quickbooks running on Windows Server (2013?). Accessed by Stockroom staff via RDP. |
Currently no one. Was recently Singlebrook. Before that, GORGES, the app. creator. Hoping for: CIT Custom Web Development <customdev-req> (Use their ticket numbers) | Stockroom (Kiosk) Web App configuration (PHP code, mostly), function, use, and documentation. Stockroom Web App's and related documentation. Both end-user and technical. Consulting on underlying Windows OS and application, including versions, patching, and upgrades. Consulting on backups and security. | Running on Linux CentOS 6, Apache, coded in PHP. Accessed by Stockroom staff, via Admin web page, for select admin functions. Accessed by end-users as primary POS system. |
| Hoping for: Amazon Web Services (AWS), or similar cloud service provider. | Server hosting. Server security. Q: OS and select application patching and upgrades (Apache, PHP?). How tested/ done?
| See below for current server hosting situation. |
Chemistry IT <ChemIT> (Use their ticket numbers) | First-responders to problems reported about the system. Project management integrating work from above firms for both break-fix and new functionality. Overall functionality, including effective security. Hosting both Windows and Linux servers. And both production and test systems. Performing OS and application patching and upgrades, including testing and roll-back/ restores. Ensuring backup of infrastructure. Ensure backup of current data (within a day?) | Hope: Migrate servers to AWS, or the like. Currently, all servers running within Windows Servers (2013?), within MS HyperV server VMs. Production running on ~4.5+ old server hardware and Synology box. Test running on old, desktop hardware, with limited RAM for their VMs. |
Chemistry IT projects and associated tickets currently in play or in pipeline
| Date started | REQ and INC numbers, and subject line | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 5/12/17 | INC000001956324: Stockroom - Ticket#98873/CUChem/Chemistry Stockroom - Our DEV Windows environment for Brightworks | 8/23/17: Putting this on pause; can re-open via email with both our ticket numbers. Paused while Lulu works the integration issues (v1.0=>1.5=2.0), following the 7.5 hours work Brightworks has done. (I pre-authorized Brightworks another 5 hours, if this gets spooled up again.) See our costs page, too. Current "1.0" production system, and new "2.0" development system, are both in Amazon Web Services (AWS). See: |
| 12/12/16 | INC000001836298: Stockroom - Ticket#88853/CUChem/Chemistry Stockroom - New reports to support NMR sales | See related Brightworks ticket, below |
| 12/20/16 | In play: Secure support for Web App and related PHP coding support. Current effort: CIT's Custom Web Development (see below) Then: Get Web App's git repository hosted. Then: Integrate various changes Lulu made to production (PHP). Fix to (external!) KFS migration problem; bug fix related to QB-to-Web App's MySQL data, enhancement related to QB-to-Web App's MySQL data. | Was: Brightworks: Ticket#92516/Please update Singlebrook's GitHub repository for CU Chemistry Stockroom's Linux system w/ PHP code change AND Brightworks: Ticket#89702/CUChem/Software Troubleshooting - Kiosk display issues AND Ticket#72537/CUChem/Discovery with Singlebrook: Obtain final snapshot of code improvement suggestions |
| In pipeline | Upgrade CUWebAuth version (Web App). (Then update git?) | |
| In pipeline | Migrate Windows and Linux servers to AWS. (Migrate from git to git-based Docker?) | Get it off off old Chemistry IT hardware and VM infrastructure. |
| In pipleline | Update and "clean" Windows server. (Do this as part of migrating to AWS?) | Michael asks 2017-02-10:
|
CIT Custom Web Development tickets currently in play
| Date started | REQ and INC numbers, and subject line | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1/25/17 | REQ000001005585 INC000001866942 - Chemistry Stockroom's Web App maintenance and support | Oliver started, requesting a meeting to determine fit and hopefully craft PHP support plan. |
Brightworks tickets currently in play
| Date started | Ticket# and subject line | Comments |
|---|---|---|
12/12/16 | Ticket#88853/CUChem/Chemistry Stockroom - New reports to support NMR sales | Issue: Need to create a report for the Stockroom purchases AND one for NMR purchases. A consequence of NMR's purchases being added to the system somewhat willy-nilly, I suppose. Dave started this request with Brightworks around August 2016. No movement made with Brightworks so handed issue to Oliver in December 2016. (Dave presumably has actual date started and original ticket#, if different.) This ticket had been Dave's "Priority 2" (of 2) during those months. This "Reporting enhancement" took a back-seat to Brightworks working on his "Priority 1" for months. (A problem Lulu fixed in hours/ days, with assistance from Oliver.) |
Past Brightworks tickets (move to better location?)
| Date started | Ticket# and subject line | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 12/5/16 | Brightworks: Ticket#92516/Please update Singlebrook's GitHub repository for CU Chemistry Stockroom's Linux system w/ PHP code change | Stopgap measure taken: 1/19/17: John sent latest version of Singlebrook's git repository to Oliver. Need to get that hosted, then update it with Lulu's changes. FULL STOP: Singlebrook no longer available to help! WAS: Singlebrook's GitHub repository must be updated, and then Oliver informed that this got done. Also, they should update any running test instances, naturally. Code to update: Lulu, Chemistry IT, fixed show-stopping issue due to KFS change, and debugged "WebConnector" issue (which wasn't that!), And added enhancement to Web App. Stockroom system had mostly stopped working. Cornell's Kuali (KFS) upgrade over weekend created problem. See also: |
| Summer 2016 | Ticket#89702/CUChem/Software Troubleshooting - Kiosk display issues | (Dave's Priority 1, of 2) Fix bug in WebConnector (Intuit). Brightworks misdiagnosed issue. Chemistry IT's Lulu found problem within Web App's PHP and fixed the bug. Issue: Quantity type data not changing in kiosk view when changed in Quickbooks; Example: gallons => liters (Dave presumably has actual date started (~summer 2016.) |
Usually info regarding completed work gets moved to the following page, under section, "Past issues dealt with, through Brightworks":
And our known issues are parked:
Status, as of January 2017
5 "big" to-do's (projects), listed in the order they are likely to be addressed. Same number means ordered to happen concurrently.
Big change: Web App support no longer could be Singlebrook, as learned in December 2016.
1 (at same time, so also 2) Brightworks: Reporting enhancement.
Stockroom WebApp now accepts NMR charges.
- New reports must be created, or current ones modified, to distinguish Stockroom charges from NMR charges.
1 (at same time, so also 2) Chemistry IT: Secure support for Web App and PHP coding.
- When successful, then do back-logged true-up work. Must wait for git repository to be re-hosted (by service provider, we hope).
3. Migrate both Stockroom WebApp system's servers off Chemistry IT server infrastructure.
A hopeful candidate is Amazon Web Services (AWS). A very good opportunity to upgrade both servers' OSes.
- One server is Windows (running Quickbooks), and the other is Linux (running Apache web server, a MySQL DB, and the custom web application code (PHP), and both are connected via Intuit's WebConnector tool.
- Must decide if doing one at a time, or both servers at once.
4. Update CUWebAuth (Cornell)
Chemistry IT staff expect to update Linux system to the current version of CUWebAuth, once bug and enhancements above are solved.
5. Migrate both Stockroom WebApp system's servers off Chemistry IT server infrastructure.
A hopeful candidate is Amazon Web Services (AWS). A very good opportunity to upgrade both servers' OSes.
- One server is Windows (running Quickbooks), and the other is Linux (running Apache web server, a MySQL DB, and the custom web application code (PHP), and both are connected via Intuit's WebConnector tool.
- Must decide if doing one at a time, or both servers at once.
Status, as of November 2016
4 "big" to-do's (projects), listed in the order they are expected to be addressed:
1. Fix bug in WebConnector (Intuit)
Prevents an item's "unit" from being changed in WebApp (Linux), from Intuit Quickbooks (Windows). Customers therefore don't see any units changed within Quickbooks.
- Example: Change from using gallon units to using liter units, for a liquid item.
2. Reporting enhancement.
Stockroom WebApp now accepts NMR charges.
- New reports must be created, or current ones modified, to distinguish Stockroom charges from NMR charges.
3. Update CUWebAuth (Cornell)
Chemistry IT staff expect to update Linux system to the current version of CUWebAuth, once bug and enhancements above are solved.
4. Migrate both Stockroom WebApp system's servers off Chemistry IT server infrastructure.
A hopeful candidate is Amazon Web Services (AWS). A very good opportunity to upgrade both servers' OSes.
- One server is Windows (running Quickbooks), and the other is Linux (running Apache web server, a MySQL DB, and the custom web application code (PHP), and both are connected via Intuit's WebConnector tool.
- Must decide if doing one at a time, or both servers at once.