Chemistry IT's perspective of issues with the stockroom WebApp system and likely order of addressing them as projects
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. |
(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: AWS | 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. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 12/5/16 | Brightworks: Ticket#92516/Please update Singlebrook's GitHub repository for CU Chemistry Stockroom's Linux system w/ PHP code change | Singlebrook's GitHub repository must be updated, and then Oliver informed that this got done. Also, they should update any running test instances, naturally. Chemistry IT staff fixed. 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 | (Priority 1, of 2) Fix bug in WebConnector (Intuit). Quantity type data not changing in kiosk view when changed in Quickbooks; Example: gallons => liters((Dave presumably has actual date started.) |
| Summer 2016 | ?? | (Priority 2, of 2) Reporting enhancement. Need to create a report for the Stockroom purchases AND one for NMR purchases (Dave presumably has actual date started and ticket#.) |
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 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.