Critical Analysis and You

Statememt:
Our Powerschool server is slow to process attended.

Not a lot of information there, right? So based solely on that tidbit, what would you recommend as a solution?

• Add another "node" to the app server, either an image or database server
• Mess with the number of handlers issued by Tomcat
• Fool with the Apache configuration
• Reboot the server
• Gather more data in order to narrow down where the performance bottleneck is before proceeding with any other step.

Some of us might consider the last option to be the only viable choice. Too bad Pearson support and our own DBA have instead recommended everything else on the list. :/

Future envy

For the last two weeks, me and the Network Admin have been using the gmail end of Google Apps for Education. The "Create Event" feature in gmail, while not revolutionary, is a very nice incentive (if one is needed).

It seems like every day I'm confronted with multiple problems that I have an urge to answer with "Oh, when we Go Google, it'll be easy to make your own mail list that lives in the cloud" or "Oh, you won't have to worry about that document format once we Go Google."

More examples:

• When we Go Google (shortened to "WWGG" from here on) you won't have to find a good way for students to save their work without losing it on a computer.
• WWGG, your students' can work together on the same presentation, and then you can grade it; all in the same UI.
• WWGG maintaining that group calendar will be a breeze.
• WWGG sharing that data with support at That Company will be a snap with Google Sites.
• WWGG it will be fun to watch the High School singing and dancing choir in Google Video
• Instant chat with the district's support network will be so nice, WWGG (see what I didm there?)

And so on, and so on.

Except I can't say "When we Go Google" yet. Darn it. ;)

Uhm... OH HAI

I am embarassed to say that this blog, like so many other crufty pieces on the web, slipped my mind.

However, the public school dsitrict in which I work is considering "Going Google". Our Network Administrator is considering retirement, and our State Government can't seem to get it's budget worked out.

With all that in mind, I may start using Lax Logoi, once again, as a thought dump.