In this blog, I am going to look at a really useful method that can be used to help show your IT service provider the problems you are having, without them having to attand your office or connect to your computer.

The feature of Windows 7 that we are going to look at is called Problem Step Recorder or PSR for short.  One of the many functions of PSR is documenting problems that you are having and showing your IT services provider the sequence of events that are leading up to the problem.

How PSR works:

Click on the windows button on the bottom left hand corner of your screen and type in PSR in the search area. This will give you the option to click on Record steps to reproduce a problem, click on this See fig1.

This will open up the Problem Step Recorder program for you. You can have this open any time when you are working. Once you want to start recording the process that you want to show your IT services company you click on the start recording button see fig2.

Now every time that you click your mouse on something your computer will make note of it. Your computer will keep making note of everything that you do until you click the stop recording button.

You can also add comments to the recording for your IT services company and this will help speed up resolving those computer problems that are sometimes hard to replicate when the IT support company are not in your office for you to show how they are happening.

If you have any questions or comments on this we would like to hear them. You can contact iPing IT Services here.

Project Requirements: The aim of this project was to assemble the fastest graphic’s processing PC for a photographer client of ours. The requirements were:

1. The computer had to be as quiet as possible
2. It has to be able to run 24/7 365 days a year
3. And it also had to maximise every euro of our client’s budget

For our client this was a very big investment and therefore we needed to be completely sure that our client was completed happy with the computer we supplied.

Originally our client was looking at the likes of the DELL Workstation T7500 and the HP Z600 and these computers were ranging in price anywhere from €3,600 - €6,000 excluding VAT as of January 2012.

We looked closely at the specs for the Dell T7500 and came to the conclusion that this computer was running on previous generation CPU that offered a lower performance to the current high end CPUs. The memory was very expensive and had relatively slow performance for graphical jobs. Furthermore the hard disk, although a good size at 2 terabytes, was too slow based on what is currently available in the IT market.

Solution:

We came to the conclusion after examining current offerings on the market, that it made the most sense to offer our client a custom built computer. This meant we could match our client’s custom requirements exactly thereby meeting all of their requirements and also future proofing his investment. We offered various options in relation to all of the components of the computer with the pros and cons of each option. Then we helped our client to decide which cost effective combination would deliver the highest performance and this was based on what would let our client render the most pictures and videos per day.

Tech Talk

For the technical minded people out there here is the solution that we put together for our client and some of the thoughts behind each decision:

CPU = Intel 3930K

As of the end of January 2012, the fastest performing desktop CPU on the planet is the Intel 3960X. It runs at 3.3GHz, is armed with 15 megabytes of cache memory for the 6 cores, and it is able to handle 12 simultaneous threads. This CPU costs around €1,100 and this is the reason that we chose the just released little brother of the 3960 the Intel 3930K.

The feature set of the two CPU’s is very similar 3.3GHz vs 3.2GHz, 15MB cache vs 12MB, with the same 6 cores and 12 threads.  The fact that this PC would be used for graphical design and rendering and the price difference between them was between €500 and €550 euros made this decision easy. From studying the benchmarks of the two CPUs, we were happy with choosing the Intel 3930K knowing that there would not be any major performance implications based on the customer’s requirements and guidelines to us.

Motherboard = Asus P9X79 pro

The Asus P9X79 pro makes use of the Intel X79 chipset and this is the latest and most feature rich chipset that Intel currently have, that meets our customer’s requirements. Some of the reasons for choosing to go with the P9X79 were its best in class power efficiency and the ability to have 8 memory modules.

Memory = 32 GB Corsair Vengeance 2000MHz

The motherboard we chose is able to handle 8 memory modules instead of 4 like the earlier models. In this case, this choice was very useful because we could choose 8 pieces of very fast Corsair Vengeance 2000MHz 4Gbyte modules instead of the slower and much more expensive (about double the price!) 8Gbyte 1600MHz modules to reach the 32Gigs.

Graphics Card = PNY Quadro 4000

The customer requested that we use a Nvidia Quadro graphics card in this system. This was the card we agreed would be good for the type of graphic intensive work that our client needed to be able to do. We chose the affordable PNY Quadro 4000 with 2 Gigabytes of memory as it fitted their needs and requirements. Most computers these days use less than 2 gigs of memory all together, so having 2 gigabytes of memory on the video card dedicated to video and graphic editing will make an astounding difference.

The 2 gigabytes of memory on the graphics card and also the 32 gigabytes of memory in the system require a 64bits operating system.  For this reason we chose Windows 7 professional 64bit as the operating system.

Working files & Operating System Storage = 256 Gigabyte Corsair SSD

At the moment Solid State Disks (SSDs) are all the rage in the computer work and IT suppliers really like them.  You may ask why? The reason is they are fully electronic i.e. they have no moving parts. Old disks have heads that move to read the data and this makes them slower than the SSD. The SSD currently can be up to 100 times faster than the traditional hard disk. This is the main reason that we selected an SSD disk for the operating system, the second reason was the type of files that our client will be working on. In the future the client can also add another SSD to this configuration in a RAID 0 configuration and this will give him another performance boost if required.

Archive Storage = Western Digital 7200RPM 2 Terabyte HDD

The one problem with the SSD compared to traditional disks is the storage size is smaller than the default 1 TB / 2 TB disks that come as standard in computers these days. To get around this we advised the client to put one of these disks into the computer to enable big jobs to be archived onto it once work had been finished on them. Then, if he needs to work on the job again he can move it back onto the fast SSD for production.

File Backup = Online Backup & USB disk

We set the computer up with an online backup system to back up all of the critical files on the computer. This lets the customer leverage the power of cloud storage. We also suggested that he back up every month to a 2TB external USB disk so as to have a local backup. Having the local backup will speed up the recovery time should we need to recover everything from the online backup as we will only have to recover at most one month’s files from the online backup.

Test Test Test

After finishing the build and install all of the required software we stress tested every part of the system and then tested the whole computer. We ran a burn test that put the CPU, GPU and the memory to 100% of its capacity. We let this test run for 115 hours (almost 5 days!) while constantly monitoring all speeds, voltages and temperatures. This test ran without fault and was exactly what we required to give our customer peace of mind in their purchase.

The noise level of this PC is another highlight that we are proud of and it is barely audible even under heavy load. This is thanks to the huge and slow fans on the industrial cooler and the high-end power supply.

Final thoughts

Considering that this computer cost around €2,700 to custom build, we saved our customer thousands of euros compared to the original Dell and HP computers that he was looking at and we got a computer that was at least 20% faster.

At the moment there is no upgrade for the CPU and Intel has not released any updates on this yet. This PC has the potential to have its CPU overclock without any modifications thanks to the carefully chosen parts. It is currently running at its stock speed of 3.2 GHz but we have the knowledge and the ability to gain about 20-25% of speed increase if required in the future.

It looks like Microsoft is taking performance optimization really seriously in it's latest version of the Windows operating system ‘Windows 8’. Even though Microsoft hints at a Windows 8 release date of autumn 2012, the early speed tests are showing performance increases of up to 65%.

Some of the best performance improvements can be seen on start-up times between Windows 7 and Windows 8. The shutdown times between the two of these are comparable however it is important to bear in mind that Microsoft already made major inroads into the shutdown times in Windows 7 so I do not see this a major issue.

The question now for business owners is if they should move from Windows XP / Vista to Windows 7 now, or wait for Windows 8 to come out late in 2012 as it is looking like Windows 8 will offer some great speed improvements.

If you would like some advice on the ever moving dilemma of when to upgrade your software please contact the experts at iPing.

Can you believe it has been ten years since the launch of Microsoft Windows XP?

It is hard to believe that Microsoft Windows was released on the 25th of October 2001. The XP in Windows XP stood for 'Experience'. Banks in particular embraced Windows XP and as an operating system it was a great improvement on the previous versions of the Windows platform.

Consumers have been quicker to ditch XP for Windows 7 and one of the big factors in this is down to the fact that most new computers are shipping with Windows 7. Big businesses have not been as quick to move from XP to Windows 7 but this is starting to happen at a faster pace now.

If you are looking for some advice on moving from Windows XP or Vista to Windows 7 why not contact iPing.

Q1: Do they take the time to explain what they are doing and answer your questions in plain old English?

Our Answer: Our technicians are trained to have the ‘heart of a teacher’ and will take time to answer your questions and explain everything in simple terms. Just look at what Niall ó h-Éalaithe from Open Office Architects www.openofficearchitects.ie had to say:

“i-Ping helped us to set up our printing, network, security and backup systems. We were very pleased with their prompt response and their friendly and professional service. We are happy to recommend them to other companies.”

Q2: Do they consistently offer new ways to improve your network’s performance, or do they wait until you have a problem to make recommendations?

Our Answer: We conduct quarterly review meetings with our clients to look for new ways to help improve their operations, lower costs, increase efficiencies, and resolve any problems that may be arising. Our goal with these meetings is to help our clients be more profitable, efficient, and competitive.

Q3: Do they provide detailed invoices that clearly explain what you are paying for?

Our Answer: We provide detailed invoices that show what work was done, why, and when, so you never have to guess what you are paying for. We also double-check our invoices for accuracy before they are sent to you.

Q4: Do they have Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance to protect you if something goes wrong?

Our Answer: iPing is fully insured so on the off chance that something goes wrong with a job that we are working on for you, you can be sure that we are covered for the work that we are doing on your network.

Maintenance Of Your Network:

Q5: Do they insist on remotely monitoring your network 24-7-356 to keep critical security settings, virus definitions, and security patches up-to-date and PREVENT problems from turning into downtime, viruses, lost data, and other issues?

Our Answer: Yes; our remote network monitoring system watches over your network and constantly looks for developing problems, security issues, and other problems so that we can address them before they turn into problems.

Q6: Do they provide you with a report that shows all the updates, security patches, and status of every machine on your network so you know for SURE your systems have been secured and updated?

Our Answer: On our total computer care package we provide our clients with a detailed report that shows an overall health of their network and the updates to their antivirus, security settings, patches, and other important network checks.

Q7: Is it standard procedure for them to provide you with written network documentation detailing, your critical passwords?”

Our Answer: On our total computer care package all clients receive this in written and electronic form at no additional cost. We also perform a quarterly update on this material and make sure certain key people from your organization have this information and know how to use it, giving you complete control over your network.

Backups And Disaster Recovery:

Q8: Do they INSIST on monitoring an offsite as well as an onsite backup, or are they letting you rely on tape backups?

Our Answer: We do not advise our clients to use just tape backups because they are unreliable. We make sure all of our clients have an online backup that will work at all times and not a tape backup system that relay on someone changing tapes.

Q9: Do they INSIST on doing periodical test restores of your backups to make sure the data is not corrupt and could be restored in the event of a disaster?

Our Answer: We perform regular tests on backups for our clients to make sure their data can be recovered in the event of an emergency. After all, the WORST time to “test” a backup is when you desperately need it.

Q10: Do they insist on backing up your network BEFORE performing any type of project or upgrade?

Our Answer: We do; and that’s simply as a precaution in case a hardware failure or software glitch causes a major problem.

Technical Expertise And Support:

Q11: Do their technicians maintain current vendor certifications and participate in on-going training?

Our Answer: Our technicians are required to keep the most up-to-date vendor certifications.  Our engineers have Microsoft, Dell or Cisco qualifications.

Q12: Do their technicians arrive on time and dress professionally?

Our Answer: Our technicians are true professionals that you would be proud to have in your office. They dress professionally, show up on time and if they cannot for some unforeseen reason we always notify the client immediately. We believe these are minimum requirements for delivering a professional service.

Over the past month quite a few customers have asked me to explain some of the computer terms and acronyms that I have been using so I decided to include a piece in the newsletter about it.

• CPU - Central Processing Unit. This is the brain of your computer or smart phone that is responsible for executing commands.
• PC - Personal Computer. This is an easy one that I am sure everyone knows and spends many hours on per day ;)
• MFP - Multi Function Printer. This is a Printer, Fax, Copier and Scanner all rolled up into one unit.
• HTTP  - Hypertext Transfer Protocol  is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web.
• IT - Information Technology. This is a generic term that is used for all things computer and can mean many things to many people.
• PSU - Power Supply Unit. This is the part of your computer or server that takes power from the ESB and powers your computer.
• IP - Internet Protocol. Usually followed by address. The IP address is used for your computer to communicate on the Internet.
• PABX - Public Access Branch Exchange. This is the industry term for a phone system.
• POTS - Plain Old Telephone Service. This is the phone lines that you more than likley have connected in your home.
• FTP - File Transfer Protocol. This is a protocol that is used to transfer files across the Internet.
• URL - Uniform Resource Locator. This is used to identify different websites and resources on the Internet.
• RDP -  Remote Desktop Protocol. This is a protocol that lets you remotly connect to and use a computer / server.
• W2K8 - Windows 2008 Server. This is Microsoft's most current server operating system.
• RPC - Remote Procedure Call. This allows a computer program to execute a command on another computer.
• SEO - Search Engine Optimization. This is a process of improving your chance of your website being found by Google and other web search engines.  Google Guide to SEO
• AFK - Away From Keyboard. If someone from iPing is supporting you and we are AFK it will not be more than 5 Mins ;)

Just for good measure here are some  e-mail acronyms:

• AFAIAC = As far as I am concerned
• AFAIK = As far as I know
• ATM = At the moment
• BR = Best regards
• BRB = Be right back
• BTW = By the way
• EOM = End of month
• EOP = End of play
• ETA = Estimated time of arrival
• IMO = In my opinion
• LOL = Laughing out loud
• TMI = Too much information
• TTYL = Talk to you later

I would really love to hear some of your favourite Computer & IT Acronyms.

Having a secure computer network is something that is imperative to every company and in this article we are going to look at some of the areas that need to be secured. The aim is to get you thinking about your network and your security and what areas of security need improvement.

Physical Security

The first step in securing your computer network is making sure that you have your office, computer room, computer cabinets and hosting facilities secure. If someone who is trying to access your network can easily get physical access to your network, their job suddenly becomes a whole lot easier. At the most basic level, you should consider your physical security. Your staff needs to take responsibility to ensure doors and windows are locked, and the alarm is switched on when leaving the building at night. Physical security is not something that iPing are experts in and we suggest that you consult a security expert company like DFB Securities for this.

Data Backup

Every secure network needs to have a robust data backup strategy in place. If for some reason someone gains entry to your office and vandalises your computers, network or servers you need to make sure that you have all your company’s critical data backed-up. Hardware and software can always be replaced but if you do not have a robust backup of your data in place, your company will be in trouble. At times you may also have to restore a computer or server from a previous state to confirm that you have removed a virus. iPing suggest you use a combination of online backup and local backup for best results.

Virus Protection / Internet Security

A company needs to-be protected from Viruses if it is to stand any chance of passing a basic security audit. Viruses can let hackers access your network remotely, copy data from your computers and see what you are doing on your computer at all times.  Once a computer has been compromised with viruses, it is a timely and costly issue to fix. This is a definite case where prevention is better and cheaper than the cure. iPing suggest that you install your antivirus as soon as you get a new computer and if possible it should be installed before the computer is put on the network. Once you have your antivirus installed, you need to make sure you are running regular virus scans and updating your antivirus definitions daily. iPing recommend Eset-NOD antivirus to our clients.

Firewall  

A secure network has a firewall installed that is better than the basic one that comes with your Broadband connection. A Firewall is the first line of defence for protecting your network from all the threats on the Internet. A good Firewall will help lock down your network from the outside and it will also help you control and monitor what is happening inside your network. iPing use Cisco & Sonicwall Firewalls and they catch viruses before they get into the network, prevent hackers accessing the network and also stop your users from going to websites that could harm your network.

Software Patches

To have a secure network, you need to make sure that your computers and servers are secure. One of the steps in making sure your computers and servers are secure is to make sure that software patches are applied to them. In most cases you can let Windows automatic updates deal with updating the operating system but you must make sure you are updating other software that you use to help keep your computer secure. You need to remember that your network is only as secure as the weakest link and if you do not update your computers, you are weakening your network.

Password Management

Every company need to give some serious consideration to what passwords people are using to secure their computer accounts. If your users are using simple passwords or the same password for all their accounts, they are potentially weakening your network security. Your company should have a minimum password length of eight characters and passwords should be a mixture of numbers, letters and symbols.

Laptops, Phones & removable devices

Anything that employees take out of the office to assist them with doing their jobs and connecting to the company’s network needs to be secured. You should be encrypting laptops and USB disks and there should be passwords and pin codes on your phones. It may sound basic but you should never have passwords stuck onto a laptop and you should never save important passwords in your mobile.

Staff Training

Whenever a new person starts in your company, they will go through an induction program where they learn about the company and how to do their job. iPing suggest that as part of this induction process, staff should be made aware of the importance of computer security in the company and how they should always be vigilant for security vulnerabilities. Your staff play an important role in keeping your computer network secure, so let iPing help you in training your staff to be more secure.      

Remote Connections & Home Offices

If there are sales people or other members of staff who are working on the road or if there are staff members who are working from home, you need to apply all of the criteria in this document to the areas that these members of staff are working from. As we have said your network is only secure as its weakest point and if it is easy for someone to access your network from a remote home connection or office, this could pose a big risk.

At iPing helping our clients have a secure network is a passion of ours. If you would like us to help you secure your network, please give us a call on 01 5241350 or e-mail us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Most people have heard of the term data protection, generally in the context of large scale data breaches such as those that have been reported in relation to Bank of Ireland, the HSE and the GAA. So what do the Data Protection Acts really mean for the average company?

Below you will find a short guide to what you should think about in relation to data protection to ensure that you comply with the Acts. Most importantly we have outlined what the Data Protection Commissioner advises in relation to keeping your data safe and secure. iPing Limited would be happy to advise you on the best methods for securing your data, computers and network.

Ask yourself the following questions in relation to your company?

1. Is your company a data controller? i.e. does your company CONTROL the contents and use of personal data? Bear in mind that personal data is any data relating to a living identifiable individual.
2. Does your company PROCESS personal data on behalf of a data controller? Consider that the meaning of process is very wide under the acts and covers practically any use or storage of data.
3. Does your company process SENSITIVE data? Sensitive data is data relating to a person’s racial or ethnic origin, to their political opinions, to a person’s religious or philosophical beliefs, to a person’s trade union membership, to a person’s physical or mental health or to information relation to any proceeding relating to an office committed.

If you fall into any of the above three categories, you need to consider whether you need to REGISTER with the Data Protection Commissioner. ( For more information see www.dataprotection.ie) Certain categories of businesses are exempt, are you one of these? If not, your failure to register is an offence.

COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST WITH DATA PROTECTION OBLIGATIONS

• Your company should analyse what categories of records containing personal data it holds e.g. employment records, financial information, medical records.
• Are the individuals to whom the data relates aware that this data is being held?
• Have you told the data subject what use you make of his/her personal data?
• Is all data collected relevant to the purpose for which it is processed?
• Do you have adequate security measures in place to protect personal data?
• Do you have appropriate procedures in place to ensure that personal data is kept up to date?
• Do you have a defined policy on retention periods for your personal data?
• Do you have a data protection policy in place, including data protection notices?
• Have you a plan for what would happen if there was a breach of personal data?
• Do you have procedures in place for handling requests from individuals?
• Is your staff trained appropriately in data protection?
• Do you regularly review and audit the data which you hold?

HOW CAN iPING LIMITED HELP YOU….

Under the Data Protection Acts personal data must be kept SAFE AND SECURE. Your company has a duty to secure the data which it controls. The consequences of failure can be serious for both you and the person to whom the data relates.

Your company should have appropriate security measures taken against unauthorised access to, alteration, disclosure, or destruction of personal data to comply with the Acts.

The Data Protection Commissioner has given some guidelines in order to ensure you comply:

ACCESS CONTROL:

• The Commissioner recommends the use of passwords, smart cards or other forms of identity authentication
• What data does your staff need access to? Consider whether your staff should only have access on a need to know basis…
• Access logs and audit trails

TECHNICAL SECURITY:

• Consider whether your data should be encrypted, have you adequate anti -virus software installed, do you need a firewall?
• Do you have automatic screen savers on your staff’s computers, do they lock after periods of inactivity?
• Have you your data backed up?
• What is your disaster recovery plan?
• Take care with wireless networks and remote access

REMOVABLE DEVICES: How many data breaches have we all read in the papers which related to the loss of a laptop? Laptops are probably the most vulnerable device to theft or accidental loss. The Commissioner therefore recommends you restrict the extent of personal data held on such devices, and ensure they have the same security measures as on site devices. Ensure data is backed up onto the main system and delete data from the device once it is no longer needed.

THE HUMAN FACTOR:

• Make your staff aware of your clearly defined security policy
• Prohibit the writing down or sharing of passwords
•  Email attachments should not be opened prior to anti-virus screening

PHYSICAL SECURITY:

• It may be obvious but make sure your office is locked and alarmed at the end of the day.
• Consider the location of your computers and ensure screens are not visible to members of the public.
• Be careful with how you dispose of print-outs etc – always shred personal or sensitive data.

TAKE NOTE: Your company has a continuing obligation to keep data secure in line with current technological developments.

If you need our advice on how to keep your data SAFE AND SECURE, email Mark in iPing at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on 01 5241350.

* Disclaimer The above is for information purposes only and does not represent legal advice.

A quick question that you should be asking yourself is: "Did I back up my data for World Backup Day."

If not, why not?

Data backup is something that we never stop talking about here at iPing. A company's data is just too important not to back up and with all the great online backup options that are out there you would have to be crazy not to have something in place. Garther says that 75% of businesses go out of business after having a major data loss when their data is not backed up.

Out of all the backup options available at present, I really really like the online backup option. It mostly takes the human element out of the backup process once it has been configured properly. You would not believe the amount of times I have gone to restore from a backup and it turned out that the person who was supposed to be changing the backup tape was not doing it any more.

Most times the excuses I hear are that the person who looked after the backup tapes left the company, or often times the person looks at me for a minute before saying, 'I was supposed to be doing that'. 

Now I do not want to give the impression that data backup day is the only day you need to back your data up. You need to have it done every day and that is why it is good to have a computer do it automatically online.

If you did back your data up last week for World Backup Day, pat yourself on the back and if you did not, well do it now. Be sure to give iPing a call on 01 5241350 if you want to have a chat about getting an online backup strategy put in place.

Regards
Mark