Where We Are and Where We Are Going

In the previous post, I recapped, "Where We Are Going with this". That is basically where we are now, as opposed to where we were.

Now, I will delve into what I can see possible for the future of the network, now that some of it is starting to take shape.

For starters, the first priority is to get it to what I call "version a". This is the first working version of the network. There are many steps to do this.

The first step, is that we have to get all the hardware and make all the servers work. The hardware is one piece away from getting all of it. That is a docking station (a personal thing for Dennis Earl Smiley). But since we had all of the network hardware, work on the servers could start.

We have 3 virtual servers left until all the servers work. But there are multiple passes required to get them to work. The first pass is where we just get all the basic functionality to work.

We will be completing it to "version a". Then we can see if we need a version "a-a" immediately or not. Probably we will need a version "a-a" immediately.

What will be possible when we reach version a?

Well for one, we will have all the functionality of the servers complete, so we will be able to log on to use Apps and stuff. We can start to organize our mail/e-mail as well. We should have a good definition of Amazon Echo and Google Home functions, as well as other assistants. We can start to use it in everyday life.

The network can be started to be used in everyday life at that point. This will simplify our daily routines.

--- Dennis Earl Smiley ---

Where It's Going: Recap

This is a recap of where it's going in the future:

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We have several virtual servers. They are divided up on the 2 physical servers: main1, and main2.

We have these servers that provide "basic" functionality:

• vmain - The virtual main server
• This is the basic virtual server for the network, providing services like DNS.
• vweb - The virtual web server
• This server provides the basic infrastructure for web sites hosted by the network.
• vmail - The virtual mail server
• The final "link" for e-mail to work. Although vmain, does provide e-mail as well, it doesn't provide "outside access" to e-mail. It works in a non-standard way. vmail, works in a standard way. vmail provides e-mail accounts similar to what gmail does.
• The two e-mail servers can work together to provide useful network functions.
• vwinxpsrv - The virtual Windows XP server server
• This mainly provides simple TCP/IP services to the network.

We have these App servers:

• vwinxp - The virtual Windows XP server
• This is an App server that allows us to run Windows XP Apps in a world where most Apps that run on Windows XP are no longer supported. There is a lot of good software out there, and we don't want to phase all of it out yet.
• vmandrivalinux - The virtual Mandriva Linux server
• This is an App server that runs Mandriva Linux 2010.1. It lets us use the client functions of Mandriva Linux 2010.1, in a basic way.
• vmandrakelinux - The virtual Mandrake Linux server
• This App server runs Mandrake Linux Community 10.1. It lets us run programs that were designed for Mandrake Linux, which was a predecessor of Mandriva Linux.

There are several websites provided by the network. These can be accessed from the main network website.

There are several websites, and/or web services. These can all be accessed from my main network web page. That is the only one of my network pages, that is located on a server outside the network. Mostly you can browse it as if it were all on one server. But most of it, in reality, is on my virtual servers.

 The basics of e-mail are working okay:

The e-mail subsystems are all set up and working okay. We have a long ways to go before private mail works with e-mail, but we are on the way. Now we have the subsystems set up.

 Although it's not advertised well, we have these abilities:

• Allow users to create their own websites
• Allow users to have their own e-mail accounts, flexible in my non-standard e-mail way.
• Allow users to log onto App servers to play games or do work

We have 3 different Learning Management Systems (LMSs). These are part of the web services.

We will want to provide network booting in the future, so that we can run more OSs.

--- Dennis Earl Smiley ---

Where It's Going

What we will do with that software is this: We will eventually build a client machine for install, which will use a type of Linux. Then we will use virtual box on Linux to run some real clients. We will directly install that Linux on the machine, which will have that virtual box. Then we will install scripts which will download virtual box images from a server. We will have some sort of a menu for which one to install. Then we can run the clients chosen from virtual box.

This is our form of network booting.

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We do not have network booting working yet. This is on the list of "small tweaks" to do.

--- Dennis Earl Smiley ---

Where It's Going

Now we have the ability to use 3 different Learning Management Systems (LMSs). The first one can be used for teaching lessons to 2-3 people at a time. It is the best in most cases, but can only serve 2-3 people at a time.

The second, can be used either when you need more than 3 people, or when you need access via the android app. It also has certain uses that it is also used for where the first cannot be used.

Finally, the 3rd one is a fallback LMS for when no other LMS fits the bill. It will be used occasionally, but rarely.

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This is still working...


-- Dennis Earl Smiley ---

Where It's Going

So what will be possible in the future? Well, I see various things, such as being able to have personal web pages, and being able to log onto game and application servers and do work. It'd be nice to also have the Public News Service back up and running again too.

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Look at this. Some of this is already possible, but not advertised well. We can have personal web pages via the vweb server. We can log onto App servers for the purpose of doing work, or playing games.

The public news service, is basically considered a "dead" thing, for now, however.

--- Dennis Earl Smiley ---

Where It's Going

I can see where the network is going in my head, but it's hard to describe in words. What you are seeing on this website is part of it working. Let me try to describe some of the things I see working however.

I can see people being able to log onto a server for the purpose of using applications. There are several application servers, each with a different OS. These are implemented as virtual servers running perhaps on main1.

I can see websites running from my server(s). The first one is already in progress and it is the main website for the network. It is technically done, it's just that it isn't always working, as main1 is being worked on right now.

I can see down the road theoretical protocols created, such as the buy protocol and the sell protocol. These are protocols created by me.

I can see possibilities of being able to download stuff. You could download programs perhaps, that have been created.

I can see that not just the people who live in the house use this, but others as well. Right now it's only me using it, but I can see that expanding to others using it.

I can see the usefulness of the private mail system working. I can see it working with e-mail.

These are some of the things that I can see working on the network. Perhaps I will post more about them later.

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What you are seeing now, is part of this coming true.

It is now possible to log onto several App servers. Each of these has a different OS. Mostly, it's different flavors of Linux. They are indeed implemented as virtual servers. One is running on main1. However, the majority of them are running on main2.

There are several websites, and/or web services. These can all be accessed from my main network web page. That is the only one of my network pages, that is located on a server outside the network. Mostly you can browse it as if it were all on one server. But most of it, in reality, is on my virtual servers.

The e-mail subsystems are all set up and working okay. We have a long ways to go before private mail works with e-mail, but we are on the way. Now we have the subsystems set up.

--- Dennis Earl Smiley ---

vmandrakelinux

We now have our vmandrakelinux server up and running. This is simply another App server. More access to older programs for us!

--- Dennis Earl Smiley ---

vmandrivalinux

We now have vmandrivalinux completed. vmandrivalinux is: The Virtual Mandriva Linux Server. It is an App Server. Sometimes called an Application Server. From now on I will use the new term "App" as much as possible. This refers to "Application". An Application is a type of program.

So vmandrivalinux is an App Server. It will run apps and function as a client, only with remote access to it.

It has several software packages that we currently did not have access to. It has documentation on it. Lots of documentation. It has Office tools and lots of games and other apps. That's what this one is good for.

--- Dennis Earl Smiley ---

Where We Are and Where We Are Going

We now have all servers on main1 complete. Remember that main1 is a physical server and the rest are virtual servers. That's a little bit of technical information you need to understand things.

There is one more physical server to create virtual servers on. That server is main2. It will come next. main1 has 5 virtual servers. main2 will have 5 more virtual servers. How to use that space is still yet to be determined, but we'll figure it out.

There will be several "passes" made to get the servers working. This is the first pass. The first pass is where we get all virtual servers working.

--- Dennis Earl Smiley ---