Listing of technical documentation written or edited by Eric Niewoehner.
Alas, most of my adult life was not writing what I wanted, but what was necessary. An aspect of a mature technical “master” is someone who not only is technically proficient, but also able to communicate what they have learned towards others. This transference of knowledge is not only “helpful,” it is also critically important in matters of security and business continuity. In some aspects of the IT world, it is what puts the “science” into “computer science.” Is what I document repeatable and does it work when applied?
I had good mentors. Much of what I learned began with input from my “customers”, the end users that asked for solutions that they could use to train others. IT colleagues were always a big help as we passed around discoveries. The broader IT community also added a lot of information. Special kudos goes to IBM and their top-flight technical support personnel. I learned a lot from observing the “IBM way”, least of which was clear documentation and the discipline their personnel exhibited by following the book.
Daily Operation Guides
Daily Operation Guide Template (author)
US Forest Service Data Center
June 20, 2015, Updated March 12, 2022
Provides a template by which developers and application managers can record procedures for installing, diagnosing and further developing applications.
Check out Welcome to DOGland.
Docker Daily Operations Guide (editor)
US Forest Service Data Center
March 13, 2019
This document records specifications on installing, configuring and managing Docker systems and agents, as well as providing guidance on the Docker application itself. My role in this project was to help assemble the DOG and edit the initial draft.
Windows Daily Operations Guide (author)
US Forest Service Data Center
December 1, 2018
This document pulls together several groups of Windows administrators, from the basic operating system administrators, to specialists in Citrix and GIS. This DOG provides guidelines for administering servers in a cloud environment, especially the obtuse layers of security that make administration challenging.
Information is secured and not available for public viewing.
GPFS Daily Operations Guide (editor)
US Forest Service Data Center
June 1, 2017
This document focuses on the GPFS servers and management of GPFS services. The document is originally written by IBM. Additional notes written by myself and GPFS specialists are provided through footnotes to the original text, or added content in the Appendix.
Information is secured and not available for public viewing.
Key Distribution Center (editor)
US Forest Service Data Center
March 14, 2017
The Forest Service network utilizes a Key Distribution Center to manage Kerberos keys for some of the systems. The DOG is largely written by IBM. Additional notes written by myself and KDC specialists are provided through footnotes to the original text, or added content in the Appendix.
Information is secured and not available for public viewing.
LPAR Operations Guide (editor)
US Forest Service Data Center
March 17, 2017
No, it has nothing to do with golf. LPAR is an accronym used by IBM to describe it’s virtual machine. It is a logical partition. A vast portion of the document is IBM documentation. Additional notes written by myself and LPAR specialists are provided through footnotes to the original text, or added content in the Appendix.
AIX Notes (author)
US Forest Service Data Center
November 1, 2016
Something that brings it all together, from IBM’s AIX Daily Operations Guide to the added contributions of people experienced in running AIX systems.
Information is secured and not available for public viewing.
Performance and Capacity DOG (author)
US Forest Service Data Center
June 1, 2016
This DOG explores new ground for the Forest Service, detailing how Performance and Capacity are measured, monitoring tools, analysis and affecting change and improvements in data center operations.
Hosting Services Daily Operations Guide (author)
US Forest Service Data Center
January 4, 2016
Developing procedures that pertain to the Hosting Services team, ranging from how incidents are handled to demand and capacity management.
Information is secured and not available for public viewing.
Security Daily Operations Guide (author)
US Forest Service Data Center
August 3, 2015
Provides procedures for handling processes specific to security applications, as well as a technical discussion of those applications.
Information is secured and not available for public viewing.
BladeCenter and RSA Daily Operations Guide (editor)
US Forest Service Data Center
March 1, 2015
Provides procedures for the setup and administration of Blade Centers and RSA’s of standalone IBM systems.
Information is secured and not available for public viewing.
GPFS Linux Clients Daily Operations Guide (Editor)
US Forest Service Data Center
December 2, 2013
Provides procedures for troubleshooting GPFS issues on Linux systems that are GPFS clients, as well as monitoring specifications. Document was initially written by Dave Strehle.
Information is secured and not available for public viewing.
Incident Management for the VDC (author)
US Forest Service Data Center — still in Draft stage
June 6, 2014
Provides procedures for handling incidents at the USDA Virtual Data Center (third-party cloud party provider). Currently in draft, portions are used by the Data Center.
Information is secured and not available for public viewing.
Linux Daily Operations Guide (editor)
US Forest Service Data Center
August 13, 2012
The largest technical publication I have been involved with, provides extensive information on the management of Linux systems at the data center, covering the full range of procedures and technical information on every aspect of the Linux operating system. Included are sections on how Linux systems are monitored.
Information is secured and not available for public viewing.
Linux Monitoring Plan for Enterprise Operations Center (author)
US Forest Service Data Center
February 28, 2013
Provides specifications on what tools are used to monitor Linux systems, incident management, and threshold specifications.
Information is secured and not available for public viewing.
Monitoring Plan for Devices in the Virtual Data Center (author)
US Forest Service Data Center
June 25, 2014
Provides procedures for monitoring USFS systems at a third party cloud provider (USDA’s Virtual Data Center). Currently in draft mode.
Information is secured and not available for public viewing.
PuTTY Tips (author)
US Forest Service Data Center
April 30, 2015
Provides tips for utilizing PuTTY for Linux and AIX administrators, as well as specific instructions on how to make PuTTY function with the USDA two-factor authentication process.
Material can be provided after USFS-specific information is vetted.
WinSCP Tips (author)
US Forest Service Data Center
April 30, 2015
Provides tips on how to utilize WinSCP FTP sessions, including specific instructions on how to integrate WinSCP with the USDA two-factor authentication process.
Material can be provided after USFS-specific information is vetted.
Computer Center Daily Operation Guide (author)
US Forest Service Region 10 Computer Center
March 4, 2014
Provides procedures for managing the regional computer center in regards to security, physical operations and system management. Evolving primarily from USFS security audits, this document incorporates many of the elements in the CISSP.
Material is designed only for USFS, but general guidelines can be provided upon request.
Library of all Technical Documents
- Documentation — The Key to Continuity
Documentation is what you ask for – don’t expect people to just do it. As a business owner or manager, it is your job to insist on it. - Welcome to DOGland
When I was first hired by the US Forest Service, the first acronym I had to figure out was “DOG”, short for Daily Operations Guide. Large enterprises use DOGs to bring consistency in knowledge, training and operations. - Windows 10 and Computer Vision Syndrome
Coping with Computer Vision Syndrome is a constant challenge, especially when operating systems change. This focuses on Windows 10. - Computer Vision Syndrome
A modern day phenomena, computer vision syndrome has emerged to be one of the predominant side-effects of prolonged computer usage. Follow my journey of what is often a painful experience, yet gain from my experience and that of many others. - Sustainable Printing
One fear to dispel, from the outset, is that changing how your printer is setup does not put everybody in an environmentally-friendly straight-jacket. You will discover there are plenty of ways to over-ride default printer settings so that the printing operation fits your needs, yet provides ways to print more efficiently with less impact on the environment.