topic Re: Question from HP engineering team in Operating System - HP-UX

Question from HP engineering team

Brad Klein — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:33:32 GMT

We are looking at different technologies that can be used in producing web-based management applications for system administration and some of them require browser plugins. We would like to get some information from you related to the prevalence of Adobe Flash plugins on administrator's browsers.

1. Do you currently have the Flash plugin loaded in the browser you use for system administration? If not, why not?

2. Are there policies at your workplace that prohibit the installation of the Flash plugin (or plugins in general)? (please elaborate)

Thank you for any insights you provide.

Re: Question from HP engineering team

Pete Randall — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:37:04 GMT

1. I don't have (nor do I want) browser based sysadmin applications but yes, I do have the Flash plugin loaded.

2. No.

Pete

Re: Question from HP engineering team

Oviwan — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:42:42 GMT

1. yes
2. no

Regards

Re: Question from HP engineering team

Steven E. Protter — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:46:45 GMT

Shalom.

1. No. Security concerns.

2. No, though the security department has a policy against un-necessary software that can create vulnerabilities to the public Internet.

In general, I use a HP-UX system when possible for patch download to avoid ftp file transfer errors.

I try not to use the same system for simple internet browesing. We permit browsers because increasingly configuration tools for various services work with the technology.

SEP

Re: Question from HP engineering team

Dave Hutton — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:49:04 GMT

1. It's installed in my browser. I guess I would use it, as I do use Java GUIs to administrate some things (SAN switches come to mind).

2. I don't think there is a policy here that prevents specific plugins from not being installed.

Re: Question from HP engineering team

Ivan Krastev — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:06:32 GMT

1. No, I am not fan of using web admin tools.
2. There is policy based on central software management.

regards,
ivan

Re: Question from HP engineering team

Robert-Jan Goossens_1 — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:46:46 GMT

Hi,

1. Do you currently have the Flash plugin loaded in the browser you use for system administration? If not, why not?
Yes

2. Are there policies at your workplace that prohibit the installation of the Flash plugin (or plugins in general)? (please elaborate)
Yes security reasons, but if you need them for your work you are allowed to use them. You can fill in a webform with the reasons, the tools you need will be distributed to you as soon as it has been approved.

Regards,
Robert-Jan

Re: Question from HP engineering team

A. Clay Stephenson — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:59:54 GMT

What's a browser? In general, I avoid those things for any kind of administration because they make scripting tedious at best. Browsers may be ok for single system stuff but when one has to administer N machines, one wants an automated process. Have you actually used the browser based kernel tuning tools? I can build 10 systems using the command-line interface in the same time I can do one with the browser.

1) No

2) Our policy is that a justification must be provided for each plug-in used and then approved. It's just not worth the fight for something I can almost always do better myself.

Re: Question from HP engineering team

Tim Nelson — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 10:30:13 GMT

1) Not a user / fan of any menu driven admin tools and / or ones that requiere 10 other products to work. This is UNIX not M$

2) No current flash sercurity restrictions

Re: Question from HP engineering team

whiteknight — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 10:38:42 GMT

1) No

2) No

Re: Question from HP engineering team

Heironimus — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:16:25 GMT

1. I don't use a web browser for system administration.

2. Every medium or large company I've worked for has had policies against installing software that wasn't part of the standard image on a desktop. However, those policies were rarely enforced within the IT staff.

I, most of the UNIX admins I've worked with, and most of the technical managers I've worked for would probably disqualify any product that require flash or java applets. There are far too many problems with compatibility across versions and platforms, and both Java and Flash usually require significant processing power and memory on the client side.

Re: Question from HP engineering team

Geoff Wild — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:17:25 GMT

Browser is great for getting a "view" of what is happening (mrtg, etc) - but I rather not use it for administration. Example - VSE Management through SMH - nice to see what is happening - but pain to setup remote admin - easier to just run commands on the command line.

1. yes
2. no

Rgds...Geoff

Re: Question from HP engineering team

John Payne_2 — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 17:48:27 GMT

1 - Yes
2 - No

Re: Question from HP engineering team

Sajeev_1 — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:09:29 GMT

1. yes
2. no

Re: Question from HP engineering team

Denver Osborn — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:34:15 GMT

1. I'm not sure if it's loaded or not. Don't really need it or want it to admin hpux boxes.

2. None that I'm aware of. I have access to install it or other plugins. I'd only install the plugin if I needed it for admin tasks.

and I agree w/ Clay on this too. I'd prefer command line utils over a web front end.

If you're going to toss out a pretty web front end so a power point presentation can help sell the product, at least provide adequate command line tools that perform the same function if not more. sorry, I'm ranting now. :)

-denver

Re: Question from HP engineering team

Anshumali — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 23:59:09 GMT

1. Plugin is loaded but i never used web based admin to adminster my boxes.
2. No

Re: Question from HP engineering team

Mynor Aguilar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:18:03 GMT

1. yes
2. no

Re: Question from HP engineering team

Arunvijai_4 — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:23:04 GMT

1) Yes

2) Yes

-Arun

Re: Question from HP engineering team

AwadheshPandey — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:40:54 GMT

1: Yes
1: Yes

Re: Question from HP engineering team

AwadheshPandey — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:41:00 GMT

1: Yes
2: Yes