Today I worked on an addon to an intranset web-app we wrote for one of our customers. This new addition will be used to schedule and monitor backups of various computers on the LAN and or at remote sites. I'm learning a lot of AJAX, we are trying to make it feel like software running locally as much as possible - rather than having to repetedly reload the pages as is the case with standard web forms.

I wrote the front end for the backup today - it needs a little tweak but works enough to implement. The front end writes records to the database detailing which machines need backing up and the paths that should be backed up. Tomorrow I will write the python script to hang off cron and actually read what it needs to backup from the database then do it, updating the status and statistics in the database as it goes. I figured it would be helpful to know when a backup fails or takes way too long, so I added start time, complete time and a status flag to the database as well. We can then see immediately what has failed. To be implemented from the "wish list" (ie stuff that isn't neccessary right now) are the reporting features and also size tracking for the backups. Might even add a status monitor type thing on the RAID server to make sure we're not cutting it too close with disk space.

Small tweaks are often the most handy. I made a very small tweak to the Drupal code that added the title in for me as you read it now - so I don't have to look at the date and type it.

I've completed some more renders and completed the schematic and routing of the TX Board MK2 with the DIP switch.

TX Board

Lots of data entry today! It seems I can't escape entering stock take results! That's OK though, keeps it different - plus I didn't have to stand while doing it like in my previous job. Not to mention that there was only about 1/10th of the amount of stuff to enter.

I also moved around the office a bit to make room for our new photocopier that is imminently arriving.

I collected up all the stuff scored from the recent shop closures too and bagged it ready to take home. Lots of old stuff you just can't buy any more - like 20 and 40 pin DIL to Ribbon connectors for example. I'm sure I'll find a use for them eventually, maybe even in the buggy I want to build. Some other cool mentionable stuff - Lots of old 43XX and 45XX ICs, Some nice 2A circuit breakers that would go nicely in any 240V or power supply projects I might build, a number of bags of 1000 zener diodes in various types - the list goes on

I am still working on the 433MHz <a href="http://www.zagadka.org/?q=taxonomy/term/8">Wireless Sensor</a> project while on the train. I've nearly finished the revised TX board with a 4 way DIP switch as opposed to 4 sets of 2x3 DIL headers.