AMMRL: OS Updates and NMR software

From: Lazaros Kakalis <kakalis_at_andromeda.rutgers.edu>
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 16:24:12 -0500

Dear Colleagues,

 

How do you handle OS updates for NMR workstations? Do you apply all updates
as they become available? Have you ever experienced problems with the NMR
software that may be related to particular OS updates?

 

Although NMR computers are fully fledged workstations they are usually
confined to NMR data acquisition and processing, with few other tasks. Most
of the OS updates may not matter although you may want to apply them just in
case. Alternatively, the OS may be hardened by stopping all nonessential
processes, by controlling access to the computer (e.g. with tcp wrappers),
and by applying certain critical security patches (e.g. for shellshock
vulnerability).

 

I am not sure if the NMR vendors check out a continuously updated OS with
(all versions of?) their NMR software.

 

The reason for this email is a recent incident with our Bruker Avance III HD
spectrometer which runs CentOS 5.10 and TopSpin 3.2: One day TopSpin
complained of "No communication with ELCB". Network settings seemed fine.
Resetting the console, restarting the computer, doing ha, cf, ii etc did not
help. The IPSO was not recognized and the IPSO post code kept coming wrong.
The problem was resolved when the "diskless" software was re-installed from
the TopSpin DVD. It may be a coincidence but CentOS updates had been
installed the previous day.

 

Please share any related experience and thoughts. I will summarize.

 

Thanks,

 

 

Lazaros Kakalis

 

Department of Chemistry

Rutgers University

73 Warren Street

Newark, NJ 07102-1811

 

Tel: (973) 353-5040

Fax: (973) 353-1264

kakalis_at_newark.rutgers.edu <mailto:kakalis_at_newark.rutgers.edu>

 

 
Received on Tue Nov 18 2014 - 11:24:19 MST

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