The Virtual Garden by David Locke, ASLA I use the term 'Virtual Garden' to describe the maintenance of a localized office computer environment. Like a garden, the Landscape Architect's computer environment needs continuous care, devotion and nourishment. Once the original components of the computer system are purchased-- upgrades, maintenance, addition of supplemental parts and knowledge of technology trends will keep these devices operating efficiently. If you have taken the plunge by establishing a network and mechanizing the office, then you can surely appreciate these costs and the importance of making the right decisions from the onset. However, if you have held off on making purchases or upgrading, you may certainly find it difficult to know how to start. Here are a few tips I would offer to beginners that I have gathered after managing a medium-sized office environment with diverse disciplines for nearly 10 years. First, a computer's office lifetime today is less than 3 years. Technical, high-end applications such as Computer Aided Design (CAD), image processing and multimedia have memory-intensive requirements. Upgrades to the original applications constantly require more memory and data storage-- thus challenging the Computer Processing Unit (CPU) power of each machine. This is not going to change, and as computer advancements hit the marketplace even faster, the lifetime of computers will be reduced. The only guarantee that a computer won't become outdated before it's paid off is to always consider buying the highest end computer-- utilizing the latest technology you require for your applications at the time of purchase. Consider enough RAM and CPU power to open multiple programs needed for pasting and editing There are several major operating systems on the market to choose from. If your office constitutes a diverse practice as DMW, Inc. does, you may be forced to use several operating systems which only complicate connectivity problems. The most popular platform is the PC Microsoft Suite of operating systems. These systems are very popular, flexible, and relatively inexpensive. They require an understanding of some basic networking to operate, but with Windows 95 and pending upgrades, this has been made quite easy. If you are planning to use a CAD program, and if you are working with other offices (especially offices exchanging CAD files) it is likely that you will transfer files between offices using the AutoCAD file format. Most CAD software will translate to this format, but some setups may be lost in the translation. Once several computers have been purchased, a need will certainly arise for communication-- or network-- between these machines. If your communication is limited to exchanging data files and for an environment of less than 5 computers, file sharing add-on software may be adequate. Macs can communicate with built-in Apple Talk without add-on software. However, if you are exchanging CAD files using high speed devices, and have more than 4 or 5 units, then quality wiring and a computer devoted to data storage called a server will be required. A server is a good way to eliminate compatibility problems between different devices. For instance, at DMW, Inc. we use Macintosh computers for desktop publishing, multi-media and photograph manipulation; we also use PCs for CAD drawing and UNIX-based workstations for surveying and high end CAD 3-D imaging. These are all tied together with a Pentium PC equipped with Windows NT Server software. Successfully tuned as the central location for all files, Macintosh, UNIX and PCs can read these files even when they are processed on alternate machines. Inevitably, though, the virtual system may crash-- for reasons that are usually difficult to ascertain and require extensive testing and understanding of the system's intricacy. This is where a systems manager or systems management consultant is a must. At DMW, Inc., there are over 75 computers, plotters and printers connected on a network with a UNIX server. There are two full-time service managers, one specializing in networking, and one specializing in individual connectivity. It is not sufficient to just maintain this garden technology, but you must nurture it as new technology becomes available. If you buy a CAD software package, you should also dedicate someone to developing it. What settings and macros can be set or developed to make your office more efficient? Without planning and dedication to growth, computers can make simple tasks impossible, and complex tasks a nightmare. Attention to data storage standards, work procedures, and software development can make the difference in the success and failure of the computer network. lasn Choose a centralized office location for your system administration hardware