Newsletter
Volume 1 - Issue 2
This newsletter will highlight some of the activities of the TTUHSC IT group in Lubbock and their continuing effort to improve the services offered to its students, faculty and staff.
Departmental Updates from Technology Services:
Systems
- In the process of bringing sixteen new servers online. Of these, eight will be web servers, four will be database servers and four will be file servers. These severs will allow the TTUHSC students to have their own web pages and increase the TTUHSC intranet.
- The process of implementing Microsoft Active Directory is also under way to allow for increased collaboration between the TTUHSC campuses, as well as providing for increased security and ease-of-use.
- Efforts continue to migrate all of the VMS - Pathworks systems to Windows NT, as well as, the VMS file and print share migration. The scheduled completion time is September 1, 2002.
- There are continuing efforts to move toward a single, institution-wide login process. Based upon the eRaider account structure, this will allow faculty, staff and students to access all of Texas Tech University and HSC systems with a single login.
- Significant progress has been made in an effort to establish a FirstName.Surname@ttuhsc.edu email address for all faculty, staff, and students and develop a master email database that will increase the responsiveness to customer requests, while easing the maintenance requirements associated with managing such a massive quantity of email addresses.
- As part of the move toward a common email directory for TTU and TTUHSC, new Global Address views within the Exchange email server have been established. These views will allow easy access to TTU and/or TTUHSC employees and students.
Operations has been busy on the following projects:
- Upgrading equipment and power systems.
- Upgrading tape system
- Address Book View Project.
- General Services Server Project.
- Systems Management Database for the Dell OpenManage Software.
- Inventory database
- Additional security measures have been added both inside and outside of the operations area. Tinting has been added to hallway windows for safety and improved lighting. Our UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) has been upgraded to accommodate increased growth. The UPS provides electrical power during institutional power failures for continual institutional computer support.
Networking
- Student Carrels Renovation - This project in 3A and 4A will include 18 network connections in the student study rooms.
- F. Marie Hall Synergistic Student Center - This on-going project, in the 2C wing, will include 81 network drops to provide internet access to the student recreational center.
- Copy and Mail Renovations - The new Copy and Mail Center networking project is complete.
- To better serve you - If your department has any renovations that may disturb existing network drops please notify us. (This includes painting.) When a department transfers ownership of a room, please let us know. This will help prevent confusion with future port inventories. Thank you for helping us help you!
Future networking projects:
- Academic Classroom Building
- 2AB100
Security
- Host-based Intrusion installation - Successful installation at all four regional campuses of the new host based intrusion hardware and software. Servers at each site will be added as necessary.
- Tentative schedule to install new Firewall on July 29th - 31st. This will be the initial gateway firewall. Regional firewalls will be scheduled at future date.
- Department of Information Resources conducted vulnerability assessment of our network.
- Hardware has been received for Network Based Intrusion installation and still awaiting software to arrive.
- Information Standards and Procedures have been written.
PC Support/Help Desk
- As of June 30, 2003, Microsoft will no longer support Windows 98 or Windows NT 4.0. It is estimated that half of the institution's 2,400 computers have either Windows 98 or Windows NT 4.0. Information Technology is currently working on upgrading those computers to Windows and Office XP. Expected completion time is spring of 2003. Any computer still using Windows 98 after June of 2003 may not be able to connect to any network services. Those with computers which are too old to support Windows XP will be provided technical guidance for replacing these computers. Windows XP runs best on a computer with at least a Pentium II and 128 Mb of RAM. However, it is best to use a Pentium III with 256 Mb of RAM. Most computers purchased since the fall of 1999 fall into this category. If you would like assistance in determining your department's computer capabilities, please call our Help Desk at 743-2875 and one of the Information Technology professionals will be glad to assist you.
- The Help Desk continues to assist approximately 100 callers per day with a multitude of issues. The Help Desk is your first point of contact in Information Technology and can be reached at 3-2875 or emailed at helpdesk@ttuhsc.edu.
Departmental Updates from Information Services:
The Web Development and Applications Programming groups are working on several new projects. These projects include:
- Redesign of the TTUHSC Web Site - Two teams comprised of members from all four HSC campuses are participating in the redesign of the HSC web site. Once the two draft designs are finalized, they will be presented to the TTUHSC IT Board of Directors (deans and vice presidents). The new web site design will be implemented by this fall.
- A new announcements system is also being designed with more functionality and a new look.
- The HealthNet Web Site is going through a redesign that will make it more efficient and easier for its users to navigate
Departmental Updates from HealthNet:
- Education Services established and met their goal to process 64,000 certificates two months ahead of schedule.
Information Technology is actively seeking ways to increase its responsiveness to the TTUHSC community. As we strive to improve our services, we encourage constructive input from those whom we support. Please feel free to send your comments or suggestions to Assistant Vice President of Technology Services, Joe Green, at joe.green@ttuhsc.edu or to Assistant Vice President of Information Services, Chip Shaw, at chip.shaw@ttuhsc.edu.
Comments about the newsletter should be addressed to the I.T. Quarterly Editor, Ron Merritt at ron.merritt@ttuhsc.edu.