ClarITy » Information http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu Helping make Information Technology more clear Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:09:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Banner 8 Upgrade and What it means to you . . . . http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/10/07/banner-8-upgrade-and-what-it-means-to-you/ http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/10/07/banner-8-upgrade-and-what-it-means-to-you/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:16:02 +0000 jguilmet http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/?p=345 On October 16th at 5:00PM, Banner will be taken offline to perform an upgrade from Banner 7 to Banner 8.  The upgrade will be complete, and Banner will be made available by 8:00AM on Tuesday, October 20th.

What does this upgrade mean?

Banner is a software application written by SungardHE that uses an Oracle database to gather, store and present information through forms (Banner INB), reports and web self service (Self Service Banner). Every 18-24 months the vendor (SungardHE) releases a new major version to deliver functional and technical improvements to Banner. Plymouth State must implement these versions to retain support from the vendor and to remain in compliance with Federal Regulations (i.e. Financial Aid, Tax Laws).  On September 10, 2010, SunGardHE will stop supporting our current version (Banner 7).

Why does Banner need to be down for so long?

Banner has a number of modules, General, Student, Financial Aid, Accounts Receivable, and Advancement. Each of these modules contains 100’s of forms (screens) that store data in 100’s of tables. With the change from Banner 7 to Banner 8, the underlying Oracle Database moves to a new “character set”. This requires that over 100 million of rows of data in thousands of tables be converted to the new “character set”. A number of forms are changing, and a number of other tables and programs are being updated. This work must be performed while no one is logged into the system.

By taking Banner down at 5:00PM on Friday, IT staff can work around the clock over the weekend to implement the changes and run the character set conversion. Then IT staff must verify that a number of related systems properly re-connect to the updated environment. These systems include:  myPlymouth, Blackboard, Workflow, Document Imaging, InfiNET Payment Gateway and more.

All of this work over the weekend is to prepare the system for Client Acceptance Testing on Monday by a designated set of client representatives. Once they verify that all critical aspects of Banner 8 are functioning, Banner (and Banner based services) will be made available to the campus by 8am Tuesday morning.

Will Blackboard/myPlymouth/myMail be down during this time?

No.  Blackboard, myPlymouth, and myMail (Zimbra) will all remain available during the Banner upgrade.  Some integrations and components presented through myPlymouth will be unavailable or limited in use, including: myProfile, Self Service, registration, grades, course query, and student query.

If you experience difficulty with a service during the upgrade window that is not listed, please contact the Help Desk at 535-2929 for assistance.

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]]> http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/10/07/banner-8-upgrade-and-what-it-means-to-you/feed/ 4 Wireless Printing comes to Plymouth! http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/09/30/wireless-printing/ http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/09/30/wireless-printing/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:18:15 +0000 Rupton http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/?p=331 PrintNomad enables users to print wireless from their laptop computers from many locations around  PSU campus. Please follow the links below to learn how to achieve this.

NOTE: PrintNomad is currently beta software. This means there may be bugs that cause it to crash or not operate correctly. We need your help to improve the software, so please feel free to send your feedback, suggestions and comments via email to helpdesk@plymouth.edu.

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]]> http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/09/30/wireless-printing/feed/ 0 ClarITy Newsletter – Autumn 2009 http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/09/30/clarity-newsletter-autumn-2009/ http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/09/30/clarity-newsletter-autumn-2009/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:55:08 +0000 jguilmet http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/?p=324 Information Technology Services is happy to provide you with the Autumn 2009  issue of our newsletter  ClarITy.

Follow the link to read the ClarITy Newsletter – Autumn 2009

We hope you will find ClarITy informative, educational and fun.   Please feel free to send your feedback, suggestions and comments to us via email at helpdesk@plymouth.edu.

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]]> http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/09/30/clarity-newsletter-autumn-2009/feed/ 0 Microsoft offers college students a deal on their new Windows 7 operating system http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/09/25/microsoft-offers-college-students-a-deal-on-their-new-windows-7-operating-system/ http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/09/25/microsoft-offers-college-students-a-deal-on-their-new-windows-7-operating-system/#comments Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:46:59 +0000 jguilmet http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/?p=296 On October 22nd Microsoft will officially release their new operating system, Windows 7.  Just last week they announced that they will be making the Windows 7 Home Premium version available to US College students for the greatly discounted price of $29.99.

This offer is only valid for students – defined by Microsoft as having an .edu email address; be actively enrolled in at least 0.5 credits; and be able to provide proof of enrollment upon request.

Interested?  Visit http://www.win741.com/ from your home machine to see of your computer is able to run Windows 7 and to see if you qualify for this special offer!

———————–

PSU owned computers are NOT eligible for this offer.  It is important to note that ITS is currently testing Windows 7 as well as Snow Leopard (the new Apple  operating system) to ensure that all PSU systems and applications will run as expected.  Once this testing is complete, the new operating systems will be made available to the campus in a systematic way.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact the ITS HelpDesk at 603-535-2929 or via email at helpdesk@plymouth.edu

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]]> http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/09/25/microsoft-offers-college-students-a-deal-on-their-new-windows-7-operating-system/feed/ 0 Don’t be a victim of Identity Theft http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/07/02/dont-be-a-victim-of-identity-theft/ http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/07/02/dont-be-a-victim-of-identity-theft/#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:01:00 +0000 jguilmet http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/?p=209 identity_theft

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]]> http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/07/02/dont-be-a-victim-of-identity-theft/feed/ 0 identity_theft ClarITy Newsletter – Summer 2009 http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/06/23/clarity-newsletter-summer-2009/ http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/06/23/clarity-newsletter-summer-2009/#comments Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:43:29 +0000 jguilmet http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/?p=200 Information Technology Services is happy to provide you with the very first issue of our newsletter  ClarITy.  We plan on publishing new issues three times a year — Summer, Fall and Spring.  In addition we will also publish an annual edition which focuses on Student Orientation and will be geared to in-coming students.

Follow the link to read the ClarITy Newsletter – Summer 2009

We hope you will find ClarITy informative, educational and fun.   Please feel free to send your feedback, suggestions and comments to us via email at helpdesk@plymouth.edu.

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]]> http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/06/23/clarity-newsletter-summer-2009/feed/ 0 Attention Mac Uusers- Critical Apple security update released http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/06/17/attention-mac-uusers-critical-apple-security-update-released/ http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/06/17/attention-mac-uusers-critical-apple-security-update-released/#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:06:09 +0000 jguilmet http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/?p=193 On June 15th, Apple released a CRITICAL security update for Java. This patch fixes a long-term, SERIOUS SECURITY FLAW in Java which allows a remote hacker to control your computer if you launch a Java-based application on the Web. Many sites use Java, including PSU’s own WebCT / Blackboard course management system and Banner, so it is imperative that you apply the update as soon as possible. Additionally, the update seems to fail on many OS X 10.5 computers the first time it is run, so you may need to follow the steps below two or three times. If you encounter any problems, please contact the Helpdesk at x5-2929 to arrange for a Desktop Support service call.

1) Go to the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen.
2) Select Software Update.
3) Make sure that either of the following updates are checked, and proceed to install them.

* Java for Mac OS X 10.4, Release 9
* Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 4

4) The machine will prompt for a reboot to complete the update. If you receive an error message stating that the update failed, repeat the above steps. If you continue to encounter problems, please call the Helpdesk.

Please do not allow this vulnerability to remain unpatched, as it poses a serious threat to data security on campus. If you would like more information on this patch, please visit the following links:

http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/apple-releases-mac-patch-for-major-java-vulnerability-fixes-32-issues/
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3632

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]]> http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/06/17/attention-mac-uusers-critical-apple-security-update-released/feed/ 0 Important update for computers running Windows Vista http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/06/03/important-update-for-computers-running-windows-vista/ http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/06/03/important-update-for-computers-running-windows-vista/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:20:44 +0000 jguilmet http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/?p=188 Overview:
Windows has released a service pack update to the Vista operating system.  Service packs are important upgrades to the operating system that often contain bug fixes and other refinements. Computers which are not upgraded become susceptible to viruses and other malware over time.

ITS has been testing this particular update for compatibility with all PSU supported applications prior to releasing it for general installation.  This will be deployed via the network in the same manner as the regular monthly updates.  Due to the important nature of this update, we need to perform the installation soon. We plan to update half the faculty and staff computers on Thursday, June 4th, the remainder will be done on Tuesday, June 9th.

Details:
The installation should begin close to 8:15 am.  We cannot know exactly when your computer will be done; the install process is tuned to efficiently manage the number of simultaneous installs so it doesn’t overload the network.

During the initial 30-45 minutes of the install (older computers may take up to an hour), your computer will seem a bit sluggish, and then you will see the usual box, requesting a reboot.

Be cautious about when to allow the restart — Since the reboot process after a service pack update can take 15 minutes or more, ITS recommends waiting to perform the restart until you are ready to go to lunch or home for the day.

Once you okay the reboot, nothing will appear to happen for ten minutes or so.  Turning off your computer at this point could result in data loss, so please be patient.  After the reboot, you should see a typical “Please do not turn off your computer” screen, and after another ten minutes, you will be able to logon normally.

ITS does not anticipate any major problems related to this update, however, the Helpdesk is always available should you have any questions or concerns.  You can reach us by phone at 535-2929, or via email at helpdesk@plymouth.edu.

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]]> http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/06/03/important-update-for-computers-running-windows-vista/feed/ 0 PSU To Implement New Password Reset Process http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/04/13/psu-to-implement-new-password-reset-process/ http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/04/13/psu-to-implement-new-password-reset-process/#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:45:12 +0000 jguilmet http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/?p=180 In an effort to improve security and offer better customer service, PSU is changing the process to reset lost or forgotten passwords. Your myPlymouth username and password gives you access to use a broad selection of resources at PSU; however the current mechanism used to assign the initial password and to reset the password is based on sensitive information. In our ongoing efforts to limit the use of sensitive information we’re developing a new mechanism to assign initial passwords and reset existing ones.

The new process relies on email instead of sensitive information, and will allow you to reset your password at any time, not just during the hours the help desk is open. Should you ever need to reset your password, you can click a button on the myPlymouth login screen, enter the off-campus email address that you’d previously registered with us, and the system will send an automated email message to that address with a special one-time code that will allow you to reset your password.

New users will register their off-campus email address at the time of initial account creation; we’ll be asking current users to register their off-campus email address in myPlymouth starting Monday, April 13, 2009.

Why use email?
The new process follows the best practices of popular and trustworthy internet services. Email addresses are an aspect of our identity, and most people have an email address before they come to PSU. Further, the process is well understood and accepted by security experts as a safe mechanism to establish identity and reset passwords in electronic networks.

Why do I need to provide an off-campus email address?
If you’ve forgotten your myPlymouth password it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to read your PSU email to get the special password reset message.

Are you eliminating my PSU email?
No. Your @plymouth.edu email address and myPlymouth will still be the institution’s primary means of electronic communication with you.

What if somebody else knows my off-campus email address and tries to reset my password?
Resetting a password requires two things: knowledge of a registered off-campus email address, and the ability to read the messages sent to that address. It is important that you maintain the security of your off-campus email account just as you would your myPlymouth account.

My family shares a home email address, can I use that?
Anybody who can access the off-campus email address that you register with us will be able to reset your myPlymouth password. It is important that you maintain the security of your off-campus email account just as you would your myPlymouth account; please do not use a shared email address for this.

I don’t have an off-campus email address, what do I do?
Now is the perfect time to get one. Services like Google Mail and Yahoo! Mail are free, and don’t forget that your home ISP probably offered you an email address as well.

I can’t give you a secure off-campus email address.
That’s okay. You’ll still be able to reset your password by coming to the help desk and showing a picture ID.

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]]> http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/04/13/psu-to-implement-new-password-reset-process/feed/ 0 Internet Explorer upgrade – Please wait! http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/03/19/internet-explorer-upgrade-%e2%80%93-please-wait/ http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/2009/03/19/internet-explorer-upgrade-%e2%80%93-please-wait/#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:47:10 +0000 jguilmet http://clarity.blogs.plymouth.edu/?p=177

In the up-coming days, Internet Explorer users are likely to be prompted to upgrade their browsers to the newest version – Internet Explorer 8.

ITS requests that our PSU users NOT upgrade to the new version until we are sure that our campus services (myPlymouth, Blackboard, Zimbra mail, Banner INB, etc.) are compatible.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the ITS helpdesk at x 2929 or via email at helpdesk@plymouth.edu

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