Summer 2015 IS Projects

Information Services will be moving forward with a number of upgrades and enhancements over the summer months.  Please see the details below on some of the high priority projects that we are hoping to finish prior to the start of the fall semester.

1. Authentication.  We will be implementing Shibboleth, which is a single sign on, federated identity management system.  This will allow OWU users to more easily sign on to multiple applications with their normal OWU username and password.  The first applications, Self Service and TMS, will start using the system in mid-May.
2. myOWU 2.0.  A new version of myOWU is currently in testing and will likely move into production in June.  The new system will have many of the same features, but there will be improvements in the user interface and be more mobile-friendly.
3. Merrick and ESQ.  The design and implementation of technology in Merrick and ESQ will be a high priority for IS this summer.  There will be LCD screens in classrooms and conference rooms, and a few interactive displays will be available when the buildings come online.
4. PowerCampus upgrade.  Minor improvements to both PowerCampus and Self Service will be implemented in July.
5. Wireless improvements.  We are anticipating replacing our wireless controller and upgrading the access points in a handful of buildings this summer.  The new controller will replace an aging device, and the new access points will have state of the art technology.  We are hoping upgrade a few residence halls and the library if funding allows.
6. Slate implementation.  We are assisting the Admissions Office on the implementation of Slate.  The system is scheduled to go live in July.
7. Storage upgrades.  A new storage array is on order to replace a 7 year old system.  The new storage will serve our most critical applications.
8. OWU Mobile.  Minor improvements to the OWU Mobile app will be implemented this summer.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions on these projects.

New Voicemail Features

I am happy to announce two new voicemail (VM) features today that allow faculty and staff to retrieve messages via web and email.  Please see the options and links to instructions below, as well as information on an upcoming training session:

1.  VM via web and mobile (https://voicemail.owu.edu):

This service allows you to listen to your VM messages using the web browser of your choice.  You are also able to change some of your VM settings, such as your greeting, message playback order, etc.

2.  VM via email:

This service sends you an email for each VM message that you receive.  The email contains a sound file attachment that allows you to listen to the message on your computer or device.  Additionally, you can forward the VM to others just as you would a normal email with attachment.  

Please see this link for information on using these two services:  

http://helpdesk.owu.edu/faq/teleprocedures-2/voice-mail-via-email/

We will provide a one-hour training session at noon Tuesday, November 12, that covers basic phone system usage (such as transferring calls, 3-way calling), as well as these new features.  You may RSVP using the following link: 

https://docs.google.com/a/owu.edu/forms/d/1Rv_1VdXyPNSIr36j12lz1HqLfD3DcRvNBTdBbRMSjoY/viewform

Please let me know if you have any questions, problems, or suggestions.

Thanks,

Brian

P.S.  Please check out the new OWU Mobile 3.0 app: http://infoserv.owu.edu/mobile/

OWU Mobile 3.0

OWU Mobile 3.0
We recently launched a new version of the OWU Mobile app.  Students can now login to the app to see their course schedule, grades, and notifications.  Faculty are able to login and see courses and class rosters.  The maps module has been improved to use Google Maps.  Get more information on the new version from this page:  http://infoserv.owu.edu/mobile/

Here are the direct links to the app on the stores:

iOS:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/owu-mobile/id429562148

 

Android:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blackboard.android.central.owu&hl=en

Voicemail Upgrade

We will be upgrading our campus voice mail system on Tuesday, 8/20 at 7:00 am.  The system will be unavailable for approximately 1 hour.  The process for retrieving messages, greetings, and passwords will not change. 

Voicemail messages for the past 60 days will be automatically imported to the new system.  Messages older than 60 days will still be available by dialing a new number, which will be provided prior to the upgrade.  On September 8, the old messages will no longer be available.

Please take this opportunity to clear out old messages that are no longer needed.
 

The new system will bring some new useful features:

1. Voice mail can be sent to email as a .wav attachment
2. Messages can be checked from a web browser on a PC, MAC, or smartphone
3. User features can be accessed via web browser to allow users to change their password, set their away message (i.e. vacation), record messages, change notification settings, and more.
4. There will also be more automated attendant options to handle calls more efficiently.

*Most of these features will not be available the day of launch but will be activated on a user/department basis.  We will communicate availability of the features after testing.  If you would like to be part the pilot, please let me know.

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

2013 Summer Projects

Information Services has a number of important summer projects planned.  Many of these changes will impact large portions of the OWU community.  See below for more details.

- Online Directory:  A new online directory will be available in early June.  This solution makes finding contact information for students, faculty, staff, and offices easier than ever.  The searchable site will provide a printable directory, and changes will be reflected more accurately across all systems.

- Peer to Peer:  We will be blocking Peer to Peer traffic.  Many of our peers have already made this change on their campuses.  This will free up bandwidth for other services and reduce the number of copyright violations at our university.

- Firewall Modifications:  Modifications to the OWU firewall will require users connect via VPN when using remote desktop to connect to their on campus computer.  Additionally, Faculty and Staff with servers residing outside of the IS Data Centers will need to provide their hardware address and required open ports to the Help Desk.  More information about this change, along with VPN instructions for Mac and Windows, will be provided once the transition date is set.

- Room Reservations (AdAstra):  Our room reservation software will be upgraded in June.  The new version has a more streamlined user interface that should make requesting rooms easier.  Additionally, class room assignments will be integrated into the system, allowing for a more accurate view of what is available for reservation.

- Self Service and myOWU:  PowerCampus will be upgraded from version 8.1 to either 8.3 or 8.4.  This will require an update to SelfService and myOWU and is planned for July.

- Renovations:  We will be assisting in various room renovations/improvements.  We will consider "bring your own device" (BYOD) where possible to facilitate ease of use.

- Wireless Printing:  Our new wireless printing service is now available at the following address: https://webprint.owu.edu.  This service allow faculty, staff, and students to use their own device to print to campus printers.  More printers will be added over the summer.

- Strategic Plan:  The IS Strategic Plan has been approved by the Campus Technology Council and is available online.  This plan will be used as a guide as new initiatives are considered.

- IP Expiration:  Previously, faculty and staff were assigned an IP address indefinitely.  This process reserves IP's even after someone leaves campus or as devices are taken out of service.  We will be implementing a 1 year policy for unused IP addresses.  If a device is not used in over 1 year, the IP will go back into the available pool.  Re-registering devices that need to be used again after the expiration is a simple process involving a call to the Help Desk.

Hayes and Stuyvesant Testing

On Tuesday evening, we tested signal strength and bandwidth in Hayes and Stuyvesant.  The signal strength was acceptable, but we did experience some slower bandwidth in Stuy.  I'm posting the test results below.  A 1.15 mbps connection is fine for most web activities, but not great for those using Netflix or other bandwidth intensive applications. 

The next step is to contact our vendor to see if they can provide some recommendations.  I'm in the process of scheduling that meeting now.  If you'd like to test your bandwidth and post results in the comments, it would be helpful to our research.  Here is the website you can use - speedtest.net

Hayes Hall: began at 8:33pm in ground floor lounge, northmost table

 

Pingtest:    Pkt loss     Ping(ms)    Jitter(ms)     Grade

                        1%         12                 8                 B

                        3%         68             127                D

                        2%         12                 6                C

                        2%         97             183                D

                        2%       110             167                D

 

Speedtest:    Ping       Download(Mbps)     Upload(Mbps)

                        35               2.57                      13.20

                        45             13.14                      17.24

                        45               7.30                      10.40

                        45             10.30                      13.47

                        45               4.17                      13.67

 

Tests finished at 8:41pm.

 

 

 

Stuyvesant Hall, 9:00pm in 2nd floor northeast lounge

 

Pingtest:     Pkt loss   Ping(ms)     Jitter(ms)   Grade

                        1%        36                54              C

                        2%        11                  7              C

                        1%        89              104              D

                        2%        71              120              D

                        4%        91              182              D

 

Speedtest:    Ping     Download(Mbps)    Upload(Mbps)

                      45                 1.15                      3.25

                      45                 1.65                      4.97

                      45                 1.57                      1.79

                      45                 2.43                      2.57

                      45                 4.65                      2.77

 

Test ended at 9:09pm.

Bishopnet Issues

We have been receiving reports of problems with bishopnet over the past couple of weeks.  The reports are generally from the residence side of campus, and are most frequent during the evening hours.

On Monday afternoon, we setup tests on the ground floor of Hayes.  We were not able to find any problems at that particular time.  Tonight around 9 or 10pm, we are going to conduct additional tests.

If you experience problems, please post a comment below indicating the following: date, time, location, and function (web browsing, netflix, youtube, etc).  This information will help us narrow down the problem and hopefully create a more stable environment.

We realize the importance of a reliable wireless network on a residential campus.  Thank you for your patience while we investigate.