USM Computing Services Blog

Blackboard, the University System’s online learning management system that most faculty use, is experiencing some unruly and sever problems with student tests. This problem is in fact not the students fault.

Students are unable to access exams and receive an “HTTP 500″ error message and/or a “timeout” error when submitting an exam.

The University System office is working with Blackboard to resolve the problems as quickly as possible but may not be resolved before the end of the week.

I apologize for not having more news or work-arounds at this time. We will send an update as soon as more information is available.

Access to the University VPN infrastructure is being upgraded to offer a simpler, more flexible, access. The client which enables you to work while away from the office and allows access to new services such as compliant storage is changing.

The older “Cisco” client will stop working at the end of the calendar year (December 31, 2010), so please take the time now to plan an upgrade as soon as possible.

The new client, named “AnyConnect” is available to you now. The installation is simple and web-based. You can install the update by navigating, with your web browser to:

https://vpn.usm.maine.edu

For users who will be connecting to general non-web based resources from off campus or on the USM wireless network, there is a connection type named “Off Campus or UMS wireless”. For staff using the compliant storage service offered by DoIT while in their office, the “Compliant Storage” connection type should be used. Muskie staff members who currently use the older client to connect to the Muskie database server should also use the “Compliant Storage” connection type.

AnyConnect It is compatible with Windows XP, Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.5 and Mac OS X 10.6.x (32-bit and 64-bit). If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Helpdesk at x4029 or helpdesk@usm.maine.edu.

Audio recording of Web CMS Community meeting in Gorham on December 3rd, 2010. The meeting was to introduce the next phase of the Web CMS project, graphical design and content migration, and to answer questions about the process and software to be used.

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The group working on the information design for the new USM web presence is looking for some assistance. We engaged Dynamic Designs to look at the information architecture (structure) of our current website and to make a recommendation on how to better organize it into a more logical and understandable arrangement. Their process was to come to USM, interview key stake holders, hold focus groups of faculty, students and staff, and to individually review the content of over 6,000 of the web pages we host. They have presented a draft that has changed the information structure from something resembling a handful of marbles dropped on a cement floor to a more logical arrangement using a device similar to the taxonomy for scientifically describing living things.

This draft taxonomy (Information Architecture) has been produced on a 2ft x 8ft roll of paper that has the major classes of information types with their subclasses listed under. It also identifies areas where future growth or expansion is expected to occur. As a result of the size of this presentation we have to display it in central area where people can gather and walk around it. Because this will be the foundation for the next stage of work on the website, we want to be sure it is complete and nothing has been missed.

We would like to invite you to come in to the Portland Computer Lab (144 Luther Bonney) between 10:00 – 3:00 on Wednesday November 17th to review the draft arrangement Dynamic Designs has presented. We would like to have eyes that have not been directly involved in this to provide a valuable disinterested check on the draft arrangement. We would like to know if you feel they have missed a type of information or if you believe they have placed something in the wrong place. This is an important check to help validate the process. The time to do this part of the process is very short. Your input will be welcomed through Friday, November 19, 2010. We hope you can take a few minutes to help.

There are several important thing to keep in mind while doing this. The first is that this is the first step in the process. It is not about the graphic design of the website. Neither is it about how or where a website will be located in a hierarchy. Finally, it is not about the content on the web pages. Again, what you will see are Classes of information with a listing of examples under each class.

The next steps on the Web will be based on this architecture and that work will begin toward the end of November. We are engaged in a major effort to convert the USM web site to a content management system, for ease of updating, and to migrate all content over to a new design in the next 12 to 16 weeks. We will need everyone’s cooperation in helping to meet the time-lines that will be communicated as the project progresses.

If you have any questions or comments please contact Stephen Houser at 780-4555 or houser@usm.maine.edu.

Starting August 30th, 2010 the Computing HelpDesk office hours will be as follows:

Week of August 29th Only
Monday (8/29) – Thursday (9/2): 8am-7pm
Friday (9/3): 8am – 4:30pm
Saturday (9/4): 9am – Noon
Sunday (9/5): CLOSED

2010 Fall Term
Monday – Thursday: 8am-6pm
Friday: 8am-4:30pm
Saturday – Sunday: CLOSED

The rumors are true! We will be moving to Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2010 on your University owned computers. As with everything good, it will take a bit of time and effort. Here is a synopsis of the rollout plan.

July 1, 2010
The Campus Computer Store will begin to offer Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2010, on a limited number of new workstations. We have not yet worked out all the criteria for participation in the early-adopter program, only that this offer will be for new computer orders. Orders from fiscal year 2010 do not apply (more details below). Windows XP will continue to be the primary, delivered, operating system.

August-September, 2010
If all goes well with the early-adopter program, the default configuration will become Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2010 for all new workstation orders. You will continue to have Windows XP as an option. Microsoft Office 2010 will also become the default on Windows XP based workstations.

January 1, 2011
We will being offering upgrades for workstations that were purchased with a Windows 7 license and downgraded to Windows XP. Roughly, these are the majority of machines purchased in the last year. This upgrade will require a reformat of your workstation.

We will continue to sell workstations with Windows XP as long as possible. However, Microsoft and Dell (our primary PC provider), plan to discontinue Windows XP over the next several months. Thus, you will only be able to get Windows XP if you have a specific business need when this happens.

The Campus Computer Store and Helpdesk (Portland) have Windows 7 based workstations for faculty and staff to test-drive.

Computing Services, which provides and maintains the computers in USM’s labs and classrooms, requests your help in determining software needs for the coming school year. There are many software packages installed on our computers that are no longer being used for classwork. It is our intent to streamline the number of software applications running on the student-access computers. This will help to reduce software conflicts, save disk space, and increase computer performance.

Please let us know:

1. What new software you will be needing in our facilities?
2. What software do you currently use, and would like to continue using?
3. What software have you requested in the past that you no longer need?

In addition to letting us know which software we should install, your response will give us updated contact information so that we can inform you when there will be changes to the software you’ve requested.

To have the software installed, tested, and ready for fall, please respond no later than July 1, 2010.

Send your requests or questions to:
(PC) David Eldridge, PC Software Support Specialist: davide@usm.maine.edu
(Mac) Jim Kessler, Mac Software Support Specialist: jkessler@usm.maine.edu

* There are a handful of computer labs and classrooms which IT User Services does not support. If you send us information relating to one of these locations, we will forward your request to the right person.

USM’s Purchasing Department and Computing Services have partnered with Océ Document Printing Systems to perform a Document Imaging Assessment for the University community.  The purpose of the analysis will be to evaluate your, and USM’s overall, printing needs, requirements, and processes.

The goal is to determine what current document procedures and methods are adequate, productive and cost effective. We are not looking to take existing printers off your desks and out of your offices. We are looking to the future, to evaluate and consider the most effective options when those printers fail and need to be replaced.

This week a representative from Océ Document Printing Systems, along with a staff member from Computing Services, will start visiting your offices to compile an inventory of all copiers, networked printers, and fax machines to be used as a basis in this planning with you.

Please feel free to contact me, through the HelpDesk at x4029 or by email if you have any questions or concerns surrounding this assessment.

As many of you are aware, we continue to work on the implementation of a Web Content Management System (Web CMS) for the University. I want to update you on the work we’ve completed to date and give you a sense of what to look forward to in the coming months.

A Web CMS will give those who currently maintain Web sites across campus the ability to update the content on their sites far easier than is currently possible. And at a time when departments are using their Web sites more than ever to promote their activities to current and prospective students, we recognize the timing is critical.

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