What is a BlazerID?

 

A BlazerID is a computer login name that the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is deploying campus-wide.  It is roughly equivalent to the screenname/”buddy list”/username identifier you may have used to access online services such as Yahoo!, America Online, or MSN.

 

 

Why do I need a BlazerID?

 

A number of network and computer services around UAB currently accept or require a BlazerID for login, and several more will begin using it in the future.  The goal is to ultimately have your BlazerID serve as the sole identifier that allows you to securely access all of UAB's online information services and portals.

 

 

What services require a BlazerID?

 

For everyone at UAB:

·          @uab.edu e-mail addresses

·          free UAB e-mail and Web site (WWW) accounts

·          login to UABwifi (wireless) network

·          download of certain UAB site-licensed software

·          access to the UAB Virtual Private Network (VPN)

·          official training and content review tracking (BEDROC)

 

For students:

·          access to the ResNet residence hall network

·          most departmental computer labs

·          WebCT online courses

·          DARS Degree Audit system (when it comes online)

·          class mailing lists, and to receive important information e-mailed from your department, school, and designated UAB support areas

·          other student online portals which are currently in testing or under development

 

For employees:

·          self-service HR access for updating direct deposit, W-4 tax information, etc.

·          login to UAB ERP applications (Oracle HR and Finance)

·          e-mail alerts from various online administrative applications (e.g., purchase order queue notifications)

·          update of departmental information in the UAB Electronic Phonebook

·          login access to some departmental networks and services (with more on the way)

·          to receive important information e-mailed from your department, school and designated UAB support areas (some of this is already being done, with more applications being discussed)

·          inter- and intracampus videoconferencing access (under development)

·          numerous other online administrative and employee portal applications (e.g., Data Warehouse) which are currently being deployed, tested, procured, or developed

 

For faculty/researchers, in addition to the employee services listed above:

·          WebCT online course shell management (tentatively for Fall semester)

·          automatically generated/managed class mailing lists

·          grant information/submission (under development)

·          online grade posting (under development)

·          DARS Degree Audit system (when it comes online)

 

 

I already have a Phonebook alias (or @uab.edu address) – what is the difference?

 

If you have an @uab.edu address, you have a Phonebook alias.  If you have a Phonebook alias, you have a BlazerID.  There is no difference, it is the same thing.  The term "BlazerID" simply reflects its current purpose more accurately. All of the Phonebook screens are being updated to incorporate the new terminology.

 

If you are unsure about whether you already have a BlazerID/alias, you can go (or return) to BlazerID Central at http://www.uab.edu/blazerid to check.

 

 

What is the connection between my BlazerID and @uab.edu address?

 

The BlazerID is the username (i.e., the part before @) portion of your @uab.edu address.  When you register your BlazerID, you are given the option of designating a mailbox or setting up a UAB e-mail account where you would like to receive your mail.  After that, when someone sends mail to your @uab.edu address, it will be automatically forwarded to that mailbox.  You can reroute this forwarding at any time by using the Change Information function in the Electronic Phonebook at http://www.uab.edu/phonebook

 

 

How do I get a BlazerID?

 

Before we answer this question, you must be either a current or recently retired employee, or a student who is incoming or recently/currently enrolled.  If you are not, then you cannot get a BlazerID.  There are no exceptions to this rule.  If you believe you are and try to register, yet the system reports that it cannot find you in our records, then the paperwork has probably not yet cleared to get you into the system – try again in a day or two.  If the problem persists, please use the contact information at the end of this document to request clarification.

 

Assuming you meet the employment and/or enrollment criteria, you need to stop now for a moment and carefully consider your choices for both your BlazerID and password.  The following guidelines should assist you in successfully selecting and registering them with a minimum of hassle.  The system rejects all registration attempts not complying with any guideline below that includes the words “must” or "must not".

 

For the BlazerID:

·          Must be a combination of at least three and no more than eight lowercase letters or numbers (no punctuation allowed) and must begin with a letter.  Capital/uppercase letters must not be included.

·          Must be unique in the UAB Electronic Phonebook – no one else can already have it.  If in doubt, go to the Phonebook at http://www.uab.edu/phonebook and look it up using the lower left search box.  This is not fool-proof (the owner may be unlisted) but it will help narrow your choices.

·          Should not contain obscene or grossly unprofessional wording.  Once you have set a BlazerID, it can NEVER BE CHANGED, even if you are just a student now and later decide to hire on at UAB as an employee.  This is also a consideration if you ever plan to put your @uab.edu address on a resume, business card, letterhead, Web site, database, etc.

·          Should be something you will always be comfortable using as a login name, no matter what UAB service may now or eventually require it.  Again, once your BlazerID is registered, it can NEVER BE CHANGED.

·          Unless you expect to remain at your current marital status for the rest of your UAB experience, you should be cautious about using your last name or any part of it for your BlazerID.  Even if you get married or (hopefully not!) divorced, your BlazerID can NEVER BE CHANGED.

 

For the password:

·          Must be a combination of at least 8 but no more than 16 letters and numbers.  Punctuation can also be included, except for blanks, equal signs (=), and quotation marks (‘ or “).  At least one number or punctuation (i.e., something other than a letter) must be part of the combination.

·          Unlike the BlazerID, the system allows both capital/upper and lowercase letters but the capitalization is important; it must be entered exactly the same way each time you login or the system will not recognize it.

·          Must not be derived from a single dictionary word or your BlazerID.

·          Must not be derived from your phone number, social security number, or date of birth.

·          Should not be derived from your family members’ or pets’ names.

 

 

What if I want my BlazerID to be longer than 8 letters?  Why can I not use capital letters?  Yahoo!/AOL/MSN do not have these restrictions!  I don’t want a nonsense @uab.edu address!

 

Sorry, but these limitations are necessary to accommodate the wide variety of computer systems which now or will eventually utilize the BlazerID.  Several of them are incapable of accepting a login name longer than 8 letters, and not all recognize capitalization, so we had to go with the “lowest common denominator”.  (Note that regardless of how someone capitalizes your @uab.edu address when sending mail to you, it will always get delivered – BillyBob@uab.edu is treated the same as billybob@uab.edu.)

 

The Electronic Phonebook does have a feature called mail-only aliases, described later in this document, which relaxes some of these restrictions and can allow you to publish a more desirable @uab.edu address.

 

 

Why can my BlazerID NEVER BE CHANGED?

 

Besides updating your entry, the Phonebook does many other things in the background when you register a BlazerID.  Specifically, the system distributes your BlazerID to a number of other UAB directories and services that cannot directly interface with the Phonebook for login verification.  To change your BlazerID, someone must manually track down and remove it from all these dependent systems, and that requires a significant amount of time and staff attention.

 

Furthermore, as time passes, your BlazerID propagates into other places such as address books, security clearances, and file servers.  If it changes, then anyone who has been sending mail to your existing @uab.edu address will no longer be able to reach you.  If you have been granted computer access based on your BlazerID, it will be revoked.  If you have a computer account with data files stored on it, they will no longer accessible as before (and could even be deleted outright).  Put simply, changing your BlazerID means you will be out of business for a while.

 

If you change marital status, and simply want a new @uab.edu address to reflect that, you can utilize the mail-only aliases feature in the Phonebook, which is described later in this document.  Your BlazerID (what you use for login) will remain the same, but you can give out an updated @uab.edu address.

 

 

Why am I required to follow all of the "must" rules to create a password?

 

One of the biggest dangers in the online world today is for someone to hijack your identity by finding out one of your passwords.  If a hacker can break into your BlazerID by easily figuring out its password, they can cause all sorts of problems.  Once they have obtained information visible only through your ID, they can potentially access and exploit your financial and other personal records.  Closer to home, if they have your ID, they can post bogus information into our databases on your behalf, look at your grades, do further hacking under your name, and so on.  It is vitally important that you select a BlazerID password that is easy for you to remember, but almost impossible for anyone else to guess.

 

One way to do this is to pick two words and separate them with a number or punctuation mark.  Another approach is to think up a phrase and then use the first letter of each word (being sure to throw in a non-letter somewhere) to make up the password.

 

 

OK, OK, I understand.  Now, how do I get a BlazerID?

 

If you skipped down to here because you are impatient, you really need to go back up to the first “How do I get a BlazerID?” question.  You will save yourself many headaches by being prepared before proceeding beyond this point.

 

In order to use our BlazerID registration sites, you must have a Web browser which supports 128-bit encryption.  This is required for the same security reasons listed under the previous question, and should only be an issue if you are using an older browser/computer, or perhaps accessing our server from outside the US.

 

You should also be aware that your access to all UAB network and online services, including your BlazerID, is governed by the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) found at http://main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=38524 and any other relevant employee, faculty, and academic policies.  You must agree to abide by these in order to complete the registration form, and you will be subject to any of their stated disciplinary actions if you ever use UAB’s electronic resources inappropriately.

 

At this point, you should point your browser to http://www.uab.edu/blazerid (or return to it if you reached this page from there).  This link will take (or return) you to BlazerID Central; fill out the form there to register an ID, and (optionally) request a free UAB e-mail and/or Web account.

 

 

The registration screen is asking for my employee/student ID … what is that?

 

UAB normally uses your Social Security Number (SSN) as your employee or student ID, but there are exceptions.  If you are a foreign national student, this would be the 999-xx-xxxx number assigned to you (this is not a valid SSN).  For privacy reasons, some people specifically request that UAB not use their SSN as their ID – if you fall into this category, hopefully you know what was assigned in its place.  Because of these and other issues, we cannot specifically ask for “SSN” on the Phonebook screens.  Additionally, at some point in the future, this may not be based on SSN at all.

 

 

What is a “DPO account”?  What does it have to do with my BlazerID?

The Data Post Office (DPO) is a collection of central network and computer services operated by the UAB Telecommunications Department.  One of these services is the provision of no-cost Web site  (WWW) accounts for employees and students.  The server that supports these accounts has used BlazerIDs (also known as Phonebook aliases) for login since its inception.

 

Prior to October 2002, DPO was also the primary service supporting free UAB e-mail accounts.  This has now been replaced with a new central facility, described below.  If you have an existing DPO mailbox account, you may continue to use it or apply for one of the accounts on the new service.  In either case, your BlazerID and its password will be the username and password you use to access your mail.

 

You are welcome to apply for a DPO Web account during the BlazerID registration process (or by going to http://www.dpo.uab.edu afterwards).

 

 

What is a UAB e-mail account?  What does it have to do with my BlazerID?

 

In October 2002, a new central Microsoft Exchange mail service went into operation, providing free e-mail accounts to current UAB faculty, staff and students.  These accounts offer a number of benefits, including the ability to access your mail through the Web as well as any standard e-mail client.

 

You are welcome to apply for a UAB e-mail account during the BlazerID registration process (or by going to http://www.uab.edu/blazerid afterwards).  More information about the service can be found at this link, as well.  Your BlazerID and password will serve as the username and password to access your mail.

 

 

Why is my Phonebook entry “suppressed”?

 

This is the equivalent of being “unlisted” in your telephone company’s White Pages directory.  It means that even though you can see your own information, and you can receive mail sent to your @uab.edu address, no one else can look you up or see your entry in the Electronic Phonebook.  The fact that you are unlisted is determined from official UAB records, as described under the next question, and must be modified similarly.  At this time, unfortunately, there is no way to request your entry be only partially suppressed; for example, we cannot show your name and e-mail address while not displaying your home phone and address (this is mainly a concern if you are a student).  If you are a student and your entry is suppressed, you will not be listed in the student section of the printed Campus Directory.

 

 

Some of my information in the Electronic Phonebook is wrong!  How do I change it?

 

UAB central student and personnel database records provide all the official information in the Phonebook that you do not (and cannot) directly enter or change.  Only the office that maintains these records (i.e., Human Resources, Registrar's Office) can update this information.  For further details on getting your entry corrected, click on the “Need Assistance” link in the Phonebook, http://www.uab.edu/phonebook

 

 

The Electronic Phonebook only shows my @uab.edu address, even though I set/changed my mailbox.  Why??

 

One of the primary reasons for implementing the @uab.edu service was so people can give out that address and not worry if their actual mailbox changes.  This is especially beneficial for those who want to put their e-mail address on business cards, brochures, letterhead, and such.  If we were to display your actual mailbox, then someone would likely pick that up as your permanent e-mail address, and if you moved to a different department or server or mailbox username, they would no longer be able to contact you.

 

 

What if I forget the password for my BlazerID?

 

Go to http://www.uab.edu/blazerid and click on the Change BlazerID Password link.

 

 

As promised, more about “mail-only aliases”!

 

In order to allow your @uab.edu address to have more than an 8-letter username, and to accommodate any marital status changes after you register your BlazerID, the UAB Electronic Phonebook allows you to create up to three mail-only aliases.  As their name implies, these are solely intended for mail forwarding and cannot be used for authentication – only your BlazerID (which is considered your base alias) will be accepted when logging into Phonebook-enabled services.

 

Unlike your BlazerID, mail-only aliases can have up to 16 letters and numbers, and may include both capital/upper and lowercase letters (still no punctuation, though).  Any of the three (or your base alias) can be selected as your display alias –  this is what is shown as your e-mail address when someone looks you up in the Phonebook.  Regardless of how many mail-only aliases you create, and which of them you may choose as your display alias, all of them will forward to the same mailbox as listed under your Phonebook entry.

 

To use or find out more details about this feature, go to the Phonebook http://www.uab.edu/phonebook and click on the Change Information button.  After submitting your BlazerID and password, you will be shown an update screen – scroll to the bottom to locate the mail-only aliases link.

 

 

Have more questions?  Need more assistance?  Got a suggestion?

 

Please contact User Services by phone at (205) 934-3540 during regular office hours (Monday-Friday, 8-5), or by e-mail at UserServices@uab.edu

 

You may also contact the AskIT Help Desk at (205) 996-4871 (hours vary by day, but support outside regular office hours is generally available), or by e-mail at AskIT@uab.edu

 

If you have a password-related problem or question, you must contact us by phone.  For security reasons, we cannot respond to these requests via e-mail.

 

 

Disclaimer

 

Notwithstanding any language to the contrary, nothing contained herein constitutes, nor is intended to constitute, an offer, inducement, promise, or contract of any kind. The data contained herein are for informational purposes only and are not represented to be error free. Any links to non-UAB information are provided as a courtesy. They are not intended to constitute, nor do they constitute, an endorsement of the linked materials by the University of Alabama at Birmingham.