The following table provides a brief summary of the various issues CISCnet has addressed along with their status and potential needs for the future. The issues are divided into three categories: working, active and complete. The working issues are those which were recent agenda items and for which a policy or recommendation is currently being sought; the active issues are those which have received attention but need additional consideration prior to proposing any policy or recommendation; and the completed issues are those for which a policy has been put into place or for which another group has taken responsibility.
|
TOPIC |
PROBLEM |
STATUS |
FUTURE NEEDS |
|
Working Issues |
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Roaming Use of the Network |
Laptop users would be able to use a single network setting at any location; important for classroom instruction and home/office use |
Recommendation sent to UAB Communications to support roaming services (http://www.dpo.uab.edu/ciscnet/dhcp.html) ; waiting response |
Rapid growth of this need is anticipated. |
|
Security |
Email spamming, computer break-ins, unauthorized use of services |
Endorsed planned installation of email gateway to prevent abuse from outside UAB http://www.dpo.uab.edu/relay-auth.html |
A plan for comprehensive, integrated and standards-based solution to securing network use is needed. |
|
Active Issues |
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Network Communication Standards |
A policy is needed to ensure growth and reliability of the voice and data network. |
TCP/IP, IPX, and AppleTalk are currently routed |
The routing of some specific protocols (such as AppleTalk) across the network background needs to be evaluated for their impact on overall network utilization. |
|
Desktop Support |
Office applications are not utilized optimally; research/teaching have no serious central support. Some academic areas have no support at all. |
Several successful department-based solutions have expanded: Lister Hill Library, Comprehensive Cancer Center and School of Optometry take paying customers. |
Growth in electronic communications will increase need for support; cost savings could be achieved by use of less paper and more efficient use of office software. Implement recommendation to create and fund a tiered support system. See Report of the Information Systems/ Technology Task Force. http://www.dpo.uab.edu/ciscnet/IT.html |
|
Network Financing |
The network must have adequate financing for infrastructure and operations, for both business and research/education use of the network. |
Current financing is from telephone systems operations and a telephone surcharge; grant funds pay for research network |
CISCnet has consistently promoted a view of the network as a critical element of basic infrastructure that should be funded in a manner that does not prohibit less well funded departments from using it. |
|
UAB LAN Manager Job Descriptions and Training |
Due to high turnover and lack of training, many university computer systems are in jeopardy due to lack of documentation, backup, and security problems. Network administrators have expressed displeasure with ISS titles and lack of clear differences in job descriptions for I,II,and III. Human Resource qualifications for Computer Tech positions were seen as too restrictive. Those with experience waste time on simple tasks due to poor division of labor. |
CISCnet worked with Human Resources to develop an ISS survey to document current actual duties and use this to review job descriptions ( Survey and results available at http://training.vpad.uab.edu/compen/IT%20Survey.pdf). (Draft version of LAN System Administrator Guidelines http://www.dpo.uab.edu/ciscnet/LanManager.html ) ISS III position upgraded; "Computer Apprentice" position proposed |
High turnover, lack of training, isolation due to "Mom and Pop Store" organization of IT will continue to provide highly uneven and unpredictable support for end users. |
|
University-wide Email and Directory Service Systems, Including Commonly Readable Attachments |
While setting some elementary standards and providing MS products through site licensing has improved matters, the campus is still plagued by incompatible attachments, PC/MAC and PC/Unix workstation incompatibilities. There is no single universally recognized and used directory system. There is no standard email system. |
CISCnet established some basic email guidelines. ( http://www.dpo.uab.edu/Email/Guidelines.html) Since no centralized email system was offered on the campus side (HSIS has implemented a GroupWise solution) some department-based solutions have grown and spread through parts of campus. An "Exchange Organization" (http://www2.ccc.uab.edu/uabmsx/) serves about 1/3 of campus offices; (see guidelines for joining exchange organization http://www2.ccc.uab.edu/uabmsx/redtape.html )and a side-effect is that several closed directory system exist. DC/NS has a Qi/Ph directory based on HR/student records; it is available through LDAP lookup. HSIS is trying to implement an Exchange/NDS gateway which would include many but not all campus email addresses. |
Develop a single, standards-based directory. Adopt standards-based email standard or provide universal access to a proprietary system; however, a proprietary system will need standards-based access from outside UAB. |
|
Office Software |
Documents with complex formatting need to be shared (for both editing and reading) across campus. |
Two types of licensing of MS Office products have been arranged. It is hoped that improved licensing will help users keep current and at a consistent version. |
Standardization on MS Products is useful only when the versions are uniform, and migration to new versions occurs simultaneously. Federal agencies seem to have standardized on web and Adobe PDF as universal formats. |
|
Internet2 |
I2 organization was forming; federal grant opportunities were waiting. |
UAB joined and secured external funding for high performance network connections. See http://www.uab.edu/internet2/ Academic Programs Information Technology was formed so I2 activities could be carried out on behalf of the entire institution. |
Continue funding for high performance network connections. Create a genuine Academic Computing Program to pilot new technologies and aggressively seek new funding opportunties. |
|
Impact of Client- Server Systems |
Client-server communications will increase as more systems work from this model. |
A plan to modernize Administrative Computing has been developed. |
UAB will become more dependent upon the network; network funding, desktop support, and efficiency of client-server software will become even more important. |
|
Wireless |
PDAs and portable computers will increase the demand for wireless communications. |
Wireless bandwidth is significantly less than wired; construction of many buildings severely limits range of wireless devices. |
Wireless technology, especially for devices that combine internet with telephone and paging, will improve and demand will increase. |
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Completed Issues |
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UAB WWW |
No UAB web policies or design were in place; UAB appeared to be a disconnected set of for the most part badly designed site. |
Importance to UAB of a web site presence was promoted by CISCnet. Responsibilities for this site (UAB home page: http://www.uab.edu/ ) were assigned to Creative Services and Marketing to create a Web Center (http://main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=7595) which has been centrally funded.
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Improvements in operation and maintenance of the main web server have been suggested. |
|
Network Infrastructure |
The network was not capable of providing high speed, high bandwidth communications to all locations. Funding to make improvements fell largely on departments. |
A campus-wide, centrally funded network upgrade project, approved by the Board of Trustees, is in progress |
Completion of project and continuous upgrades of network equipment. |
|
Remote access |
Dialup access demand exceeded capacity; existing equipment and staff could not keep up with demand and rapidly changing modem speeds. |
CISCnet helped develop an RFP for dialup services. Campus CWIX now has a contract to provide dialup services. |
The Campus CWIX contract expires in 1 year. Improved access while traveling needed. |
|
Site licensing |
There was no campus site licensing. UAB was not taking advantage of discounts available through volume purchasing (due to distributed purchasing and inability to track software purchasing through financial system). |
A Site License Committee was formed; campus licenses are now available for various software packages http://www.dpo.uab.edu/ciscnet/SLAC/index.htmlInformation Technology Services handles licenses that are paid for by end users; DC/NS distributes no-charge software |
Efforts should continue that promote software standardization and use of backup, anti-virus and other important tools. |
|
Network Connection Policy |
The wiring infrastructure was not solely the responsibility of UAB communications; "do-it-yourself" was still occurring. |
UAB president signed the network policy on 8/12/97, naming UAB communications as solely responsible for the wiring. http://www.dpo.uab.edu/ciscnet/netpol.html |
None |
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Email Standards |
Incompatibilities abound in email systems and attachments. |
A set of minimum email standards was developed by CISCnet, in cooperation with TIMGroup. http://www.dpo.uab.edu/Email/ |
Three-year old guidelines should be reviewed and updated. |
|
Directory of Information Technology Services |
Information Technology services are offered through at least 20 different locations; end users often found it confusing to know who to contact for the particular service needed. |
An on-line directory of information technology services was recommended by CISCnet and implemented by DC/NS. |
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AskIT |
End Users are unaware of new services and available information technologies. |
CISCnet recommended a regular column of articles about IT at UAB; now known as the UAB Reporter AskIT column http://www.uab.edu/AskIT/ |
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