University Systems News for November and December 2016

Accomplishments

The University Banner Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system was upgraded during the month of November. This critical system provides broad-reaching functionality for student admissions, registration, and records, as well as financial systems and payroll.  This upgrade was required to maintain technical currency with our software, operating systems and databases, and to ensure that the latest functionality and security features are available in this critical system.  The upgrade also serves as a prerequisite for the next version of Banner, called Banner XE, which will include entirely new user interfaces and an updated look and feel.

Our own University Systems website has been updated with the new Edge branding. The University Systems website contains our Service Catalogue, self-service help documentation, information about our facilities and staff, and notices and bulletins about computing services. Check it out!

As part of the Wi-Fi Door Access Pilot (PC0668), the Clearihue Conference room and four doors in the Student Affairs and Counselling Services office space in the University Centre have been upgraded to make use of new readers to allow access through the use of the ONECard. The installations are being completed as part of a pilot project to evaluate the feasibility of wifi-enabled locks as an alternative to the existing installations that require additional wiring an infrastructure.

New card reader on Clearihue C030 door. Photo Credit: Scott Thompson

DSS worked with Network Services to complete a VLAN reconfiguration for the Graduate Students Society at the Halpern Centre for Graduate Students. For the purposes of improving network security best practices, we took on the task of separating the GSS office network from the Grad House Restaurant business operations network. The coordination and planning of the work was critical in pulling off a smooth transition over the course of the morning and minimizing downtime.

The UVic Online document repository and wiki was also migrated from legacy SharePoint to the new Connect site in the month of November (PC0674). This change involved not only a move to new technologies, but a substantial re-architecture of the site and cleanup of the content.  Multiple sub-sites and application catalogues were consolidated into the new site, which will simplify content searching and maintenance, and in turn result in better client service.

Around Campus

On November 23, we all headed over to Campus Security for their Meet the Team event. We learned about emergency planning, coin sorting, and campus alarm systems. More photos from the event are available on the VPFO Service Excellence website.

Matt, Mike, and Mario have their mugshots taken.

Secure that helmet, Trish!

We met with the IdeaFest co-op student organizer for AV planning purposes. IdeaFest will take place from March 6-11 2017.

Our Audio Visual team performed the AV setup, operation, and tear down for the Renaming of Administrative Services Building to the Michael Williams Building.

DSS completed work for the UVSS in ensuring that the uvss.ca domain can be used with Exchange and the role-based ERNBEA accounts. Over the course of a few months, DSS worked with DCS to plan and prepare accounts used by the UVSS to be able to continue using the @uvss.ca domain alias and to allow new role-based Exchange accounts to be assigned @uvss.ca aliases.

Media Services webcast the Fall Convocation ceremonies on November 9 and 10, 2016. On-demand videos were posted immediately after the ceremony and multi-bitrate videos were posted the next day

Flemming Sorvin and Media Services produced two promotional videos for Systems’ Video Conferencing Service. The first video is being displayed on UVic’s Digital Signage until the end of December and the next will be displayed from January to Feburary, 2017. Watch for these neat videos around campus!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Our Student Computing Facilities were decorated for the holidays. Looking festive, Greg! Photo credit: Tomoyo Masuda

Eric and Sherri enjoying the ACSV team Winter Forum. Photo Credit: Trish Kearley