Computer, Printer and Software Replacement Cycle

Posted on by

Computer and Printer Replacement by Funding Source

  • General Fund Departments

    • Most of the 2010 computers have been replaced.  Computers purchased in 2011 are currently being replaced.
    • Replacement of 2012 computers will begin in Fall 2016
    • 2012 computers that are out of warranty and are currently failing will be replaced now.
    • Printers:
      • IT makes recommendations based on the age and utilization of the printer.  Typical life-cycle for a laser printer is 5 – 7 years.
      • Replacement is dependent on departmental budget.

  • IFC Funded Departments

    • Computers purchased in 2007 and 2008 are currently being replaced.
    • Some 2009 computers will be replaced before July 1, 2016

  • Student Technology Funded Labs

    • Computers are replaced every 3  to 4 years.
    • Higher level computers, such as those in the MIDI lab, tend to have a longer life.
    • The maintenance contract with the printer vendor provides us with new replacement printers when the current printer is at end of life.

Software Updates

  • Google Apps for Education
    • Licenses for all WOU users
    • Updates by Google on a periodic basis, several times per year
  • Microsoft Office
    • Microsoft Desktop for Education, campus license
      • Latest supported version is loaded before new equipment is delivered to customer
      • Latest supported version is loaded on older equipment, based on user request
      • Lab computers are updated each summer
  • Adobe Creative Cloud package, including Acrobat Pro
    • Licensed to all student lab stations + 134 faculty / staff FTE
      • License covers all student labs, both PCs and Macs
      • Faculty and staff that require this package are included
  • ARC GIS
    • Campus license
      • Students labs are updated annually
  • SPSS
    • Campus license for academic use
      • Labs, faculty and staff are updated on an annual basis
  • Many other software packages
    • It is typical for software packages to be updated each summer

An Introduction to the Data Warehouse

Posted on by
  •    The warehouse design is based on Ralf Kimball’s data model
    • The Kimball model includes both dimensions and facts
    • The model revolves around numbers (facts)
    • The dimensions describe the facts
    • A dimensional model is optimized for reporting (queries)
  • The warehouse is a “snapshot in time” of Banner data and other non-Banner data sources
    • example:  4th week data
  • Cognos is the reporting tool that is used to pull the data from the warehouse
    • Converted as PDF and printed
    • Saved as Excel file
    • e-mailed to your inbox
  • Facts (also referred to as cubes):
    • contains the data corresponding to a particular business process, action or event; typically numeric (links two or more dimensions together)
    • example of a fact: registration(credit hours, grades, quality points)
  • Dimensions:
    • contains details about each instance of an fact  (descriptors)
    • examples of dimensions: academic year, academic period, entity(last name, first name), section(course title, course number, crn, section term code)

 

diagram

  • The Data Warehouse was placed into production on June 2, 2014.
  • The warehouse includes 108,702,145 rows of data from Banner Finance, Student and Human Resources and Financial Aid
  • Reporting includes pre-built and ad-hoc queries.
    • Pre built reports will include parameters that you will respond to at run time
    • Ad-hoc queries will give you the ability to have full control of the report
  • The data is refreshed on a nightly basis.
  • # of Dimensions ………………………….72
  • # of Cubes ………………………………….56
  • # of data elements (columns) …..2,666

Demonstration:

For access to the data warehouse, contact Faye Whitenack at whitenaf@wou.edu.

For Cognos Warehouse training, contact Max Chartier at chartierm@wou.edu

 

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure — (VDI)

Posted on by

What is VDI?

  • Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is a collection of desktop operating systems, hosted on a collection of virtualized servers.

What does the VDI infrastructure look like?

  • There is a collection of 400 virtualized Windows 7 desktops ready to be accessed
  • Current utilization is 100 – 130 concurrent users
  • If desktop utilization becomes greater than 350, then 25 additional Windows 7 desktops are automatically built, giving us 425.  This will be repeated as concurrent user demand increases.  Build time for the 25 additional desktops is 15 – 20 minutes
  • When you logout of a desktop, the image is destroyed and rebuilt from the golden image  (no more virus worries!)
  • There are 7 virtual servers dedicated to VDI.
  • VDI runs on Solid State Drives
  • VDI is load balanced across two gateways
  • VDI servers are located, both in the Data Center and DeVolder

How can VDI be accessed?

  • At various locations on campus, including the Hamersly Library, Wyse terminals are directly connected to VDI.
  • IMG_0217
  • VDI can be acessed with a web browser
    • https://wouvdi.wou.edu
      • Select the icon on the right side of the screen labeled, VMware Horizon HTML Access
      • Use your Pawprint login credentials to authenticate
      • Select the “Lab Stations” icon to connect to Windows 7

Will I have access to my network drives?

  • Yes, H:, I:, J:, P:, etc are all accessible

What software is available on the Windows 7 virtual desktop?

  • Microsoft Office Suite, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox
  • ArcGIS, BlueJ, eclipse, Fathom, Foxit Reader,Geo Gebra
  • GS View, Ghostscript, Green Globs, Escape!, GSP
  • SPSS,Kinovea, LEGO Mindstorms, Maple, MatLab, TeXworks
  • Printkey, Python, QuickBooks, QuickTime, RealNetworks Suite
  • Subversion, VLC,  WinDirStat, WinEdit, WinRAR

Additional Functionality?

  • Select the down arrow in the top middle of the screen.
    • This will display a down arrow.  Select the down arrow to display menu options
      • Options include
        • Send control-alt-delete message to Windows
        • Toggle to full screen
        • Paste text
        • Disconnect
        • Help
  • Transfer data to and from USB drive attached to local computer
    • Install VMware Horizon Client on your local computer  (an alternative to the web client
    • Select Connection, then USB from the VMware Horizon Client menu
      • Select Automatically connect when inserted (you will now be able to copy files to / from networks drives from / to local USB storage

 

 

WordPress update

Posted on by

What is WordPress?

  • Website content management system (CMS)
  • Open source website creation tool
  • Written in PHP
  • A tool that can be used to maintain your website using a web-browser on your desktop or handheld device

 

Who uses WordPress?

 

How did WOU select WordPress?

  • Recruitment expressed interest in a revamping of the WOU website, with a redesign that focused on new students
  • Graduate Programs hired Stamats to design a website that was in alignment with their mission
    • Included in the design specifications, was a recommendation to utilize WordPress to implement the new design
      • Included in the specifications:
        • Search engine optimization
        • Mobile friendly site
        • X-platform video integration
  • HighEdWeb conference was attended by Public Relations, Graduate Programs and University Computing Services
    • Other universities shared their success with an online CMS (WordPress)
    • Several universities highly recommended utilizing WordPress
    • There were several presentations where universities demonstrated many features that WordPress incorporates

 

Why WordPress?

  • Vast amounts of resources are available for the management and maintenance of WordPress
  • Easy to use plug-ins, which allow for unlimited possibilities, are available
  • Mobile friendly
    • Google pushes mobile friendly sites up to the top of search results
  • Better integration for blog and social media feeds
  • Cohesive look throughout the whole website which will give end users a better experience navigating the website as well as a more professional feel
  • Relevant and up to date content (old outdated pages/sites will be deleted and no longer searchable through Google)

 

How do I get WordPress support?

  • Contact Danielle Gauntz at 503-838-8215 or gauntz@wou.edu
  • Support provided thru:
    • Training sessions
    • One on one sessions
    • Danielle or one of her staff will convert your site for you

 

WordPress — Summer Resources

Posted on by

Danielle Gauntz, Web Desinger, had her baby daughter on July 3, 2015.  She will be back, providing full time web support on September 8, 2015.  Her tentative plans include working 10 hours per week, starting July 20,

Shandelle Pepper is the technician providing Word Press support through December.  Don’t hesitate to give her a call.  She is glad to meet with you one-on-one or as a group. Her contact information is:

  • e-mail  peppers@wou.edu
  • phone 503-838-8493

WordPress resources can be found here.

 

 

The Demise of Windows XP

Posted on by

Windows XP support has ended, as of April 8, 2014.  Microsoft suggest that you are five times more vulnerable to security risks and viruses, which means you could get hacked and have your personal information stolen, if you continue to run Windows XP.

By default, Windows XP computers will be blocked from operating on the WOU network, after July 1, 2015.  If you have a critical need that requires Windows XP, please send me a note and I will design an alternative operating path for you.

If you don’t know which operating system you are using, contact the Service Request Desk at 88925 and they will help you identify the OS.

 

 

Security Cameras

Posted on by
  • Deployment of cameras began approximately twelve years ago
  • Currently 170 cameras installed
  • Located in smart classrooms, computer labs, parking lots, building entrances, ball fields, …
  • Cameras record on motion, no sound is recorded
  • Recordings are stored 7 – 10 days
  • The newer cameras are HD 5 megapixel cameras
  • Review of camera footage is most often done after a theft or damage to property, but includes inclement weather, construction progress, classroom support, …
  • Three UCS employees and Public Safety can directly access video recordings

Wireless Infrastructure

Posted on by

Utilization

Rogues and Interferers

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

  • Example wireless statistics for MacBook Air
  • 802.11 a/b/g/n are available in all WOU wireless locations
  • 802.11 ac deployment was begun in new locations in December 2014.
  • To take advantage of the higher speeds available with 802.11 n/ac, multiple antennas are required.  This is referred to as MIMO (multiple input, multiple output)
  • Frequency
    • 802.11 b/g/n — 2.4Ghz
    • 802.11 a/n/ac — 5.0Ghz
  • Channels
    • 802.11 b/g/n
      • Available channels include 1 – 11
      • The effective channels include — 1, 6, 11.  Utilizing other channels in the 2.4Ghz range will cause interference to the channels on either side.
    • 802.11 a/n/ac — The effective channels include — 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64,100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 132, 136, 140, 149, 153, 157, 161, 165
  • Speed — theoretical
    • Wireless is a shared resource.  Each user shares the bandwidth with every other user using an access point.  If there is a slow user connected to an access point, that slows down access for every other user.
  • 802.11 n — 300Mb/s — 100Mb/s per antenna  (MIMO)
  • 802.11 ac — 1.3Gb/s — 400Mb/s per antenna (MIMO) on 5Ghz
  • 802.11 ac — 450Mb/s — on 2.4Ghz
  • 802.11 a — 54Mb/s
  • 802.11 b — 11Mb/s
  • 802.11 g — 54Mb/s
  • Year developed
    • 802.11 b — 1999
    • 802.11 a — 1999
    • 802.11 g — 2002
    • 802.11 n — 2009
    • 802.11 ac — approved January 2014

Security Infrastructure

Posted on by

Phase 1

Phase 2