Fall 2001 Newsletter - Information Services

Fall 2001
Computer Services Newsletter
1
Computer Services Newsletter
http://computerservices.smsu.edu/newsletters.html
Southwest Missouri State University
Fall 2001
Just a click away
By Theresa McCoy, Sr. Systems Analyst
TheresaMcCoy@smsu.edu
T
wo comprehensive web sites now offer a variety of information that
is easily accessible both on and off campus. The Faculty/Staff
Resource Center allows faculty members to view a schedule of the classes
they are teaching, as well as the class roster. The class roster can be
downloaded from the site onto the faculty member’s personal computer.
Additionally, listings of advisees, students who have not been assigned
an advisor, and sections that have not been assigned to an instructor
can be obtained. The Find A Student feature offers a convenient cross-
Theresa McCoy works with the
My Information web page.
reference. Most of the My Information pages designed for student use can
Take a look inside
1 Just a click away
1 SOARing with Information Technology
2 Fall 2001computer lab schedules
3 From the director...and the coordinators
4 Cheek lab upgrade
4 New software for Macintosh
5 Web programming, up close and in person
be accessed via the Resource Center , which makes them much more
useful. The Student My Information site contains a large cross-section
of data that covers both academics and student life. Students can view
their grades, current degree audit, transcript, class schedule, and
transfer evaluation. The student may request a list of books required
for their courses and even reserve them at the bookstore for later
pickup. Also, there are links to the University class schedule, credit
card payments, accounts receivable, BearMail, and payroll. The site
allows updates of information such as permanent and local address,
5 Energy Conservation: Doing (y)our part
degree audit requests, parking permit registration, and reapplication of
6 Upgrade to Heat 6.0
housing contracts. Special thanks for these web sites go to the develop-
6 Server-based Systems
ers Phillip McCart and Susie Clark and to Enrollment Services for dedicat-
7 Microsoft Exchange 2000
7 Campus switch to Norton Antivirus
8 Is your computer hurting you?
8 Electronic workflow initiative switches to in-house
development
9 Cut-out section: Need Help? Computer Services
can help you!
9 Cut-out section: Computer Services Email Alias
request form
10 Cut-out section: Helpful Internet and email
addresses
11 Migrating to database
ing the resources necessary to make their dream a reality.
SOARing with Information Technology
By David Liss, Coordinator of User Support
DavidLiss@smsu.edu
C
omputer Services is taking part in making a positive first impression
on new students at SMSU. The department has been helping with
the SOAR program for several years by providing useful information for both
students and their parents. Last year Computer Services began issuing
students their computer accounts at the SOAR Expo, which proved to be
11 Helpful locations to remember
(Continued on page 2)
2
Computer Services Newsletter
Computer
Services
Newsletter
Coordinator:
David Liss
Managing Editor:
Larry Dudley
Head Copyeditor:
Natasha Smith
Assistant Editor:
Sarah Jacobson
Contributors:
Jeff Morrissey, David Liss,
John Province, Tony Richerson,
Joe Arens, Al Arnold,
Bill Carnagey, Guy Fox,
Norm Griffith, Mark Harsen,
Brian Heaton, Theresa McCoy,
Mark Oglesby, Kevin Piercy
Fall 2001
Fall 2001 computer lab schedules
All labs available at (417) 836-6327
Cheek Hall 150
Monday – Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
open 24 hours
closes 11 PM
10AM – 6 PM
opens at noon
Glass Hall 228-229, 234-235
Monday – Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
8 AM – midnight
8 AM – 11 PM
10 AM – 6 PM
2 PM – 11 PM
Take Note
Computer Services Training
and Documentation now
offers its documentation
exclusively online at http://
computerservices.smsu.edu/
training/documentation/.
Public Affairs Classroom Building 107
Monday – Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
8 AM – 11 PM
8 AM – 10 PM
11AM – 5 PM
3 PM – 10 PM
Note: Lab schedules are subject to change. For current lab hours, refer to the web page:
http://computerservices.smsu.edu/usersupport/labs.h tml
Helpful phone numbers
Computer
Services
Department
Help Desk
(417) 836-5891
Short Course
registration
(417) 836-6288
Dialup hotline
(417) 836-6327 (students)
(417) 836-5891 (faculty/staff)
Director:
Jeff Morrissey 836-5770
Secretary:
Babs Krasser 836-5770
Coordinator, Management
Information Systems:
Tony Richerson 836-4399
Coordinator, Technical and
Systems Programming:
John Province 836-4396
Coordinator, User Support:
David Liss 836-4739
SOARing with Information Technology, cont.
very beneficial in saving the participants time, hassle and run-around. Additionally, parents were invited to attend an Information Technology session
giving them valuable information on topics such as availability of computer
labs and classrooms, technology services, library and web resources, Computers for Learning class, Student Computer Usage Fees, residence hall
computing, and ResNET. Being involved with programs such as SOAR enables technology providers to stay in touch with the most important university
Help Desk Services:
Help Desk staff 836-5891
asset – the students.
Fall 2001
Computer Services Newsletter
3
From the Director . . .
This newsletter is designed to make you aware of several initiatives
in areas of technology that are expanding across the SMS University
system. Although most are projects that have taken form over the
past several years, you will notice an accelerated pace at which they
are being implemented. The articles in this newsletter should give
you a good understanding of the details surrounding projects such as
our relational database migration, workflow systems, web centric
application development, computer virus protection, and more.
Hopefully you will enjoy these articles, and as always if you have
comments concerning our service or are interested in additional
details about a certain project, please don’t hesitate to contact our
department.
Tony Richerson
Coordinator of Management
Information Systems
TonyRicherson@smsu.edu
John Province
Coordinator of Technical and
Systems Programming
JohnProvince@smsu.edu
David Liss
Coordinator of User Support
DavidLiss@smsu.edu
Jeff Morrissey
Director of Computer Services
JeffMorrissey@smsu.edu
The Management Information Systems group (MIS) is working to
develop and maintain business applications for the University. Many
new self-service applications are being provided for student, faculty,
and staff use. The student folder is a new comprehensive web page
designed to provide students with a great deal of frequently used
information on one web page. Faculty members can use the Faculty/
Staff Resource Center web page to obtain current information about
their advisees. These programs are written in a variety of languages
including Visual Basic Script, COBOL, and HTML. Meanwhile, the
University’s core business applications are being converted to
relational database technology to allow easier access to information.
As technology progresses, every area of Systems grows accordingly.
Presently, Systems supports over 9,000 nodes and is responsible for
74 major servers. The present email system will be updated to provide
additional features and enhance reliability. The MORENET Internet line
has been increased to allow more traffic to and from SMSU. Another
large project is installing an IBM AS/400 system to assist in the
mainframe’s migration to a database environment. Computer Services
is very pleased to provide these services to successfully meet the evergrowing technical needs and demands of the campus community.
The User Support group provides technology assistance to students, faculty, and staff campus-wide. The Help Desk provides
technology support to faculty and staff while the open-access computer labs provide student support. There is a variety of quality
training classes and documentation offered through the Technical
Training office, and the highly skilled Assistive Technology staff
can make technology accommodations for most any disability. Over
this next year the User Support group will be increasing its efforts to
provide a higher level of customer support with an emphasis on a
“self-service” model that will provide 24/7 support via the web. As
always, the goal in User Support is to focus on providing customers
with quality service and support.
...andthe
coordinators
4
Computer Services Newsletter
Fall 2001
Cheek lab upgrade
By Guy Fox, Lab Support Administrator
GuyFox@smsu.edu
O
nce again, the summer has
Public Affairs Classroom Building Lab
proven to be a busy time for
will be replaced in 2003. The new
the open labs managed by Com-
machines in Cheek are Gateway
puter Services. The Student
computers with 933MHz processors,
Computer Usage Fee committee
256MB RAM, 20GB hard drives,
funded the replacement of outdated
250MB Zip drives, and CD/DVD
equipment. State-of-the-art com-
drives. The old machines were
puter systems are available 140
redistributed on campus to areas that
hours per week to all students
were in need of newer equipment.
enrolled at SMSU. Each computer
Priority was given to those areas that
lab is upgraded every third year,
directly serve the most students. This
and in 2001 the Cheek Hall lab was
year, the English Department Writing
process. Stop by Cheek Hall and
revitalized with new computers.
Lab and Plaster Student Union are
pay Computer Services a visit.
Glass Hall will be upgraded next
just two of the beneficiaries that were
You’ll like our new look!
year, and the machines in the
upgraded thanks to the redistribution
Jerry Varner helping a student in
the computer lab.
Fun Facts
There have been over 1,500
copies of software duplicated
from our Microsoft Campus
New software for Macintosh
Licensing Agreement for
By Norm Griffith, Centralized User Support Specialist
NormGriffith@smsu.edu
P
eer-To-Peer sharing between PC and Macintosh
systems is now a reality at SMSU.
From the PC, users see Macintosh printers and files in the Network Neighborhood,
and from the Macintosh, users can get
access to the Microsoft Network, whether
it IS a Bear1 folder or a shared printer.
The program’s trade name, DAVE, uses
the industry standard TCP/IP protocol
instead of AppleTalk. For more information
about DAVE, contact Norm Griffith, Centralized User Support Specialist, via email
at NormGriffith@smsu.edu or by phone
at 836-6658.
®
faculty and staff.
Fall 2001
Computer Services Newsletter
5
Energy Conservation:
Doing (y)our part
Web programming, up close and in person
By Al Arnold, Web Systems Analyst
AlArnold@smsu.edu
S
MSU students and staff now have
some very useful web applications
available for checking grades, payroll,
registering for parking permits, and
finding other personal information.
Most of SMSU’s information systems
are written in COBOL and run on an IBM
mainframe computer. Although cutting-edge web technology
isn’t commonly associated with mainframes and COBOL,
the MIS group has managed to combine the best of both
worlds in order to provide the information and functionality
necessary. The web servers “talk” to the mainframe via communication programs known as COM objects. The COM
objects take requests from a web page and sends them to the
“listener” program on the mainframe. That program in turn
interprets the request, executes the proper program on the
mainframe, and returns the results to the web server. MIS and
the Systems group developed these communication modules
in-house. MIS uses a text editor called NoteTab Pro to create
web applications. NoteTab is a very customizable editor with
its own macro programming language. MIS uses NoteTab to do
things such as conditional search and replaces and building
wizards for commonly used coding structures. This editor also
has the capability of interfacing with other text processing
languages such as Perl and Grep. For example, to convert
mainframe data definitions to web, NoteTab calls a Perl program that translates COBOL into VBScript. The resulting code
is HTML and VBScript, which are open industry standards.
MIS is also increasing the use of relational database technology (standard SQL) in all application development. By adhering
to such industry standards, MIS will be better positioned to
adopt new technology such as web and database server
changes.
By David Liss,
Coordinator of User Support
DavidLiss@smsu.edu
T
echnology support professionals
across campus are doing their
part to help conserve energy at
SMSU. The Campus User Support
committee (CUS) is a group of
technology support professionals
spanning most colleges. CUS is
working with Physical Plant to
implement a series of energy conservation measures to reduce waste.
CUS members are limiting the
number of computers turned on in
labs over the summer and are making other University personnel aware
of measures they can take to help
out. Most computer labs, including
the three Computer Services openaccess labs, turn on all machines to
have them ready for the users’
convenience. Because computer
monitors use more energy than
other components, lab supervisors
are turning off the monitors until
someone needs to use the computer.
Since the project’s implementation,
there has been a decline in energy
use and approximately a 5-degree
decrease in room temperature, which
saves cooling costs. Similarly, if
users shut down their machines
overnight, the savings would be
significant.
Screen savers and
power management settings still
draw power to the monitor; therefore,
there is no real substitute for turning
the monitor off. Lets all do our part
to save energy.
6
Computer Services Newsletter
Fall 2001
Upgrade to Heat 6.0
By Joe Arens, Microcomputer Support Administrator
JoeArens@smsu.edu
T
he Help Desk enhances customer
business processes and rules,
support with its recent Help Desk
asset management, and a highly
software upgrade, Heat 6.0. The
customizable interface that
previous Help Desk software allowed
enables Help Desk management
the Help Desk Analyst to log calls
to make custom changes as
and track work orders efficiently,
needed. What does all of this
although it lacked many of the ad-
mean for users? By utilizing
vanced features that maximize effi-
Heat 6.0 advanced features,
ciency and promote outstanding
users will experience more
customer service. Heat 6.0 allows
convenience. For example, with
the Help Desk to offer improved
Heat 6.0 Self-Service module,
support with many new features
users can create a ticket via
including organization-wide service
the web on a 24/7 basis and the Knowledge Base allows them to search
and support, customer self-service via
for answers to many questions even when the Help Desk Analysts are off
the web, convenient web-access for
duty. With built in rules and processes, users will see greater consis-
technicians and analysts, knowledge
tency when they place a call to the Help Desk. All of these features are
management tools, automated
designed to provide maximum efficiency, which means better service.
Joe Arens and Robert Odwora
test the new Heat software.
Server-based Systems
By Brian Heaton, Systems Analyst
BrianHeaton@smsu.edu
W
hile most of what the Management Information Systems (MIS) group has developed over the years has
been mainframe based, MIS is always striving to develop applications on the most appropriate
platform available.Over the past few years, MIS has developed several web systems that rely solely on
server-based technologies such as Microsoft SQL Server. These include systems that allow the purchase
of SMSU Bookstore catalog merchandise, accept donations earmarked for KSMU, and permit the Student
Government Association to conduct student elections via the web. Two larger systems have now been
added to the list of server-based systems. The Campus Judicial Tracking System will permit some administrative offices to capture information concerning incidents that occur on campus and track the progression
of those incidents through the conclusion of the judicial process. This system also includes workflow
principles such as rules-based routing and instant email notification. Not only does this allow an incident
report to be processed more quickly, it also prevents an incident report from being lost on someone’s desk.
Another system developed this past year is an access control system for MIS web applications. This
system is the behind-the-scenes lynch pin in many MIS web systems. Among other things, it verifies that a
user trying to view any particular web page is authorized to view that web page. These web systems are
comprised of active server pages written in HTML, VBScript, and JavaScript.
Fall 2001
Computer Services Newsletter
7
Microsoft Exchange 2000
By Kevin Piercy, Windows NT Systems Programmer
KevinPiercy@smsu.edu
C
omputer Services is happy to announce the University’s email
systems are being upgraded to Microsoft Exchange 2000 server.
The Exchange 2000 Server will allow Computer Services to implement a
modular system and use several different databases to store user
messages, whereas the current system requires all messages to be
stored in one database, severely limiting system scalability and management. The upgrade will result in a system with increased stability
and responsiveness. The new system will be faster than ever, while
maintaining compatibility with current client software and providing many
new features to the University. Current client software such as Outlook,
The server farm gets updated to
Exchange server 2000.
Outlook Express, and BearMail will continue to function normally. In
addition, users will be able to benefit from the enhanced web access provided through Outlook Web Access. Like
BearMail, Outlook Web Access provides users with a convenient way to access their campus mailbox through a web
browser. While not possessing all the features of the regular Outlook client, Outlook Web Access is a far more
capable client than the current BearMail software. Outlook Web Access provides many new features that campus
users have asked for, including the ability to use calendars and contacts and to format messages in Rich-Text or
HTML.
Campus switch to Norton Antivirus
By Joe Arens, Microcomputer Support Administrator
JoeArens@smsu.edu
T
he University takes a new path this fall with the introduction of Symantec’s
Norton Antivirus. Norton Antivirus should be available this summer with full
deployment expected by the fall 2001 semester. Norton Antivirus is a premier antivirus utility that
sets the standard when it comes to antivirus protection and replaces Command Antivirus due to
compatibility and reliability issues. Norton Antivirus’ key features include Digital Immune System
for automated submission and virus cures via the web, multiple platform support, and a centralized
policy to manage updates for all machines from a single desktop. Norton Antivirus also uses NAVEX, a unique
solution that incorporates new virus definitions and engine extensions without
Fun Facts
The current definiton files for
Computer Services’ antivirus
software protects us from
50,359 threatening viruses.
having to uninstall or reinstall the application software. Although Norton
Antivirus is best known for its reliability, the company consistently produces
virus information within a few hours of the attack. Information about new viruses can be found at: http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html.
Symantec’s website also contains useful information about viruses describing
the risk and threat potential. Regardless of how good Norton Antivirus may be,
one should always be cautious of any emails received with file attachments.
Attachments with .VBS and .EXE file extensions are usually always virus
related and should never be opened.
8
Computer Services Newsletter
Fall 2001
Is your computer hurting you?
By Bill Carnagey, Assistive Tech nology Support Specialist
BillCarnagey@smsu.edu
I
n a study conducted at Ball State University, researcher Melody Alexander
found that almost two-thirds of office employees had experienced physical
ailments related to computer use (USA Today, 12/99). In that same article, it
was projected that early into the 21st century, repetitive stress injuries (RSIs)
Fun Facts
The Cheek Hall 24 hour lab
averages more than 16
people per half hour during
the overnight hours.
may account for half of all workers’ compensation claims. Not surprisingly,
RSI is the most rapidly growing category of work-related illnesses reported to
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Based on referrals to Assistive Technology Services, there has been a
steady increase in RSIs among students, faculty, and staff right here at
SMSU. The alarming reality is that the caseload of RSI victims is getting younger all the time. Unfortunately, the
adverse effects of this injury tend to last a lifetime, often becoming more severe over time. Fortunately, RSIs can
be prevented, even if you are a heavy computer user. Practicing good computer ergonomics is the best way to avoid
computer related injuries. To learn more about computer ergonomics and how to protect yourself from injury,
please visit the following resources:
Computer Ergonomics Workbook http://www.ehs.ucdavis.edu/ergback/computr/
Debra Quilter’s http://www.rsihelp.com/
Ergonomic Guidelines for arranging a Computer Workstation - 10 steps for users (Cornell University).
http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/ergoguide.html
Remember, “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” and the sooner computer ergonomics is practiced,
the safer users will be.
Electronic workflow initiative switches to in-house development
By Mark Oglesby, Web Programmer/Analyst
MarkOglesby@smsu.edu
A
utomating current paper methods of approving campus forms
solution. Instead, the MIS group will
and performing business operations is a major goal for
Computer Services. Toward that goal, the MIS group in Computer
move forward by taking what they have
Services will be committing resources this fiscal year to the devel-
own framework for the development of
opment of a programmed framework to support the development of
electronic workflow applications. Com-
electronic workflow applications. In June 2001, an electronic
puter Services is committed to the design
learned in the pilot project and build their
workflow pilot project, funded in part through SMSU-Springfield’s
and implementation of electronic workflow
The pilot project was a joint effort technologies and document management.
between SMSU’s Personnel Action Workflow Team, chaired by Mary Their ultimate goal, then, is to improve
Title III grant, was completed.
Routh, director of Human Resources, and a software system inte-
the University’s ability to manage opera-
grator, 5280 Solutions of Aurora, Colorado. The pilot project
tions and the quality of services available
consisted of the automation of SMSU’s Position Authorization
to students, faculty, and staff.
form, Personnel Action forms, and associated approval processes.
Following a lengthy period of testing and a series of usability
studies, the decision was made to decline the customized vendor
Need help?
Computer
Fall
2001
Services can help you!
Help Desk Analyst will transfer your equipment to Electronic Support Services
Computer Services Newsletter
9
(Kemper 201) for maintenance. Help Desk Analysts will not transfer the equipment
without the owner’s consent. Once a Help Desk Analyst transfers the equipment to
To get help with your office computer workstation or any other
personal computing workstation on campus, please call the Help
Desk at (417) 836-5891 or visit them in Cheek 150, any time
between 8 AM – 5 PM, Monday through Friday.
Electronic Support Services, Electronic Support Services becomes responsible for your
equipment. Correspondence and inquiries can be made at (417) 836-5042. For more
information about the Help Desk, please feel free to call (417) 836–5891 or visit the
Help Desk web site: http://helpdesk.smsu.edu.
The Computer Services Help Desk will attempt to solve your
computer -related issues . For each issue to be resolved , the Help
Quick look at getting help from the Help Desk:
Desk can determine whether the job requires on-site help and if so,
1. Contact the Help Desk at (417) 836-5891, Cheek 150, Monday – Friday, 8 AM –5 PM.
whether the on-site help should be cond ucted by a Help Desk
2. The Help Desk will answer your question, redirect it or schedule an on-site visit.
Analyst or your college’s Distributed User Support Specialist.
The Help Desk supports specific standardized software and
3. On-site visits require an authorized faculty/staff member to be present. Help Desk Analysts will leave a
Customer Service Ticket for your records.
hardware. These standards will be detailed in the Computer
Services’ Service Level Agreement (CSV-SLA), set for completion
sometime this fall. If Help Desk Analysts need to visit you, they
4. With your permission, Help Desk Analysts may need to transfer your equipment
to Electronic Support Services, (417) 836-5042, who will then become responsible for your equipment.
will call to set up an appointment or to let you know they are
5. For more information, contact the Help Desk at (417) 836-5891 or
coming. During an on-site visit, an authorized faculty/staff
http://helpdesk.smsu.edu
member must be present. When a Help Desk Analyst performs an
on-site visit, he or she will leave a copy of the Customer Service
Ti cket with you. Please keep this copy for y our records. A
Customer Service Ticket is a concise, one-page report of a call
that includes the call information, the c lient information, problem
description, problem resolution, and the call notes. If necessary, a
Take Note
The Computer Services Help Desk is available in Cheek
150, (417) 836–5891, Monday – Friday 8 AM – 5 PM or
http:// helpdesk.smsu.edu
Computer Services Email Alias request form
Available online at http://computerservices.smsu.edu/training/forms/frm005
or cut out this form and send it to Pat Day in Computer Services
When you obtain your Windows NT ® account at SMSU, you
have a standard format of FirstNameLastName@smsu.edu. Email aliases
automatically receive an email address, which is your user ID followed by
are not case sensitive (you may use capital or lowercase letters), may be
@smsu.edu (such as abc123f@smsu.edu). This is your default email
up to 255 characters long and may contain hyphens. To request an email
address—it cannot be removed or replaced. Faculty and staff may also
alias, please fill out the form below then mail it to SMSU Computer
obtain a second email address, also known as an email alias. Formatted
Services, or complete the online form available at http://
like your name (such as JohnDoe@smsu.edu), the email alias delivers
computerservices.smsu.edu/training/forms/frm005
mail to the same location as the default email address. Email aliases
Name (Example: John Doe) :
User ID (Example: jnd123t):
Second email address (alias) you wish to use (Example: JohnDoe@smsu.edu):
Signature:
Internet
1Helpful
0
Computer labs – hours, locations, support,
Computer Services Newsletter
Fall 2001
addresses
available equipment
Computer Services Home Page –
labs.html
Computer Services Department
Training and Documentation – training and
ComputerServices@smsu.edu
documentation provided free by Computer Services
Computer Services User Support
http://computerservices.smsu.edu/training
UserSupport@smsu.edu
Assistive Technology Support –
Computer Services Backups
assistance, services, policies
Backups@smsu.edu
services, policies and procedures, links
to Computer Services’ component areas
http://computerservices.smsu.edu
News and Notices – latest computer-related
news and notices , including scheduled outages
http://computerservices.smsu.edu/news.htm
Hel p Desk – support, downloads, virus warnings
http://helpdesk.smsu.edu
Computer-Based Training – computer-based training
http://computerservices.smsu.edu/usersupport/
http://computerservices.smsu.edu/assistivetech
Computer Services Networking
Change Your Windows NT® Password –
Networking@smsu.edu
change your password online
http://computerservices.smsu.edu/NTpassword.html
Computer Services Training
CSVtraining@smsu.edu
courses online
http://training.smsu.edu
Short Courses – free instructor-led classes
taught by Computer Services
http://computerservices.smsu.edu/courses
My Information – accounts receivable, benefits
information, and payroll
http://myinformation.smsu.edu
assignments on hubs or switches, wire tests, and
pending requests for DHCP reservations , and
http://bearmail.smsu.edu
trouble reports
remote connection
http://computerservices.smsu.edu/dialup
CSVdocumentation@smsu.edu
Networking Information – utilization charts, port
BearMail – email via your web browser
Di alup Support – help for dialing up to SMSU from a
Computer Services Documentation
http://networking.smsu.edu/default.htm
Helpful email
addresses
After completing the form on the back
of this cut-out, please mail it to the
address below through either campus
mail or postal mail. (If using postal mail,
please place postage to the right.)
Computer Services will notify you after
completing your request.
Computer Services
Cheek Hall 164
901 South National Avenue
Springfield, Missouri 65804-0087
Place
Postage
Here
Fall 2001
Computer Services Newsletter
11
Migrating to database
By Brian Heaton, Systems Analyst
BrianHeaton@smsu.edu
T
he Computer Services department is committed to migrating
the University’s enterprise data to IBM’s industry leading
relational database, DB2. While some systems are already utilizing this technology, much work remains. In order to make sure the
transition goes as smoothly as possible, the Database Task Force
was established to determine the best methods and procedures to
be used in the future. The task force initially focused on infrastructure issues critical to standardized development in database. Once
completed, the task force then undertook a pilot project to put this
new infrastructure to the test. The Residence Life and Services
information systems were chosen as the pilot project. Much was
Brian Heaton demonstrates the
migration to DB2.
learned along the way, resulting in the refinement of our new methods and procedures. The new systems were rolled
out in mid-February and the users were very pleased with the results. Even though they previously had query tables
containing snapshot data available to them, they are very happy to now have “live” data to query. The pilot project
also provided insight into the resources required to migrate the remaining systems and underlying files to database
technology. It is the belief of Computer Services that once completed, the University will be positioned well for future
development of information systems.
Helpful locations to remember
Computer Services Help Desk
Answers computer-related questions and schedules on-site visits .
Fun Facts
Cheek 150, (417) 836-5891, Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 5 PM
During the Fall 2001 semester, Assistive
Distribution Window
Get new accounts, reset passwords, drop off tests, pick up reports.
Cheek 164, (417) 836–4391, Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 5 PM
Technology Services will translate and
produce 1,200-1,500 pages of Braille
embossed documentation per month.
This service is provided free of charge
Computer Services Training and Documentation
to qualified students, faculty, and staff
Provides free training and documentation on computer-related items.
at SMSU.
Cheek 135, (417) 836–6288, Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 5 PM
Training Facility
Provides free Short Courses and open-lab hours.
Cheek 100, Wednesdays 2 PM – 4 PM.
12
Computer Services Newsletter
Fall 2001
computer
services
newsletter
fall 2001
The Computer Services
Newsletter is a publication of
the Computer Services
department of Southwest
Missouri State University.
Questions and comments
maybe sent to
CSVnewsletter@smsu.edu
Computer Services staff members
Computer Services
Cheek Hall 160
901 South National Avenue
Springfield, Missouri 65804-0087