April 26, 2024
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Information Technology Services activities summer 2021

June 23, 2021

Upgrades to technical systems and infrastructure

The Enterprise Systems and Applications (ESA) Team spent the past three months implementing and restoring systems to ensure high-end security measures were effective. These efforts included enabling 2FA on user accounts accessing the system management console. A portal application was created to easily pull CRN (Course Reference Numbers) data from Brightspace (the campus’s new learning management system) to build the class list in order to create student U drives for extra storage initiated from campus requests, and the Nursing Online (RN to BS program) was approved for fall 2021.

Typical servers updates/upgrades to enhance security were:

  • The Mass Update Utility version in BANDEV was installed for use in the Ellucian Advise implementation. This will also create a need for a new security group to control access to this utility.
  • Linux servers and kernels were updated with security patches and software enhancements.
  • The Identity Access Management (IAM) servers (as part of the overall project) were updated.
  • The Medicat hosted system was brought online and daily data processing was automated.
  • The BANDEVL, BANCONV and ODSPREP databases were upgraded to the latest version of system software.
  • SAS was upgraded with the latest patches and updates.
  • The Edcomm GVE server was configured to redirect IIS to a secure page.
  • An issue with the automated purge for employee time records in the Kronos system was fixed.
  • A new Content Compliance rule was set up to lock IP addresses that were sending spoofing emails appearing to be from helpdesk@binghamton.edu.
  • Several workloads were migrated from older 2008 servers to newer servers to reduce our footprint of vulnerable servers on the network.

Academic services that were enhanced or updated:

  • The summer courses were loaded into Blackboard (myCourses).
  • The provisioning of instructors in D2L Brightspace with a full load of instructors for the summer session was begun.
  • D2L courses were put online and the enabling of the ILP interface is in production.
  • The move of the Pharmacy secure lab to its new location in the Pharmacy data center was completed.
  • A stream of patches were completed that included BANQA and BANPROD.

Security infrastructure and support

The Information Security team has been very busy with the implementation of increased security measures:

  • The group met with the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development to discuss and work in unison to address the employment scam issues that have been rampant during the spring semester.
  • Faculty and staff were identified in separate groups for the need to install Carbon Black and Endpoint on their University-owned computers.
  • Installation of Carbon Black was completed on all Harpur faculty and staff University-owned computers.
  • Campus Endpoint detection and response installation was completed.

Other items that Information Security worked on included hiring a student intern to review information security responses and to develop proposals and solutions to deal with current student employment scams. For spring Commencement ceremonies, the team developed a stand-alone system for guest COVID testing that was a success. This included dynamic scheduling for each 30-minute Grad Walk ceremony and the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences ceremony, and then the data was reported to the New York State ECLRS system.

Network administration and operations

Operations and Infrastructure kept extremely busy dealing with renovations, upgrades and data installs, and more. Five team members completed the Genetec Security Center’s Synergis Technical Certification training needed to prepare the campus for the installation of the next generation of access control software. The Networking team resolved 66 ServiceNow tickets and completed multiple firewall requests.

Security installations and other initiatives occurred all over campus and included:

  • Installation and wiring of speakers and cameras (including hardware)on the fifth and sixth floors of 48 Corliss Ave., Johnson City (building renovation is to be completed this summer).
  • Installation of the EP2500 circuit boards in Bingham Hall.
  • Completion of a Bravos engineering design review of database views containing data from sources such as Banner in preparations for ODS integration.
  • Discontinuance of the contract with Swift Data and establishment of a new contract with Genetec ACS.
  • Loading of controllers and doors for Genetec (new door access software).
  • Completion of the nursing parking lot gates and AEDs.
  • Installation of security camera(s) in the renovated Technology Hub Data Center.
  • Relocation of the Pharmacy server and reconnection of door access.
  • Completion of the Engineering Building’s exterior doors.
  • Completion of the Food Pantry project in CIW.
  • Installation of new card readers on campus as needed.
  • Capital projects (Stanley Security Solutions) that are active include the Technology Hub floor 2 stairwell and elevator, and Hinman Dining Hall. Upcoming projects include the Delaware rewire over the summer; UU-208 Hillel Suite (pending funding/approval); S2 Tower renovations; Science 4, phase II; Baseball clubhouse; and the Library Innovation Lab.
  • Received and inventoried 200 cameras for East Campus Housing Dickinson depreciation.

Projects currently in progress (approved and funded) include:

  • The ECH Camera Depreciation replacement project. Digman hall depreciation is 85% complete.
  • A substantial effort is being made to keep cameras online this quarter with a 98.5% uptime for camera entities.

Networking

The Networking team was extremely busy also, accomplishing the following:

  • Successful testing of the Pharmacy data center’s UPS 2 signal.
  • Finalized Phase III network switch and access point counts upgrades.
  • Completed the upgrade of Pulse Secure and the VPN vulnerability security patch.
  • Upgraded and tested the Secure W2 JoinNow.
  • Completed the ISE Health check.

The Telecommunications team completed more installations and projects. A huge effort was made to expand the redundant fiber connectivity of the campus including at Hinman, the Engineering Building (EB) and the Decker College of Nursing. Additional Telecommunications work included:

  • Installation of DAS equipment for the EB second floor for increase of cellular coverage where the signal from outdoors may be unreliable or nonexistent.
  • Completion of initial data and door access cabling in the Data Center Renovation Project.
  • Installation of new fiber in the newly renovated Data Center
  • Updating of access services for door access services in Pinnacle.
  • Continuation of work on 48 Corliss sixth floor data racks.
  • Suspension of 206 T-Mobile hotspots used for quarantine and isolation students.
  • Progress with fMRI project support.
  • Testing by Telecommunications of the cloud based Zoom Phone service.
  • Completion of the Health Sciences Building sixth floor data cabling.
  • Completion of the 2021 Telecommunications Budget Layout.
  • Completion of training for installing Alarm Panels on the Lenel system.
  • Installation of alarm panels in both Hinman and Old Johnson.
  • Removal of quarantine and isolation network equipment in the Quality In.
  • Testing of all panic buttons in the Lenel system is two-thirds complete.
  • Completion of a new position description for Telecommunications technician.

Technical support and projects

The ITS Technical Support group completed many projects that included the continuation of the Laptop Loaner (and hotspot) program. Also the following projects were either completed or continue to be in process:

  • The Pharmacy and Physical Facilities BU domain migrations were completed.
  • Other BU domain migrations for other Departments continued throughout the campus.
  • The HOAS Secure Lab was relocated to the ITS renovated Data Center.
  • CarbonBlack installs continued as staff and faculty returned to campus with their IT assets.
  • More software installs included Bloomberg Office Tools, SCAPS, Titanium, ANSYS 2020 R2, MATLAB 2020a, SAS and Acrobat Pro.
  • The Jampf Pro Server was upgraded to the latest version.
  • CLT construction projects continued affecting LN-G100, 101, 102 and 103.
  • Windows 7 to Windows 10 upgrades continued.
  • Residential area iMacs and Info Commons Macs were upgraded to BigSur.
  • There were 12 computer rebuilds in the Intercollegiate Student Success Center.
  • Zoom drop-in time/support for 2FA has been held three days a week for three hours each day since March.
  • Pharmacy staffing changed and open issues were resolved.
  • Laptop Loaner rebuilds continued with over 100 laptop rebuilds in the past three months.
  • The SOM VDI desktop pool development continued.
  • The Computer Lifecycle Replacement project continued with inventory collected, and initial pricing was developed and received for standard configurations.
  • The PF Transition Project was completed.
  • Adobe software requests were completed.
  • Requests for Visio and Matlab were placed.
  • Updates continued for OS, Hardware and BIOS for returning staff.
  • Over 210 printers were moved to a new server.

The Help Desk opened over 5,800 Service Now incidents with 45 to 50% of the incidents being resolved and closed at the first level of support (the Help Desk staff). The majority of calls were for help with University-owned computers, phishing scam reports, password and 2FA/CAS help and, finally, the other most popular category dealt with: over 100 reports for Blackboard (myCourses) issues or requests for assistance. Scanning of exams continues to decrease with only four exams being manually scanned/scored.

Over 627,000 pages were printed in the labs, with 46,100 of them in color. There were over 23,500 physical computer lab logons and just over 3,800 BingView VDI logons. There were 65 computer lab class scheduled reservations this quarter with a total of over 150 sessions. Print quotas were reset for summer.

Training and conferences included Brightspace training and training for SSO and identity management on Mac OS, iOS and iPadOS. Selected ITS staff attended Apple training sessions and JAMF and SUNY UFS Spring Plenary conferences. An SCCM training “Administering System Center Configuration Manager Program” was also attended.

Innovations and ETS kept busy this quarter. Highlighted items include:

  • Installation of a new FormLabs 3D printer.
  • Making Business Affairs’s Binghamton Travel R&A and Contracts/Workflow forms live.
  • Changing of the COVID Surveillance Site’s Positive SMS notification and Abbot BinaxNow tests.
  • Completion of significant improvements and documentation to the password.binghamton.edu page.
  • Completion of Orientation updates.
  • Completion of and successful support for the Commencement Name Display Updates for Commencement weekend.
  • Completion of the Graduate Recommendation for Award Workflow Project, along with major modifications and tweaks.
  • Posting of two new positions for Developer and Advanced Developer.

Research Support worked with Sean Massey recently on the proposal to secure data from the Department of Education.

Kudos for ITS employees

  • ITS assisted 15 students displaced by a recent house fire by providing loaner laptops and assisting the Department of Athletics with the setup of the Student Success Center computers.
  • Congratulations goes to Doug Russell for recognition from Rhonda Branca. She expressed how hard he worked to make sure everyone in the College of Community and Public Affairs was properly set up to work remotely. She also honored him for going out of his way to help solve any tech issues as needed. Branca said “Thanks for your awesome service, Doug!”
  • ITS also recognizes all employees for being so constructive and thorough with projects over the past few months. As working remotely fades out, we’re anxious to see each other and to try our hardest to go back to a sense of normalcy.

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