Incident Discovery Time: 03:00pm on 05/23/2012
Time of Resolution: 04:20pm on 05/23/2012
Services Impacted: ServiceNow
The Service Now ticketing system had temporarily experienced slowness.
IS&T teams have resolved the incident.
If you continue to have issues, please contact the IT Help Center.
2012 alumni will have continued access to their account hosted on BU Google Apps after graduation. Alternatively, use the E-mail Forwarding System to set up login@bu.edu as an address that forwards to an external e-mail account. Please write to ithelp@bu.edu if you have any questions. Best wishes from IS&T!
Please do not respond to a recent message that appears to come from the IT Help Center (ithelp@bu.edu) with the Subject “IMPORTANT NOTICE.” Although this message contains BU logos and a sender address that make it seem legitimate, it is a phishing message. To learn more, especially if you did already respond to the message or click on the link it provides, please contact the IT Help Center at 617-353-4357 or refer to the page on Spoofed Messages and Phishing.
Information Services & Technology, in cooperation with Sourcing & Procurement, is pleased to announce the Spring 2012 computer bulk buy initiative. When you participate in these bulk purchases and leverage the buying power of the entire University, your department saves on its notebook and desktop purchases from Apple and Lenovo.
Please note: the deadline to place your order for the Spring 2012 bulk purchase is Friday, June 1, 2012. Read on to find out how to take advantage of this opportunity!
All Lenovo Think series systems now come pre-installed with a standardized BU image, created by IS&T and Lenovo. This image streamlines the process of deploying and maintaining computers on campus. The BU image includes Windows 7 Enterprise, Microsoft Office 2010, McAfee Antivirus, Adobe Reader X, IE 9, and Firefox 11. See a complete list and more information.
Place your order for IS&T Recommended Standard Configurations by using our hosted catalog in BUworks. Don’t forget to consult with your IT support representative before ordering.
View or order standard configurations.
The Spring 2012 bulk buy is part of Boston University’s PC and Apple Standards initiative. Standardization lowers the total cost of ownership through reduced support costs and encourages collaboration and efficiency between all BU computing support staff.
Based on your feedback, the models offered were carefully chosen and configured to bring you:
Please remember that to participate in the Spring 2012 bulk order and take advantage of the special pricing, your BUworks shopping cart must be fully approved within SAP by Friday, June 1, 2012. Items will ship as available prior to June 1; so the sooner you order, the sooner you will receive your new product.
The SC12 Student Cluster Competition is an opportunity to showcase student expertise in a friendly yet spirited contest, designed to introduce the next generation of students to the high-performance computing community. The competition has drawn teams from around the world, including Europe and Canada, China, Costa Rica, Germany, Russia, and Taiwan. Boston University participated in the Student Cluster Competition in 2011, earning high marks from the competition’s judges.
The Massachusetts Green High Performing Computing Center (MGHPCC) is assembling a team of students, plus faculty and staff advisors, for this year’s competition. Anyone from any of the five universities in the consortium is welcome: Boston University, Harvard University, MIT, University of Massachusetts, and Northeastern University.
More information is available from the Boston University GPU web site.
See “Terrier Tech” host, Warren Towers, and IS&T Executive Director of Information Security, Quinn Shamblin, discuss Google’s new privacy policy.
There are two important consequences of a recent critical vulnerability announced by Microsoft last week:
If your computer is managed by IS&T’s Desktop Services or one of our IT Partners, it is likely your work computer is up to date, and no further action is required besides following this policy after April 3rd. If you have any questions about this policy, have questions about how your computer is configured, or if you have trouble remotely connecting to a computer on campus after April 2nd, you may contact the IT Help Center by phone at 617-353-HELP (4357), e-mail, or web for assistance.
An exploit has already been released that will cause a Blue Screen of Death on Windows 7 and a Denial of Service on Windows XP. It is expected that another exploit will soon be released that will allow an attacker to have complete control of the computer. After that, the next expected step is that a self-replicating worm will be released that will automatically jump from host to host, granting the attacker access to the system and taking any other action the attacker may wish.
If IS&T or one of our IT partners manages the computer you use, no further action is required other than following the new RDP policy starting April 3rd. If you are personally responsible for patching your computer and keeping it up to date (or if you would like to know how to better secure your home computer), there is some additional information you should know regarding the vulnerability identified by Microsoft. Below, we have some recommended actions for you to take to ensure your computer is protected.
The March 2012 issue of IEEE Spectrum Magazine includes an overview of the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC), including discussion of energy-saving hot-aisle containment, environmentally-friendly power sources, and cost savings.
IEEE Spectrum: Schools Pool to Stay Cool.
Construction of the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) is ahead of schedule. Channel 6 Springfield recently toured the construction site, and reports on the current status in an article and video.
Details: Fox 6 Springfield: Holyoke’s High Performance Computing Center Ahead of Schedule
The Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) represents not only a step forward in providing environmentally-responsible computing facilities, but also in promoting collaboration among scientists across the state. ICOSA Magazine profiles the center, its collaborating institutions, and its impact on the local economy.
The article is available at ICOSA Magazine: Finding the Collaborative Gene.
