News

BU works is live.  For those having issues, here are the browser requirements:

http://www.bu.edu/tech/apps/enterprise-applications/buworks/requirements/

Firefox 3.6 or Internet Explorer 8 are supported; all other browsers are not fully supported.

For other issues, please contact the IT Help Center (617 353-4357).

Currently there are two email migration projects that our office is undertaking; the first to migrate users of the older ACS mail system to the newer Cyrus mail system.  Beyond that we’ve also been tasked by IS&T to assist in the migration of folks over to the new Exchange environment that will be going live in August.

To provide more information, here is a Q&A:

Q.  What is this about and why is it happening?

A.  IS&T currently provides and supports multiple email environments, several which are outdated.  With the move of the student email to Google Gmail, the time is right to consolidate the email environments into a single service offering, as it simplifies the support structure, and facilitates quicker email problem resolution.  The decision was made by IS&T to consolidate onto Microsoft Exchange, as this is the platform that many of the administrative units have been using for many years, and provides numerous features in addition to email.

Q.  What are these features?

A.  The biggest draw is the calendaring function, which will unify several services into a single interface.  People using existing Google Calendars, WebEvent or other calendar applications will find the Exchange simplicity and usability attractive.  Sharing calendars is also very easy and will eliminate the need for using other products.  There are many other features, such as an Out-of-Office assistant that can be set up ahead of time, and will enable and disable itself according to a schedule.  The directory services and searching for people is built-in and very easy to use.  The last draw is the ability to see the same mail, folders, attachments, contacts, calendar, notes, tasks across multiple computers as well as the web.

Q.  Who needs to be moved?

A.  Everyone who is using ACS as their primary email server.  Several CAS departments have their own email server, and while we may need to do something for the Cyrus migration, the Exchange project won’t require us to do anything to the folks using departmental email servers.  The servers known to us are in Astronomy, CNS, Computer Science, Math, Chemistry and Physics.  If you don’t belong to any of the departments mentioned above, most likely we’ll be working with you to move your account to Exchange.

Q.  What email clients can be used?

A.  For the full functionality and use of all of the features, we recommend the use of Outlook 2010 and Outlook 2011.  Mac OS X Mail and Thunderbird also can connect to the Exchange server, however some of the functionality is lost, but the basics still work (email, access to Global Addresses).  Mac OS X Mail users also get the calendar functionality through the iCal application.

Q.  When will this start?

A.  We are already moving people to Exchange, however the bulk of the transition will not begin until August 2011, when an updated Exchange service is made available by IS&T.  We will have until Summer 2012 to move all of the CAS faculty and staff onto the Exchange server.

CAS Computing Services is ending support for the email client, Eudora.

We are not requesting anyone to change at this time.  After today, however, we will not be installing Eudora or setting it up to check email as part of submitted help requests .

If there are members of the community using Eudora but would like to look at other options, let us know and we can help.

Computing Services will be closing the evening of December 23rd and won’t reopen until 9 am on January 3rd.

Happy Holidays and see you in 2011!

CrashPlan, a backup software package, is now available to all faculty and staff. Up to 10 GB of important data from Windows, Macs, or Linux notebooks can be stored at no cost.

This service is meant to protect the most irreplaceable files, folders, and directories, not entire disks or installed programs. If 10 GB is not suitable to provide for faculty or staff needs, additional storage space can be purchased in 10 GB increments at a cost of $45/yr.

Our test users have found CrashPlan simple to install, configure, and use. It’s a self-service product that generally requires little assistance to use. Computing Services is familiar with the product and can answer questions, and the IT Help Center is prepared to provide support for both the software and the service as well.

The tech web information and installation instructions are found at:
http://www.bu.edu/tech/desktop/support/backup

Our new website is now under construction. The layout and content should be familiar, but now that the site is on WordPress we will be able to edit and update pages more easily.

Check this section of the site for ongoing news and important announcements.