Category: Support Information
Exchange maintenance – 2/24 to 3/6
Some clients who read mail on Exchange will moved from a few large
databases to several smaller databases. This will improve performance and
improve backup and restore time. Clients will not be able to access their
mailbox while their mailbox is being moved. Systems would like to move
mailboxes in bulk between 11pm & 6am during the time frame in question.
Clients would not be scheduled on a specific date but rather could be
moved in a window of days. When specific clients are moved will in part
depend on how quickly Gene can move accounts each night. All clients are
notified at least 5 days in advance and told what their migration window
will be in case they need to opt-out.
More
Upgrade to Flash streaming server on 2/24
Tomorrow morning, Thursday 2/24, at 2:00 AM Systems will replace the "Flash Media Server 2.5" software with "Flash Streaming Server 3.5" software on one of two server systems that provides streaming video service at hostname flash.bu.edu.
This same change was put into production long ago on the other system in that cluster, so Systems isn't expecting any incidents related to client-end compatibility.
As always, create a ticket for any calls received about streaming video issues and assign them to "IS&T: Network Information Services".
ENG NetApp
Just a reminder to everyone that CFA (along with all of ENG, LAW, and MET) have home directories on the ENG NetApp.
If one of these colleges has an issue with their Fileserver, we need to get Engineering IT involved quickly and make sure the NetApp is up and running.
When the NetApp is down, clients will experience 5-10min logon times to their desktop and/or ThinClient VDI station (including Mugar).
Forged check scam targeting BU students
A number of Boston University students have reported receiving the following email from an individual claiming to work for LinkShare Corporation, an ecommerce business:
Good Day, We received your resume from your university/college career services and we would like to know if you are still searching for a job/position. Any interested applicant can please get back to us with immediate effect. Thanks for your co-operation. Regards, Michael Ferguson.
While LinkShare Corporation is a legitimate online marketing service, the perpetrators of the fraud have set up a fraudulent Hotmail.com email account that uses the LinkShare business name.
The job/position involves the victim acting as a middleman whose job it is to receive business checks via Federal Express from a buyer and cash them using his or her own checking account and then to forward the money via Money Gram to a third party vendor. The victim is instructed via email to deduct 10% for their pay and then wire the remaining money to the third party. While the company name and banking information printed on the checks is real, the checks themselves are forgeries.
Any victim that deposits these checks into their personal bank account will be notified by their bank that the checks are forgeries and will then be required to reimburse their bank. Even though the forged checks are cleared through your bank, if they are returned by the issuing (payor) bank to your banking institution as forgeries you will be liable for the money.
There are numerous variations of this forged check scheme so you are strongly urged not to take part in any similar transactions. In particular, you should avoid taking part in any transaction in which you are requested to cash a check by anyone not personally known and trusted by you.
If we receive any tickets or call about this scam, please assign them to Sean Pfeiffer - sean@bu.edu.
Windows 7 vs. IE ActiveX error – “modules have not been properly installed”
We have encountered two instances where 3rd party web applications used
on campus that employ Internet Explorer 8 ActiveX modules have problems
running in Windows 7. The situation described below is with Windows 7
Professional, with the default Security Center settings.
The problem appears with error messages from the application that
various modules have not been properly installed, or it simply hangs.
More
Reminder about file sharing of copyrighted materials
A machine in Desktop Services was recently identified as being involved in illegal possession and/or distribution of copyrighted material. The machine’s identity and location has been tracked down to the Dell machine being used by student employees who work in the tech area. The machine has since been reformatted. All questionable material and file sharing software has been removed and IRT has been updated. I do appreciate that the material has been removed from the computer but it does not excuse the fact that it was there.
Because this machine is one of ours I need to remind everyone that making copyrighted material available for distribution in any manner that violates copyright law (e.g., illegal file sharing) is against University policy.
The machines in that area are only to be used to log in to Oompa to track and update repairs and for research purposes. In addition any personal machines brought into work are also subject to University policy. There will be zero tolerance for any student caught participating in illegal possession or distribution of copyrighted material.
Please be aware that this also applies to your personal computers, since many of you will use them at work.
Law tickets for Systems group
At one time we assigned Law tickets for the Systems group directly to David King. He is no longer the sole provider of Systems support for the Law school, so from now on we need to assign his tickets to "IS&T: Systems".
Repair status call handling
If clients call to check the status of a computer repair before 5PM on a weekday:
- Get the client's first and last name plus their case number if they have it.
- Let the client know you will transfer them to Desktop Services.
- Begin to transfer the call to Desktop Services at 3-0279.
- Let the person who answers know the client's first and last name plus case number.
- Complete the call transfer.
After 5PM, gather the client's first and last name plus case number and ask the CSS working at the front counter to check on the status of their repair.
If the call comes in at Mugar when 533 is closed, explain to the client that our repair department is currently closed and someone will get back to them during the next business day. Gather the client's first and last name plus case number, then create a ticket and assign it to Desktop Services.
CAS Help ticket boomeranging
Before routing a ticket to CAS Help, be sure to verify that the request isn't coming from them. There have been a few times that CAS Help has contacted us for support and we have redirected the ticket back to them.
Procedure for escalation of CrashPlan laptop backup support requests
We recently posted about a new laptop backup service called CrashPlan. For any calls we receive, please refer to the information and FAQ list posted here: http://www.bu.edu/tech/desktop/support/backup/
If the issue can't be resolved via the FAQ information, please do the following to escalate the ticket:
- Assign the ticket to the following three IS&T staff members:
- jfl@bu.edu
- lsaucer@bu.edu
- jky@bu.edu
- Send an External Mail through One Help with information about the ticket to: ist-crashplan-admin@bu.edu