These FAQs begin to address some of the key concern of our key stakeholders. These stakeholders include all IT users and IT support providers at UNSW.
These FAQS will be updated frequently as new information becomes available. Questions and feedback can be sent to IT Transition Director, Denise Black ext. 53408 or email: ictprogram@unsw.edu.au
Glossary of Terms
PC (Personal Computer) - includes desktops and laptops running Windows, Mac or Linux
Smart Phones - includes iPhone, Blackberry, Palm Pilots and other mobile phone devices offering advanced capabilities (PC-like functionality)
Other End User Devices - refers to a broad range of items including (but not limited to) printers, photocopies, USB drives, scanners and other PC peripherals. For the purposes of this document, this excludes PCs and Smart Phones
Service Management - refers to a set of best-practice procedures to manage the delivery and support of IT services, generally involving the use of a set of software tools to log and monitor support requests. Principally this is a formal practice to ensure that IT services are aligned with the needs of users; delivered consistently across the organisation and that there is a defined process for continual evaluation and improvement.
Cloud Computing - an Internet-based network made up of large numbers of servers - mostly based on open standards, modular and inexpensive. Clouds contain vast amounts of information and provide a variety of services to large numbers of people. Users of the cloud only care about the service or information they are accessing - be it from their PCs, mobile devices, or anything else connected to the Internet - not about the underlying details of how the cloud works. For example, Google Apps provides common business applications online that are accessed from a web browser, while the software and data is stored on the servers
File - File refers to a user's home directory as well as any shared directory with other users of a common unit or group. Large file storage as required for specific research projects will be catered for through a separate research file storage service.
Home Directory - The Home Directory is the file system directory which contains personal files of a given user of the system. The content of a uses home directory is private and is by default made unavailable to other users of the system, protected by a mechanism of file system permissions.
Managed Operating Environment - a managed operating environment is made up of component parts. A standardised server environment, standardised desktop environment, one network with standardised active equipment infrastructure, integrated tools for local and remote management of servers and desktops, consistent desktop support through a managed IT Service Centre and Service Management Office, auditable change control process and a defined governance framework.
"Best Effort" Support - a designation that a certain result is not guaranteed but that a good faith effort will be made to provide a resolution.
"Full" Support - a designation that a certain result will be guaranteed
Service Level Agreement - a Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a contract between a service provider and a customer that specifies, usually in measurable terms, what services the service provider will furnish. Some metrics that SLAs may specify include:
- what percentage of the time services will be available;
- specific performance benchmarks to which actual performance will be periodically compared;
- the schedule for notification in advance of changes that may affect users;
- response time for various classes of problems and;
- usage statistics that will be provided.
IT Support Services
How do I obtain support?
The easiest way to obtain support will be to contact the UNSW IT Service Centre (a central IT Service Centre). The University has purchased a new Service Management Tool to assist IT Service Centre staff to log IT Service Requests and issues. The tool will assist IT staff in the provision of remote support to users on and off campus. Accessible from MAC, Windows & Linux platforms, the tool will provide staff and students with the ability to:
- log IT issues and request IT services via multiple channels including telephone, fax, web, email, walk-up counters and directly with local support staff
- track the progress of their own request
- search a web-based UNSW knowledge base to help resolve their issues
- access an Instant Messaging (IM) session with a IT Service Centre Analyst to receive help. This is particularly useful in areas where there are no phones directly next to a desktop)
- access a definitive list of IT Services (Service Catalogue) and associated Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
Walk-up Counters and Local support staff will still be able to solve problems for you.
Will I still be able to contact my local IT support group for support services?
You will still be able to contact your local staff directly, however, we would encourage you take advantage of the University-wide shared IT Service Centre as it becomes available throughout the transition. In time, we envisage support issues will decrease and you will be able to resolve issues (such as password resets) using the self service function.
What will happen to my local staff? Will there be more or less people "on the ground"?
We will continue to have local IT staff who will work in conjunction with the central IT Service Centre and desktop support teams. In addition the objectives of the IT Change Program are to provide improved services whilst maintaining costs - this does not mean with less people.
As shared services for staff email, file, print, routine desktop and server infrastructure are implemented into an area, work effort associated with maintaining these services locally will be reduced. Following consultation with the relevant faculties, schools and units the University will then need to make a decision as to how it wishes to use this "released effort". In some instances this may have been naturally adjusted through the voluntary movement of staff into new positions in the shared service.
Will I be able to direct my local staff to work on my school's issues?
Work priorities will continue to be directed by the local IT manager.
Will I have to spend time speaking to an operator before I can speak to someone who knows how to resolve my problem?
Through the IT Service Centre tool, which will provide more information about your environment the IT Service Centre staff will have an increased capability to solve problems related to shared services (file, email, print) and will have the knowledge to be able to direct you to the most appropriate specialist group for non shared services problems (including local IT staff) who can assist with more complex issues. Your request will also be logged so that it is tracked through to satisfactory resolution. IT Service Centre staff will have access to detailed information relating to your previous requests and issues (e.g. detailed descriptions of issues and how they were fixed).
How will computer labs and teaching spaces be supported?
Local staff as part of a virtual desktop support team will continue to support computer labs and teaching spaces. As shared services are implemented and management of lab and teaching space computers automated, the number of issues should be minimised. The new IT Service Centre tool will enable staff to resolve many issues remotely, Increased IT Service Centre hours, will mean support is available to students longer than currently exists today ), An Instant Messaging function in the new Service Management also means that students can request assistance from the IT Service Centre if there are no phones next to the lab computer or in the lab.
Will users have to deal with a different support person each time they contact the IT Service Centre?
When you call the UNSW IT Service Centre, you will most likely speak to a different person. However, for issues or requests that cannot be resolved quickly over the phone, your issue will be passed onto you're an appropriate specialist group (which includes local IT support staff). As we move towards shared utility services (file, email and print), IT Service Centre staff will have access to remote access tools and better information relating to your local environment, including any changes that have been made to your computer.
Will the IT Service Centre staff be based onsite (Kensington Campus) or located elsewhere?
Yes the IT Service Centre will remain on site at Kensington and staff will continue to be UNSW employees.
What are the response times for time critical events?
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are in the process of being established with stakeholders and will be available as part of the UNSW Service Catalogue. Time critical events will include such events as major grant submissions, enrolments, exams, classroom and lab support. SLAs will be developed in conjunction with key stakeholders and be made available to all UNSW staff and students .
What is the "Knowledge Base" and what will it include?
The knowledge base will be a searchable database of solutions for common support issues, queries and their resolution, plus general help topics. The knowledge base will expand over time and will include policies, procedures and self help. Over time, the knowledge base will be available to all students and staff.
When will I be able to get help?
The UNSW IT Service Centre hours are 8am to 8pm business days. The IT Service Centre Assistance Counter is open on weekends (see the IT Service Centre page for more details). Local arrangements will continue.
What types of questions will the IT Service Centre be able to help with? For example, if I am having problems with a formula in MS Excel or formatting in MS Word, will they be able to help?
The IT Service Centre staff will be able to assist with a range of issues and requests. Application support falls outside the scope of the shared IT Service Centre, however, the knowledge base will have a range of data, including links to sites that will be able to help with such issues. You will find that the IT Service Centre staff have been trained to assist customers with any query and will do their best to share general knowledge with you.
With the establishment of an IT training unit, increased training opportunities for IT users will be available to help develop advanced skills in common application software. During the transition period, basic and advanced training in Office 2007 will be available to staff.
Which Service Management Tool has been selected? When will it be implemented?
CA's IT Service Centre has replaced HP OpenView (HPOV). Implementation commenced in late 2008. The first phase of implementation was a like-for-like swap-out supporting the same services for the same customers with best practice Service Management processes.
Why did the University decide to change Service Management Tools?
UNSW took the opportunity to re-evaluate its Service Management tools as the current tool (HPOV) was due to be re-implemented with the next software upgrade, and was not currently configured to match best practice Service Management processes.
Will the Service Management Tool result in more work for IT Support staff?
The intent of the new tool is to decrease the amount of work for IT staff. As all IT issues and service requests will be logged in the IT Service Centre, there will be visibility of ALL IT Issues across campus and this will allow us to detect trends and prevent further issues from occurring, thus decreasing workload associated with commonly occurring problems.
Users can log issues and requests themselves (by phone web or email for example). IT staff will be required to log any issues that are reported to them directly. For standard problems, templates will be developed to save time.
What will be the cost to my school/unit?
The cost structure is yet to be determined, however, there will be no additional costs to faculties or divisions.
Infrastructure Hosting Services
What is Infrastructure Hosting?
Infrastructure hosting allows faculty, school and other local servers and services to be located on "virtual machines" in a central (shared) site and potentially monitored and managed by specialist support staff. New virtual servers can be created and deployed easily and the "size" of the servers can be easily scaled as required. This will allow the physical hardware to be used much more economically and will reduce the support load on local staff.
Can I get Hosting through cloud computing eg.. AMAZON?
The Infrastructure Hosting Service is really a local equivalent of cloud computing, with the added advantages of being local (hence reduced traffic costs) and management better tuned to our business requirements.
When will the changes take effect?
Changes have already commenced with the majority of the base infrastructure in place by July 2008. It is anticipated the entire project will be completed by 2010. An initial phase of analysis established the first stages of migration through to the end of 2008. The remainder of the migration will occur over an 18 month to two year timeframe with individual transition plans developed for each faculty and division. The 2008 migration was aimed at 'shaking out' the hosting service technology and the operations model so the successive 2009-2010 migrations can leverage the outcomes of the 2008 effort.
Will I still have control over a centrally hosted server/service?
There are a range of management models available which will include:
- server, storage and application managed centrally
- server and storage managed centrally, application managed by local IT staff
- server hosting only managed centrally, operating system application managed by local IT staff
Choosing the right management model will be the job of the transition team working with local support groups to find the best fit. In all cases backup (if specified) will be a service provided centrally.
What is the costing structure associated with a new hosting service?
No current costing structure available, however there should be an overall reduced unit cost of server and storage capacity to customers. Standardising and rationalising our infrastructure will reduced technical divergence and therefore reduced operational and support complexity and cost. Virtual server technology means that it is viable to run fewer, larger servers. This results in reduced power consumption, more efficient use of hardware and reduced costs. It also allows for the expedient delivery of new servers.
Print
How do I print out confidential documents on a shared printer?
Users will be able to select a 'secure print' option. Your documents will not be printed until you enter your unique pin or use a swipe card on/near the printer. This is an example of "releasing" a print request to a specific printer. This release mechanism can also be used to print on to specific paper, as your request will not be printed until you go to the printer, add the correct paper and then release your print job.
What will happen to the current contracts that are in place such as COFA, the Library and other locations?
A transition plan for current contracts is yet to be determined.
Who will change the toner and the paper?
Staff who currently look after consumables will still be able to manage the process. Toners and paper will be delivered to local admin / caretaker person, whose name will be attached to the printer soft asset record, this will need to be established. There will be dedicated printer support staff on site who will be available to assist with non-routine issues an errors. Printers will be actively monitored for general maintenance issues, ensuring high printer availability.
Will there be Multi Function Devices in LAB environments?
This will depend on the lab. Labs will have different requirements according to the School/Faculty. The device in the lab will match the needs of the lab.
Will there be provision for managed printing quotas?
Yes - it is expected that quotas will be in place for undergraduate students and some cohorts of postgraduate students (to be determined). Students will be able to pay to extend their quotas. Quotas can be put in place for staff but this will be determined by the Faculty/School/Unit, not IT at UNSW.
Have multi platform dependencies been considered?
Yes - we are currently evaluating solutions that will work across Windows, Mac and Linux
Can I keep my desktop printer for small or special jobs?
It is planned that we will reduce the number of desktop printers across UNSW but this will be done in conjunction with users of the printers and managers of the local budget units. It is more cost effective to remove small desktop printers as consumables and running costs tend to be high. The new managed print solution will be a safe, easy and cost effective means of printing any job, big or small.
Where will the printers be located?
The location of printers will be determined in conjunction with the needs of the School/Department/Unit and individuals who may still need local printers.
What if I need more printers?
A simple process will be developed to acquire more printers according to the needs of your area.
Who will pay for printing and associated costs?
The cost structure is yet to be determined, however, there will be no additional costs to faculties or divisions.
What devices does the managed print service include?
The managed print service includes printers, photocopiers, and multifunction devices (combined printers/photocopiers/scanners).
Email
What will I use for eMail?
MS Exchange will be the application used at the "back-end" of the staff email solution. This will be your mail store and is hosted on Enterprise class infrastructure.
You will be able to access your email in a variety of ways.
What software can I use to access email?
Email and calendar functionality will be available using the following native clients: Outlook on Windows OS platform(s) Entourage on the Mac and Evolution on the Linux platform. The IT Service Centre will provide full support for these clients. IMAP will be supported by the new email service, enabling any IMAP client to access the exchange server. Support for other email clients however, can only be provided on a best effort basis. New fully supported clients will be evaluated on a regular basis.
How else can I access my email?
Almost all email and calendar functions will be able to be accessed via the web through a browser (using Outlook web access - premium and light versions). The IT Service Centre will provide full support for users on a web browser. The web functions may be very useful while you are away from your client and need to check or send mail.
What support will there be for mobile devices?
Some email and calendar functionality will be available using mobile devices. Full support will be provided for UNSW owned Blackberries, and iPhones. Other mobile devices will be supported on a best effort basis. New devices will be evaluated on a regular basis. A full list and levels of support are yet to be finalised.
What is wrong with my current email system?
In terms of meeting local needs there is nothing wrong with some of the existing email systems. From a University perspective however it is expensive to maintain and support a large number of email systems. It is also not possible in the current environment to maintain common address lists and provide shared calendars and resource and meeting room bookings. It is also difficult to maintain and appropriate level of security, availability and compliance across the current distributed email environment.
What will happen to my Lotus Notes workflow applications?
As part of the initial transition to the new email service, Lotus Notes workflow applications will remain untouched.
Will there be quotas and how will they be managed?
The Change Program will NOT impose quotas for the staff email or managed file services. It is envisaged that an archive solution will be used to support staff email services enabling larger non quota based mail accounts. Technology is being investigated to replace file or email records with a "stub" that looks and behaves like the original record when listing and searching. The only noticeable difference is in recalling an archived email, by double clicking it, which will take slightly longer, but only a matter of seconds, as the archive system retrieves the original from low cost bulk disk storage.
How can I contact my students in groups or individually?
Students will still be contactable via their UNSW email address which will be of the form z1234567@student.unsw.edu.au . The use of MS 'dynamic' distribution groups will enable the dynamic updating of distribution lists by course, program or tutorial to ensure they remain current with a student's enrolment. It has yet to be determined whether the initial creation of distribution lists will be an automated process and encompasses all course, program and tutorial groups or will be an on demand service supported via a self service web interface.
What clients will be available/supported for Mac and Linux?
Entourage will be the supported client for Macs and Evolution will be the supported client on the Linux platform. Outlook Web Access (premium and light) will also be supported. The comprehensive list of access protocols and clients that will be supported has not been finalised. A full list will be published.
How much control will I have over my spam/virus filtering? Will there be a decent spam filter/blocker?
As spam is a significant problem, we are in the process of evaluating various spam solutions which allow control at both a University and local level. An improved SPAM solution will be implemented in parallel with the email solution.
Can I share calendars with students?
Research students will be included in the staff email service so you will be able to share calendars with them by default. The new option has the capability for staff and students to send each other meeting requests (but students cannot see staff free/busy time). The decision whether to implement this function will be made as part of the current system design process. The calendar function in WebCT which can be used within courses will continue to be available for use.
Can students share calendars between themselves?
Yes. The Student and Alumni Email service will be hosted externally by Microsoft and will provide students with increased capacity and functionality; including address lists and calendar sharing.
When can I get email support?
IT Service Centre hours will be 8am to 8pm business days. Local arrangements will continue.
Will there be support for digital signatures and encryption?
The system scope is still be evaluated - further information will be available in Q3, 2009.
Will there be Sender Authentication and encryption?
Digital signatures and public key infrastructure (PKI) are not part of the initial scope of the email project. Consideration will be given to this functionality in a later stage of the project.
How will I get to my existing email and archives?
A process for migrating existing email and archives will be developed for your school/dept. Some current exiting archives depending on size and format could be included during transition. A mail archiving solution is currently being investigated.
How will the UNSW address book be kept up to date?
Basic user details will be automatically updated and maintained from UNSW administrative systems - PeopleSoft Student, HR and OCR (eg. visiting academics and contractors) via the UNSW Identity Manager (IDAM) into the new Staff Email service. Address lists can also be requested and configured at a group level where required. Some lists will be populated and updated automatically via feeds from IDAM (eg. Faculty, School, All conjoint Staff)
Will the lifetime email address for alumni still exist? Do we need to maintain a separate account or can we have an address to redirect to?
The University is replacing the current UniMail email service for all undergraduate students, postgraduate coursework students and alumni with a new email service called zMail. The zMail account will exist for life, as long an association with the University either as a student or as a UNSW alumnus is maintained
Will users be able to access their archived email from off campus?
Yes. The archive functions will operate in the background and be transparent to users. Archives will be accessible remotely with the noticeable difference being whatever lag the remote access is adding to both current and archive resources
Will there be a quota on the archive?
The Change Program will not impose quotas for the staff email archive. It is envisaged that any archive solution will be in line with the UNSW Electronic Recordkeeping Policy which is currently under review and will provide guidance as to how files and archives should be retained.
Will the archive be part of users file storage quota?
The Change Program will not be imposing any quotas on staff email, archives or file storage quotas, For students, this is yet to be determined, however, it is unlikely that email archives would be considered part of the users file storage.
What happens to email folders and archives when people leave the University?"
Email users will be able to take their local mail store with them. A standard exit process will be established to assist staff as required before they leave the University.
Will old emails be kept in archive so that they can be accessed if needed by University authorities? (eg. official email correspondence where there is no record kept elsewhere).
This is yet to be determined. This issue will be considered as part of the currently email policy review.
What will the cost to my school/unit be?
The cost structure is yet to be determined, however, there will be no additional costs to faculties or divisions.
For further information on the shared email service (including "how to" and training opportunities) see:
www.it.unsw.edu.au/services/email
File
What is my initial quota?
Quotas will be in place for students. Quotas will be determined by a number of factors (eg. different quotas/tiers for undergrad and postgrad students. Quotas may vary according with the needs of particular areas such as digital media students. Quotas will be developed according to the needs of the area in conjunction with individual schools/faculties/divisions/departments.
How will repeated requests for more storage space be handled?
The Change Program will NOT impose quotas for the staff email or managed file services. For students, the IT Service Centre will be the initial point of contact for increased quota requests. If it is found that students are repeatedly requiring increased quotas, the Faculty IT manager will be able to negotiate for an increase in file storage based on need or suggest alternate viable options (for example, portable hard drives will be 'strongly recommended' for digital media students who deal with large amounts of data)
I currently use local storage systems for my research activities? Will they continue?
The initial focus is on storage for general data requirements, however, in many cases you may benefit from moving your data from the local system to a shared service (safe, secure, back-up etc). For research centres with vast amounts of data input/output eg. Climate and Environmental Dynamics Laboratory in Mathematics, it may be more appropriate to continue use local systems in the short term. In the longer term we are looking at options to effectively manage all volumes of data.
We have school data stored according to organisational roles and personal needs. How will this be reflected in the new system? Who can change these rights?
The high level file structure and access rules are is in the process of being developed. IT Service Centre staff and delegated staff in your area will have the ability to manage the file structure and access in your area. At the lower levels of the file structure there will be more flexibility to customise according to the needs of your area.
Who has access to my data?
Apart from system administrators and other support staff as required, the only people who have access to your home directory will be yourself or people your supervisor authorises. In regards to shared folders only people who have been authorised to access the share will have access. Controls will be in place to provide reports on who has access to particular data structures.
How can I give access to my files? How can I restrict access to my files?
A process will be developed to simplify these requests so they can be provided in an orderly fashion. The process will be structured around a IT Service Centre request.
What controls are there to ensure the privacy and security of my data?
Access to data will be controlled via the University's Active Directory which will require each user to authenticate to the system before being granted access. Data will be stored on highly redundant servers with full failover and disaster recovery infrastructure in place. All servers will be located in restricted secure access rooms. Backup tapes will be stored off site in secure locations using a reputable data storage company.
What auditing is there on access to my files?
Auditing and access management is currently being investigated and still to be determined. Full auditing may not feasible in such a large environment, however options such as random audits, auditing for specific "high risk" areas or areas where there is suspicion breaches may occur. In these examples, auditing could be activated to monitor specific activities as required.
When it was on my local server or desktop I assumed control and accepted the consequences, what assurance do I have for a centrally run system?
Service and operating level agreements will be documented and monitored for quality control purposes and acted upon as required. It should be understood that the level of dedicated support, equipment standards and documented processes will provide systems that will be more reliable and less prone to outages than what currently exist. It is the intention of the University to reduce the existing risk profile of the University and is working to achieve this through adequately resourcing these services.
What operating systems will be supported/accessible by the shared file service?
Solutions are being developed with the objective to cater for Windows, Linux and Mac - protocols
Will all users, including students be able to create ad-hoc shares?
No, as a general rule, only IT Service Centre staff and delegated local staff will be able to create shared drives. There will separation between staff and students file systems to ensure students cannot access staff files. However, there will be file space specifically set up for students and staff to share files according to the needs of faculty/school.
Can I access my files easily from behind unknown firewalls e.g. hotel, UNSW hospital campuses, other Universities? Will I need special software to do so?
Currently, The UNSW Enterprise Remote Access VPN Service (or UNSW VPN) allows you to establish a secure network connection between an off-campus computer and UNSW networked resources such as computers and file servers, over the Internet. Using the UNSW VPN service, users can connect via their home broadband service or via external wireless hotspots in cafes, hotels and airports. To run VPN you will need a VPN Client Configuration file and a VPN client. (Further details available at www.it.unsw.edu.au/services/vpn/)
The VPN service is not necessary when accessing UNSW network resources that are generally available to the public, such as UNSW's web sites, or when you are physically on campus.
The VPN service creates a trusted connection to the UNSW network using secure encryption technology. It does this over whatever network connection you are using at the time, such as commercial broadband or wireless. Once this trusted connection is established, you should be able to locate and connect to your computers and file servers as usual.
Similar capabilities will be available as part of the new service.
Can my Faculty continue with current arrangements?
All IT utility services (including email, file and data, print) will need to be migrated to a shared consistent service. The IT Change Program has been established to improve services that will meet increasing demand and expectations from students and staff while maintaining satisfaction levels, containing costs and protecting the University against risk. This will be supported by a single IT Service Centre and underpinned by a flexible Standard Operating Environment that will continue to deliver unique local services that are specific to faculties and schools.
If I store an exam paper on the shared file service and a students "hacks" into the system, will I be responsible?
No, you will not be held responsible. Adherence to policy, procedures (eg. storing files in the appropriate place) will reduce the incidence of this type of activity.
Can I still save files on my hard drive?
Yes, however, it is recommended that all critical data be placed on the server to ensure appropriate security and back up. The UNSW Electronic Recordkeeping Policy is currently under review and will provide guidance as to how files should be stored.
Will there be an archiving solution for my files?
Yes an archiving solution is currently being investigated - more information will be available in Q3, 2009.
Will I be able to archive anything I want?
Yes - in line with the UNSW policy and procedure.
Will I be able to back up anything I want?
Yes - in line with the UNSW policy and procedure.
What will the cost to my school/unit be?
The cost structure is yet to be determined, however, there will be no additional costs to faculties or divisions.
Will I be able to back up my local hard drive onto a server using synchronisation?
Synchronisation is anticipated to be part of the overall file solution, with automated synchronisation set up on desktop computers and a manual synchronisation process set up on laptops (as the latter devices are not always connected to the network). The technology for the file solution is yet to be selected, this choice will in turn inform the backup and synchronisation solution.
Desktop
Will there be a requirement to purchase standard computers?
It is preferred that we purchase standard computers where ever possible. The standard computer configurations are designed to meet the needs of most users for the life of the computer. There will be standard computers for both PCs and Macs. We have worked with our preferred supplier to ensure that the best value possible has been obtained for standard computers. It will also be very easy to purchase a standard computer and it will be available for next day delivery. To date very good feedback has been received regarding the specification and cost of the standard range. More information is available at: www.it.unsw.edu.au/services/procurement
How will the Desktop service work for teaching spaces and labs?
The transition for teaching spaces will be planned in conjunction with local IT staff to ensure that the labs continue to deliver to their specific requirements. However the management and services of the teaching spaces and labs will be standardised where practical to make support of the labs as efficient as possible. One aim is to make the authentication and access to files and printers standard across all computer labs.
Will I be able to load my own software onto the computer?
There will be different levels of access for users to install software on desktop and laptop computers. Support costs for computers are dramatically reduced when only tested software is installed. For users with "locked down (fully managed)" computers the IT Service Centre staff will be able to install additional unique software on their computers when required. Academics and specific general staff that need access to be able to install software on their computers will be able to do so.
Will this apply to my own laptop (which I also use for private purposes at home)?
Privately owned computers will not be managed by UNSW. Support will be provided for the use of privately owned computers but this support will likely be limited to phone based support or limited local support for standard UNSW services such as email/printing/access to files. The specific level of support for privately owned computers has not yet been finalised.
Will such a system check that I only have licensed software running?
The desktop management toolset will keep track of what software is installed on UNSW owned computers.
This will help ensure that we are properly licensed and legally compliant for software across UNSW and will help make the case for moving software to UNSW wide licenses. There are also benefits with many suppliers offering more flexible license options if they can be assured that we can report on actual usage of their software.
How will I get support if I "opt out"?
The managed desktop service should be flexible enough to cater for users of all UNSW owned computers. 'Fully Managed' computers (where users have limited or no access to install software) will receive a high level of guaranteed support. Users who have access to install software and make changes to their computers will be supported, although there will not be guaranteed resolution times due to the complexity created by untested software. For non-standard configurations "best effort" support will be offered.
Will I able to load new applications (recent examples - Google Earth, Firefox, ABC Now)?
Most users will, by default, receive the majority of applications that they need to perform their duties. We will be creating software sets for different roles across UNSW. Where additional standard UNSW applications are required, a service request can be submitted to the IT Service Centre. For other cases, please refer to the previous question "Will I be able to load my own software onto the computer?".
Will having shared desktop services across UNSW lead to a delay in the implementation of new technologies?
Implementing shared services and managed infrastructure will reduce the support requirements for standard environments leading to IT staff having more time to deliver unique and specific services. The change program is developing processes to support the upgrade to existing software and introduction of new software to ensure that this is done in a timely manner, To be successful, this will need the support of academics to submit new technology requirements within a given timeframe to ensure that the process of development testing and rollout can be carried out.
Will software updates be appropriately scheduled?
Yes, in consultation with the stakeholders.
In the future, how will new versions of applications etc be rolled out? Can I postpone or refuse new versions?
The exact process for application roll outs is still yet to be defined. Due to the nature of academic work it is likely that there will always be a minority of users who need access to older versions of software or the absolute latest version. The roll out procedure will incorporate the specific needs of these users. For the majority of users at UNSW, there should be a standard version of each software package that is used. Decisions to upgrade standard software to new versions will be done in conjunction with stakeholders across UNSW.
How will software etc be upgraded? Will it be done in the background (passive) or will it require interaction by the user (active) ?
The process will be determined for each piece of software. Some utility software such as antivirus will be automatically upgraded, larger software packages such as MS Office will likely be done via a specific schedule for local areas, for other smaller more specific software the users will need to choose when the software is updated.
What will the cost to my school/unit be?
The cost structure is yet to be determined, however, there will be no additional costs to faculties or divisions, already some units have benefited from reduced prices for single desktops and laptops.
When will the changes take effect?
Transition staff are liaising with the target area IT staff and devising (in consultation with local IT staff) possible migration plans. Transition commenced in late 2008 for some areas and we expect the transition to be complete in 2010. Contact your local IT manager to discuss timelines for your area.
Will upgrades cycle with semester dates?
Yes, there will be standard schedule for having applications installed/upgraded in teaching labs. This will align with semester schedules. The process for having an application installed or upgraded during session will have to be worked out for individual areas.
Can my desktop be linked to my salary package?
No, desktops will not be linked to salary packages. Staff will have desktops/laptops that are appropriate for their needs. We are aiming to provide desktops/laptops at significant discounts through our preferred supplier arrangements. The standard option to purchase a personally owned laptop through the salary sacrifice arrangement will still be in place. For more details see www.hr.unsw.edu.au/services/salaries/laptop.html
For further information on the new desktop service, see:
www.it.unsw.edu.au/services/desktop
