Application Server Unveiled! The official link for the new application server has gone live: https://tsapps.exeter.edu/. The new application server provides faculty and students with secure access to curricular applications from any location. Formerly available only from on-campus computers, these applications are critical to classes in numerous subjects.

Information Technology Organizational and Requirements Study Completed by Kaludis Consulting

Last spring the Academy contracted with Kaludis Consulting to review our technology plans, resources, staffing, campus requirements and expectations. Kaludis is a national technology organization consulting firm working primarily in higher education and independent secondary schools. Two extended campus visits were scheduled in May and June 2002 to determine Exeter’s information technology requirements, to measure satisfaction with and expectations for related support and to assess opportunities for new or improved services. Individual and group interviews were held with employee and student community members. What follows is an excerpt from the report. The Executive Summary is available by request through the Dean of Faculty’s or Treasurer’s Offices.

Most advances have taken place within the last seven years through significant planning, commitment and financing. Exeter’s 1995 strategic information technology master plan guided remarkable growth and improvement in desktop computing, network infrastructure, administrative information systems, and support staffing. Recent Academy investments have expanded and enhanced its Web capabilities. Development of the Academy’s technology resources and organizational support structure has been multi-faceted and has utilized generally accepted models, integrated commercial solutions, and accepted standards; the adoption of collegial planning and collaborative strategies; a reactive approach to problems; and a few independently implemented projects.

The state of the Academy’s information technology environment is summarized below:

Based on campus expectations of required strategies, services and technologies, the following recommendations are offered:

Phillips Exeter Academy has made exceptional progress in introducing, using, funding and supporting information technology within the context of its mission, through effective planning, reasoned investments, and proven technologies. In a relatively short time it has developed consistent infrastructure architecture, useful information systems, knowledgeable campus community, and dedicated support staff. Exeter, like other leading educational institutions, is now faced with technology challenges for which there are no simple solutions or clear answers. Exeter has reached a pivotal point from which it can merely react to growing campus needs and technology advances, or it can proactively plan, develop and support a more integrated information technology environment. Although the latter sounds more expensive and difficult, it is clearly more cost-effective than an uncoordinated approach, and it is certainly more compatible with the Harkness model of collaboration and discovery.

Phillips Exeter Academy’s goal of developing good and knowledgeable people is apparent in the people who plan, manage and deliver its information technology services. Exeter must provide these people with clear strategic direction and a streamlined organizational framework to guide and maximize their contributions. This requires comprehensive planning and an effective proactive service organization that provides reliable core resources, integrated applications and innovative solutions.

In conclusion, the findings presented herein are not unexpected given Exeter’s past successes, growing demands, and the ever changing information technology environment. The recommendations will continue the Academy’s information technology progress through explicit planning, service enhancements and organizational effectiveness. This may not be easy, but the recommended information technology improvements will certainly position Phillips Exeter Academy to better support its mission and the expectations of its great people.

Terminal Services
by Stephanie Casale

Back in the good old days, it was not uncommon for computer users to perform their work via a terminal connected to a central mainframe computer. With the advent of Windows and Macintosh and the graphical user interface, personal computers started appearing on the desktop in place of the terminal. Today, a technology called Terminal Services combines the best of both.

Windows 2000 Terminal Services is a technology that lets users remotely execute applications on a Windows 2000-based server from a wide range of devices over virtually any type of network connection. Terminal Services makes it possible to deliver a Windows desktop and software to any device on the network. The desktop and applications reside on a server and only screen shots, mouse clicks, and keyboard movements are transmitted over the connection.

Last spring, the IT department began testing and building Windows 2000 servers to deliver applications across the Academy network via Terminal Services and Citrix Metaframe. When the computer lab in the Library was rebuilt over the summer, a hybrid terminal was deployed. Now when users log in, instead of a traditional Windows Explorer desktop, they see the Citrix Program Neighborhood application.

Any device capable of displaying the Citrix ICA client can connect to the terminal server. These include Windows workstations running the Citrix Program Neighborhood, Macs running the Citrix client for Macintosh, Unix boxes, Wyse Winterms and thin clients running Windows CE, and the hybrid workstations in the Little Lab, which are running Windows NT. Processor speed, memory and disk space do not matter because all processing is done on the server.

Not all software runs well via the Terminal Services and each application requires testing. Applications that typically do not run well include processor- and graphics-intensive applications, CAD, desktop publishing, drawing programs, and programs that require special hardware (e.g. video or sound cards). Licensing restrictions will also limit applications from being offered over the network in this way.

The same capability to connect the terminal services applications from the Academy network is available through a web browser by the addition of Citrix nFuse software. NFuse is a web application portal product that enables application publication into standard web browsers. If you are not connected to the Academy network but have an Internet connection, the web URL to access these services is https://tsapps.exeter.edu/. A Citrix ICA client must be downloaded and installed on the local computer (home or office computer) for applications to launch. The Mac OSX version of this client is currently in beta test and it is available for download from the Citrix web site (http://www.citrix.com/).

OSX
by Stephanie Casale

This summer, the IT Department began deploying new Macintosh computers on campus with the latest Apple operating system. OSX is a totally new operating system based on Unix and has been advertised as much more stable and crash proof than previous versions of Mac operating systems. As Macs on campus are replaced, they will be delivered with OSX. We do not plan to upgrade existing systems in place.

OSX includes support for things like VPN, TCP/IP, WebDAV, and Novell and Windows networking protocols. If you like to program in Unix, the built in terminal application will become your new favorite application. Users familiar with the traditional Mac OS should plan to spend some time getting to know OSX. Gone is the Chooser, gone are system extensions and the control panel. Many basic functions are accomplished in different ways. A quick trip to the Help menu is usually all you need to find your way around.

Applications that run on OSX are called "Native." Those that are not run in the so-called "Classic" mode, which essentially means they run in an OS9 shell. Netscape, Quark, and Pagemaker are some of the standard Academy applications that run in Classic mode. See the box below for more OSX lingo and visit the Apple web site http://www.apple.com/ to read more about the features and capabilities of this new breed of Mac. If you have a new Mac on your desk, call the Support Desk with any questions you may have.

 

Exeter Webmail Anomalies 12-minute timeout: There is a 12-minute timeout in place. This is not managed by PEA but rather the webmail client, IMail. If the server times out while a user is creating a message, the user won't know it until clicking the Send button, in which case they are returned to the logon screen and the message is lost. When composing a long message, it is recommended that you save frequently. Click the Save button on the Compose page to save the message in the Draft mailbox. You can then re-open the message from the Draft mailbox and continue editing. Suspended Account Error Message: A number of users reported receiving a “suspended account” error message when logging in. Users generally get this message when logging in during a time that our network backup is being performed in which network services are unavailable. Our daily backups are run from 3:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Users logging in while traveling outside the U.S. should especially be aware of the time difference.

Your Network Profile at Your Desktop ... Roaming or Local?
by Marilee Tuomanen

Your network profile is information about your computer desktop that is stored in your network account. The PEA network has historically used a customizable roaming network profile for all employees. This roaming profile makes it possible for users to move from workstation to workstation and always have their shortcuts, printers and personal preferences. Some users save files to their desktop although it is not recommended to do so since this is not an area that is backed up. For some users a customizable roaming profile has been more of a nuisance than an appreciated feature. With the implementation of Windows 2000 it is now taking longer for roaming profiles to load upon login and then update when logging out.

Because of the complaints we have heard, we are testing local profiles. Local profiles remain on the one workstation and therefore do not impact log in and log out time. Implementing this change will mean the items stored on a user’s desktop will not travel from computer to computer. The change will also require the user to back up their profile to the network if they are concerned about maintaining a copy of their personalized desktop in the event of a problem with the workstation.

Since IT is evaluating implications surrounding this change we are not yet ready to roll out the feature globally. If you only use one computer and are experiencing problems with your roaming profile, contact the support desk to discuss your options. Instructions are available to make the changes from a roaming to local profile.

Too Many Passwords!
by Donna Archambault

“I have too many passwords, why do I need so many?” Due to the number of services that are now available, a user can have up to five passwords, if not more – Network/email, Blackboard, Lionlinks, E-links and Colleague/Benefactor.

We realize this can be very frustrating for users, especially where your Lionlinks and E-Links passwords expire after 90 days and your network password expires in 120 days. We didn’t do this intentionally, but because not all of our resources are capable of authenticating the same way, we don’t currently have the mechanism in place to synchronize to one password. To access all these services you need to use different passwords. IT and MIS, however, are working together with vendors to reduce the number of passwords a user needs in the future. It is our hope to expand our Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server login capability to accommodate logging in to all our network resources. This LDAP server will authenticate one password for different services like it currently does for network, email and calendar.

Over this winter break our network staff are testing a mechanism for users to change their passwords remotely. This will eliminate the user having to contact the support desk to reset their passwords from off campus. It will be especially useful for those traveling out of the country and trying to contact us. Details will be provided to the community when the testing has been completed.

If you forget your network, Lionlinks or E-links passwords, contact the Support Desk, x3693. For Colleague and Benefactor passwords contact MIS and for Blackboard passwords you click on the “Forgot Password” button on the Blackboard login screen and the system will automatically email your user information.

Backing Up Your Address Book and Bookmarks
by Emily Merrill

Back up your Netscape Address Book
Occasionally, a Netscape address book will become corrupted or lost. If you have spent a lot of time entering names or creating distribution lists, you may wish to create a back up copy periodically to save your work. Or, if you are getting a new computer, you may wish to make sure a copy of your address book is in a safe place. To do so:

Back up your Netscape Bookmarks
Bookmarks can also become accidentally lost or corrupted. To back up your bookmarks:

Back up your Favorites in Internet Explorer
If you prefer to use Internet Explorer as your browser, you can also back up your Favorites, which are comparable to Netscape’s Bookmarks, instead:

E-Mail Infected with Viruses on the Increase... According to a report from MessageLabs, an e-mail scanning firm, the number of e-mail infected with viruses nearly doubled from 2001 to 2002. Compared to one infected e-mail for every 389 in 2001, 2002 saw one infection per 215 e-mails. The Klez virus was the most active throughout the year, but its peak of one infection per 169 e-mails was well shy of the Bugbear virus's peak of one infection per 87 e-mails. Alex Shipp, senior antivirus technologist at MessageLabs, said much of the blame for the dramatic increase in infected e-mail rests with home users who do not have adequate protection on their systems. ZDNet, 16 December 2002 http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105-977935.html

Document Support Services
by Kathy Pottle

If you're curious about a particular project you are doing and whether or not Document Support Services can assist you … give us a call at ext. 3430 or email us at document_support_services@exeter.edu.

Some of the services available are:

Our Copy Center has the capability of printing in black and white OR color OR high resolution black and white. Winter term we will be adding two digital high-volume copying machines. This will greatly improve the quality of our black and white copies. It will also allow us to fold and make booklets, as well as collating, stapling, and hole punching. We have recently acquired a laminator, which accommodates paper 24" wide and has the capability of matting with onto foam core boards. We also have an industrial paper cutter, allowing more precise cutting.

Look for our upcoming Open House when we install our new digital copying machines. We are the center to assist you with your projects, from start to finish!