Southern Illinois University at Carbondale Information Technology

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Dawgbytes, Summer 2006
Volume 5, Number 1

The Unlock Page
Locked out of your account? Now you can fix it yourself on this web page: websec.it.siu.edu/util/passwd.html. Forgotten or expired passwords are a major source of problems for SIUC computer users and IT's Customer Support Center (CSC) alike. When a password expires (if it has not been changed in 120 days), the account is locked out and must be unlocked before an owner can reset the password. The CSC is experiencing a strong increase in calls requesting an account unlock.
Some of these calls are unnecessary because users are now able to unlock their own accounts. Just point your browser to websec.it.siu.edu/util/passwd.html. This link points to the "Service Request - Network ID Password Administration Screen." The first panel on that page, "Password Change," is used to reset a password when you do know the current password. The second panel, "Advanced Functions," offers four choices, one of which is the "Unlock expired password" function. A second choice lets you "Check password expiration," which e-mails to the account owner a history of password changes for that account and when the password will expire. A third choice lets users enroll in the forgotten password process, which lets you choose two challenge questions (e.g., what is your favorite movie, favorite author, etc.). And if you have enrolled in the forgotten password process, you will be able to use the fourth choice, "Reset forgotten password." Responding with the correct answers to the challenges you chose will let you reset your password without assistance from the CSC.

Campus Wide Printing Services
As of July 1, 2006, the Information Technology Computer Learning Centers began providing Campus Wide Printing Services to computer labs and libraries on campus. We are providing this through "Debit Dawg." Debit Dawg enables students to use their student ID card to print on campus. The cost to students will be exactly the same as it has been the last five years (10 cents per page for black and 70 cents per page for color).
Thirty Xerox Phaser 8550 black/color printers were purchased and are installed in their locations. One major enhancement to services is faster printing, especially for color. Color printing will be available in every contracted location with new Phaser solid ink technology and the capability to print from wireless laptops. All of this will result in increased satisfaction and convenience for students. The printers print 30 pages per minute for both black and color.
Summary of Enhanced Services

Faster printing for black and color
Color printing in all locations
Printing from wireless
Debit Dawg printing instead of purchasing print cards
More information is available at www.infotech.siu.edu/clc/print/index.html.

Banner: The New Student Information System (SIS)
The Student Information System (SIS) stores and manages data for hundreds of thousands of current and previous students' records. The University's current SIS is a 15-year-old IDMS system, or "legacy" system, that will run only on a very expensive mainframe. Moving these outdated legacy systems from the mainframe onto servers is one of Information Technology's long-term goals. The vendor of that program has announced it will drop support for the database in 2009, which mandates beginning its replacement now. Its replacement, "Banner," from SunGard Higher Education, which is already in place at 900 other colleges and universities, uses state-of-the-art web technology to greatly expand the system's powers and accessibility. Banner's implementation began in July and will take approximately two years to complete.
The new system reflects its reason for being: the student. It is completely organized around students--their recruitment, admission, enrollment, and graduation. Its features include:

The new system will enhance SalukiNet, the system that provides students with Web access to their personal records

It eliminates the need to log in to multiple systems with multiple IDs and passwords; a portal will provide single sign-on access

This portal will provide secure customizable access to e-mail, personal and course calendars, course message boards, course chat, personal records, and other services

Faculty will be able to enter grades online, giving students faster access to their final grades

An electronic grade book will also be available, letting students view their grades on assignments, quizzes, and tests, and get immediate feedback on their progress throughout a course

Students will be able to work with faculty and advisers to review current enrollment and progress toward education goals.

A Quick Admit method will enhance the admissions process for qualifying students; prospective students will be able to view the status of their application, see if they are missing any documents, and check the status of the admission decision

The online course catalog and class schedule will have more flexible search capabilities
Students are paying for the new system through a $6-per-credit-hour information technology fee. Cost of the system is $6.84 million.

New Microsoft Vendor
The new Microsoft Products Vendor for SIUC students and employees is "Zone." Students, staff, and faculty can follow the procedure outlined on an IT web page to get the products you need; to take advantage of the negotiated academic pricing, point your browser to www.infotech.siu.edu/msCampus/get.htm.

Disaster Recovery
Information Technology successfully completed a disaster recovery testing scenario for the mainframe-based Student Information System (Development System, CV70) in June. The test included the following tasks: verification of the ability to restore data using existing procedures, an inventory of offsite recovery materials, and a determination of replacement equipment availability.

Data Encryption Software Is Now Available
Information Technology is announcing the availability of data encryption software.
An open source (free) GnuPG (GPG) data security software product is available for use by individuals in the campus community who need to or are interested in protecting their data files via encryption (by turning regular, "plain text" data into indecipherable strings). It runs in all major operating systems and is generally available as a precompiled, binary, executable file.

GnuPG uses the latest US Government data security algorithms (most notably "AES") and follows the current Internet Standards (RFC2440) for data security.

Several GnuPG documents are available in the PDF format in the "siuc.security.gnupg" newsgroup available on the SIU Usenet/Network News Server (Schooner.siu.edu). For other information, support, and documentation on the use of GnuPG to encrypt data, please contact Jim Dutton in Information Technology at 453-6235 or leftfoot@siu.edu.

Wireless Access Maps on the SIUC Campus
Information Technology's home page has a convenient link pointing to maps of wireless signal availability on campus. Look in the General Information column at the upper left of the page.
Two maps are available: one for indoor wireless coverage and one for outdoor coverage. The maps are color-coded, and each is expandable. The expanded indoor map shows the percentage of wireless availability in 18 campus buildings; the outdoor map shows the approximate boundaries of availability for a dozen areas on campus.

The maps are a quick and handy way to locate where you can or cannot connect to the campus area network via a wireless interface and in many cases may let you answer your own questions about sign-on problems.

Comments: IT Webmaster