Monthly Bulletin - April 2020

by Anonymous in ,

I'm pleased to share our monthly bulletin, which provides a summary of activities & accomplishments for the department of Information Technology Services over the past month. Stay healthy and safe everyone!

User Services

  • User Services closed ticket summary:
    • February: 347
    • March: 379
    • April: 243
  • The large majority (98%) of our PCs have migrated away from Windows 7 and are now running Windows 10.
  • Created new forms/workflows in Adobe Sign to support the migration from DocuSign to Adobe Sign project.
  • Oversaw the installation of a new AV proof-of-concept room in Bell Tower 1684, which includes an interactive projector and whiteboard, integrated and improved speakers, and new control panel.
  • Deployed wireless display solutions in classrooms using Intel Unite.  This allows some instructors to connect their computers to classroom projectors without needing cables.
  • Prepared training and support materials, videos, or websites for new services like using remote desktop with Windows VDI (CIVL), and Microsoft OneDrive.  There is also a new webpage to help users find commonly needed cables and adapters for their desktop machines.
  • Provided loaner laptops/iPads (about 300) to students, faculty, and staff as needed for remote work during the COVID-19 crisis.
  • ITS acquired and is provisioning Hotspots to departments for faculty and staff as needed for remote work during the COVID-19 crisis.
  • Along with vendors and our Procurement group, expedited ordering and deployment of new computers and iPads urgently needed during the COVID-19 crisis.
  • Worked with Adobe to provide students with free access to Adobe CC during the COVD-19 crisis.

Application Services

  • Development, Testing, Quality Assurance, and Move to Production completed or scheduled during April 2020:
    • Symplicity Interface Enhancement - Move to Production in CI Records
    • IVO Registration Link Upgrade - Move to Production in CI Records
    • IVO Registration Import Enhancement - Move to Production in CI Records
    • Perceptive Content Retention Policy Manager Population Views  - Move to Production in CI Records
    • ULMS Retrofit to CO Baseline - Move to Production in CI Records
    • Duo Interface for Direct Deposit – Principle Development
    • IVO Completion Interface – Initial Development
    • Engage Interface – Initial Development
  • Database Scripts for the following areas were developed and deployed during January 2019:
    • Student Records – Credit / No Credit Enable Option for COVID-19
    • Student Financials – Third Party Contracts
    • Admissions – Test Scores, Checklist Due Dates
  • Work continues on the mandated CI Records, CI Personnel, CI Financials PeopleTools 8.57 Upgrades.
  • The Following Maintenance was performed:
    • Maintenance pack MP 11.01 was migrated to CI Records
    • Maintenance pack MP 11.02 was migrated to CI Personnel
    • CARES Non-baseline Financial Aid modification in CI Records Quality Assurance
  • The Following Data Warehouse and Institutional Reporting Activity took place during April 2020
    • Early Childhood Survey Analysis began
    • Year-over-Year Enrollment Analysis and Dashboard Report Created
    • Commencement Survey Analysis Continues
    • Data warehouse operational work for Student Affairs and Academic Affairs
  • Application Services continued supporting the following operations and projects:
    • CARES Refunding Process
    • Student Financials Fee Configuration
    • Identity and Access Management Support
    • CFS Related Support of BFA Operations
    • Data Warehouse Operations
    • APDB Data Issue Research
    • EAB Implementation Support

Infrastructure

  • Began Phone System upgrade project by installing, and IP configuring two new Cisco UCS servers and two new Cisco voice Routers.  NTT Global technician will be working on firmware upgrades to all devices and will begin the process of configuring the new system.
  • Set up AT&T engineer for remote access to conduct CO provided Alcatel Lucent network Health Check
  • Regular configuration of users for Jabber softphone use
  • Ongoing work on campus SAFE (EPE) project with contractors and FS
  • Setups for offsite phone work for departments
  • Ongoing work on CO CNI WiFi upgrade
  • Resized 110 Virtual Machines to conserve memory and CPU power
  • Setup Parkview monitoring for the old ESXi servers (old Cisco UCS platform) on Patton
  • Setup static IP’s and VPN accounts for several vendors
  • Continue server upgrades from Windows Server 2008 including domain controllers. Majority completed now and only have a handful to migrate now. Will work with owning departments to complete.
  • With everyone working from home, assist users with issues such as VPN/VDI connection to allow access to CI resources
  • Server maintenance to keep Infrastructure servers maintained with latest software patches
  • Continue escalated Infrastructure TeamDynamix ticket resolution
  • Created more than 1200 new email accounts for fall 2020 students
  • Configured and Published Cal Poly SLO’s Adobe Sign nodeJS application that allows students and student assistants to use custom Adobe Sign workflows without having to be provisioned in Adobe Sign as senders.
  • Enabled SSO for our Malwarebytes cloud instance
  • Setup Windows Virtual Desktop (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) for staff and faculty and student remote labs
  • Upgraded domain controllers on both of our domains to support new features in our active directory domain
  • Started co management of endpoints and getting them hybrid joined to Azure active directory to support upcoming projects such as Microsoft Intune
  • Started OneDrive migration project from Dropbox
  • Setup Icebreaker Microsoft Teams bot for potential use with TLI and faculty in the fall
  • Microsoft Teams Audio Conferencing testing and licensing

Information Security

  • Submitted new articles for the CSUCI News Center:
    • Apr 03, 2020 : Zoom Client Security Update
    • Apr 16, 2020 : Microsoft Teams is here
  • Skype for Business migration to Microsoft Teams
    • Completed and June 1st will be the decommissioning date
  • Aruba to Global Protect VPN migration
    • 95% of users are moved over or have a ticket for the client.
  • 18 notices to campus users about targeted Phishing scams
  • Significant decrease in reported student Phishing scams since the student directory is now behind myCI.
  • TeamViewer management cloud console setup for ITS
  • Created and published new web page for Securing Zoom Meetings at CSUCI
  • Created and published new knowledge base article on the DO’s and DON’Ts to Safeguard Zoom Meetings
  • Created ITS Bulletin on Securing Zoom Meetings referencing the above-mentioned resources
  • DUO for Students/Student Self-Service Direct Deposit/CARES Act support
    • Assisted with Application Services, ITS Infrastructure, and Web Services to complete and rollout the new Duo Self-Enrollment service for students through myCI.  This was migrated into production Friday night 5/1/20.
  • Coordinated a few meetings to address the Information Security Audit observations from the National Guard and Chancellor’s Office
  • Continues with scheduled internal quarterly and monthly internal assessments for:
    • CI Records, CI Personnel, and CI Financials
    • Unisys Data Center
    • PeopleSoft Oracle Accounts
    • Segregation of Duties
  • Assisted Commencement team with security review of StageClip
  • Assisted Enrollment Management with security review of their chat software Live Chat
  • Ongoing research work for data governance
  • Information Security support for Adobe Sign project where requested.
    • Forms and/or process review
  • Additional research still underway regarding activation of Windows Firewall for all
  • Monthly CSU ISAC and ISAC EC meetings

Project Management

  • Led 8 Adobe Sign training workshops for over 270 registered participants. Sessions were recording and provided to participants, and are available on the CSUCI Adobe Sign support site at http://go.csuci.edu/adobesign
  • Assisted Faculty Affairs in developing 3 new workflows in Adobe Sign
  • Assisting Extended University in developing a “Megasign” workflow in Adobe Sign to support faculty contract process
  • Assisting Enrollment Management in developing and deploying new Grade Change Form and Petition for Exception forms/processes in Adobe Sign
  • Work with Infrastructure to deploy Dynamic Forms functionality for Adobe Sign, in partnership with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
  • Develop and deploy CPAL form/process for Human Resources in Adobe Sign: 
  • Provided onboarding training for new Application Services team members in TeamDynamix
  • Providing project support for Duo for Students; CARES and Direct Deposit; Early Childhood Education center planning; Emergency Preparedness; Dropbox migration to OneDrive; CI Fileflow retention policy manager implementation;
  • Work continues on the BP Logix business process automation proof of concept for the CSU.
  • Preparing for an upgrade to TeamDynamix version 11.1, coming on May 9, 2020.
  • Completed project closures for Blackboard (Transact) EAccounts implementation and You@College implementation
  • Project management, leadership and support for Fall Planning Task Force
  • Working on campus authorization for electronic and digital signature, in alignment with CSU policy.
  • Posted 7 ITS News blog updates relating to Adobe Sign, Docusign, BP Logix, Zoom and other timely issues
  • Coordinated review & submission of 4 CSU Innovation Minigrants to the Chancellor's Office.
  • Update to the IT procurement process workflow in TeamDynamix to change Procurement & Contract Services interaction. 
  • Updates to the Solution Center automated ticket categorization process for email submitted tickets in TeamDynamix. 

Web Services

  • ​Launched new service buttons in myCI for Adobe Sign and Microsoft Teams.
  • Added new banner in myCI in support of ASI elections
  • Launch updated campus web directory: https://ciapps.csuci.edu/directory; separate view has been launched for internal audiences (myCI authentication is required)
  • Develop an interactive housing cost calculator for Housing & Residential Education (HRE)
  • Reviewing Information Security audit results and preparing to respond to web-related findings.
  • Supported the Division of Student Affairs in evaluating, repairing and launching the student engagement web site http://theisland.csuci.edu . Continuing to work with DSA on a plan to migrate content to new content management infrastructure.
  • Supported Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management in integrating and deploying live web chat onto selected CSUCI web pages. Working with Teaching & Learning Innovations to support AdmitHub chatbot deployment and web page integration.
  • Continuing to evaluate SiteImprove, Monsido, and Blackboard Ally in support of accessibility scanning and remediation efforts for non-HTML documents. Created and began review of top 500 most downloaded non-HTML documents from the CSUCI web site.
  • Completed CSU Intranet survey (with feedback from 16 campuses) and shared results with participants. Began preliminary evaluation of Sharepoint Online.

Administration (AVP’s office)

  • Congratulations to Jaime Hannans and Colleen Nevins for receiving a $10,000 CSU Innovation Minigrant award for their proposal for Nursing Faculty Support and Development of Online/Virtual Clinical Labs. Thank you to all applicants!