Disaster Recovery Exercise
Forsythe Security
Time to Leave PC-Leland and MacLeland
New ID Card Office in Forsythe
IPP Dates
Remedy Reimplementation
Stanford Answers
Survey
Tips From Your Admin
Staff Profile
Staff Happenings
Tech Sessions
Tech Training Classes
IT Employment Opportunities at Stanford
Quote of the Week

Past Issues

Have you upgraded to Stanford Desktop Tools yet? See related article.

Yes
No

Results from last issue's survey question: Are you planning on attending the IT Services Family Picnic on August 9?

There were 44 responses. 27 said "Yes," and 17 said "No."

Managers, did you know that you will be taxed if you don't provide the recipient names for the gift cards you give out to staff?

The Admin team passes these names to Travel and Reimbursement. If T&R does not have these names, they are required to report the amount of the gift cards to the IRS as taxable income to the manager.

Karla Lacy started working at Stanford in 1988.

 

 

How would you describe your current job responsibilities?

I am currently the Lead for the Order Processing group. My responsibility is to make sure our department processes and fulfills all Telecom orders which consist of Voice, Data Center, Networking, DSL, and Cable TV for the Hospital, University, and students. We work very closely with other IT Services departments to ensure client satisfaction.

Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy working with my team and striving to satisfy our clients. There's never a dull moment working in Order Processing. You can always count on something new coming your way. I enjoy the opportunity to to meet and work with a variety of very interesting people.

What did you do before you came to Stanford?

I worked in corporate finance before coming to Stanford 18 years ago. I started at the University working for the Controller's Office in 1988 and transitioned to IT Services Telecommunication in 1997.

What do you like to do when you're not at work?

I enjoy spending time with my family and collecting teddy bears. I also enjoy planting flowers in my gardens. My favorite pastime is interior decorating. Last fall, I received my certification as an Interior Decorator through Certified Interior Decorators, International.

What is your favorite movie, book, song?

Movie: I can't say I have a favorite. The most recent movie that made me laugh hysterically was Wild Hogs.

Book: The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom.

Song: I love a variety of music. Doo Wop, Jazz, and the Motown sound. My favorite song is The Duke of Earl by Gene Chandler.

Rick Lowe recently resigned as manager of the Production Control Group (PCG) in Shared Communication Services. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

We're fortunate to have found an interim manager for the PCG, Gordon Spencer. Gordon has a strong background in RF wireless, operations, and general process/procedure. He is located in Rick's old office, Forsythe 145A. Please stop by and say hello.

- Jay Kohn
Shared Communication Services

Comings and Goings

The following people recently joined Information Technology Services. Welcome!

• Gary Gutfeld (Erich Snow)
• Sam Ablao (Kim Seidler)

The following people have left Information Technology Services. Please contact their manager if you need to follow up on any open items.

• Roderick Burns (Carolyn Kane)

its in bits welcomes more detailed employee news submissions from all staff. Please submit to itsinbits-submissions@lists.stanford.edu

Tech Briefings

Fridays
2–3:30 p.m.

Turing Auditorium

July 20: FileMaker Pro: What's New

Phil Smith (Business Account Manager) and Alexei Folger (Senior System Engineer) from FileMaker will be on hand to discuss and show the latest from FileMaker.

July 27: Clean Slate Design for the Internet

Professor Nick McKeown, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, will talk about the Clean Slate Program: a new interdisciplinary program across EE, CS, MS&E, and the GSB at Stanford.

Check the Tech Briefings home page for future sessions and to subscribe to the mailing list.

Tech Express

12–1 p.m.
Turing Auditorium

July 31: MS Office 2007 (Tuesday)

Shane Devenshire is one of only 40 Microsoft-designated MVPs in Excel in the world. He has authored and co-authored dozens of books and articles on Excel and Access. Shane has been consulting and teaching in Excel and Access for over 20 years, and consistently delights customers and classes with his extensive knowledge.

Check the Tech Express home page for future sessions and to subscribe to the mailing list.

Upcoming Tech Training classes of interest to IT Services staff.

Thu, Jul 19, PowerPoint Level 1, 9–4, $275

Thu & Fri, Jul 19 & 20, Dreamweaver Levels 1 and 2, 9–4 both days, $500

Fri, Jul 20, FileMaker Pro Level 1, 9–4, $275

Mon, Jul 23, Photoshop Lite, 1–4:30, $150

Tue, Jul 24, PowerPoint Tips and Timesavers, 8:30–12, $150

Wed, Jul 25, Excel Level 3, 9–4, $275

Wed, Jul 25, PowerPoint Level 2, 1–4:30, $150

Wed, Jul 25, Email and Mailman at Stanford, 1:30–4:30, $150

Thu, Jul 26, PowerPoint Presentation Skills, 8:30–12, $150

Thu, Jul 26, Adobe Acrobat: Beyond the Basics of Using the Full Version, 1:30–4:30, $150

Thu, Jul 26, Techport Open Lab, 1:30–4:30, Free

Mon, Jul 30, Excel Getting Started with Macros, 9–4, $275

Mon, Jul 30, Access Level 2, 9–4, $275

Tue, Jul 31, Illustrator Level 1, 9–4, $275

Tue, Jul 31, Web Design Level 2: Making Your Website Work, 1–4:30, $150

Wed, Aug 01, Excel Level 1, 9–4, $275

Wed, Aug 01, Access Lite, 1:30–4:30, $150

Thu, Aug 02, FileMaker Pro Level 2, 9–4, $275

Thu & Fri, Aug 2 & 3, PHP Workshop, 9–4 both days, $500

Thu, Aug 02, Introduction to ReportMart1, 1–4:30, $150

Sign up at http://axess.stanford.edu.

Classes with low enrollment may be cancelled one week in advance. More information on courses, registration, and training is available at the Technology Training Services site.

- Nancy Baumann
Technology Training Services

There was one new job postings for IT Services this week.

Req. #25940: Technical Analyst, 100% FTE, Range 4P2, Jason Cowart, hiring manager.

Provide excellent technical support in the University's complex, multi-vendor, networked computing environment on PC and Mac platforms while meeting group commitments for response and resolution time. Assist end-users to install and configure new computers, including installing operating systems, other software applications, security, and virus software.

To view the complete listings or to apply for a position, visit the StanfordJobs web site at: jobs.stanford.edu.

There are other open Information Technology positions at Stanford. To see what other opportunities exist on campus, link to the full list of all open IT positions at Stanford

"Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who say they have found it."

- André Gide

Disaster Recovery Exercise

As a part of Stanford's Disaster Recovery initiative, IT Services completed Stanford's first Disaster Recovery tabletop exercise. This involved a walk-through of plans written by the Windows Systems group for Windows Server and Active Directory builds.

In the scenario, a major earthquake had occurred, destroying the Forsythe machine room and cutting off network connectivity to both electronic communication hubs (ECHs). The two ECHs were also inaccessible, meaning the machines inside would have to be recreated and recovered from backup.

The exercise was a great success; we met our objective of reviewing the initial draft of the documents and identifying areas for continued improvement.

Thanks to Barry Magsanay and Ross Wilper from the Windows team.

- Bill Heiser
Shared Application Services; Disaster Recovery

Forsythe Security

"Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer" are upon us. During these months we will be updating servers and applications and proceeding with the Forsythe renovation.

With the students gone and the days hazy, it is the time of the year when we need to be more mindful of the safety and security of our building environments. If you see or sense anything insecure or unsafe, notify your appropriate manager, administrator, Technical Facilities (TFAC) Security (Tom Prussing and Mark Tyx), or  9–911 immediately. Please remember to be safe and lock your offices at lunch and secure your valuables wherever you may be.

Also keep in mind the safety and security policies for Forsythe Hall, which are always in effect:

• Use your access card to enter buildings before and after hours.
• No piggybacking is permitted in secured areas. It is up to you to enforce this policy.
• When accompanying a client, vendor, contractor, authorized guest, or visitor into a Forsythe Hall machine, computer, or mechanical room, you must have them sign in at the second floor sign-in table.
• When accompanying a tour (needs to be pre-approved) into a machine, computer, or mechanical room, you must have visitors sign in at the second floor sign-in table. TFAC Security must escort all tours.
• No still or motion photography is permitted at any time in Forsythe Hall without prior authorization.
• Pets are not permitted at any time in Forsythe Hall.
• No food or drink is permitted at any time in Forsythe Hall machine, server, or computer rooms.
• Children are not permitted at any time in Forsythe Hall machine, server, or computer rooms without prior permission of TFAC Security.

Remaining alert to safety and security will ensure "hot fun in the summertime" at IT Services.

- Tom Prussing
Shared Application Services; Technical Facilities

Time to Leave PC-Leland and MacLeland Behind

In the next week, IT Services staff who are still using Kerberos 4 via PC-Leland or MacLeland will receive an email asking them to please update their systems. This would be a good time to update your system.

IT Services staff were selected for the first round of individualized notifications. Initial notifications will start going out to the rest of campus throughout July and August. Subsequent reminders will go out in the Fall and Winter Quarters to all staff, students, and faculty still using the outdated software.

A special page has been developed to guide users through the upgrade. It includes background information and links to the Essential Stanford Software site to download the latest version of Stanford Desktop Tools.

- Ammy Hill
Client Support; Campus Readiness

New ID Card Office in Forsythe

Wondering about all the construction going on in the Forsythe lobby? We are remodeling so that we can open a new ID Card office.

Currently, we have an ID Card office located in the Cashier's Office at Maude (near Encina Hall). While convenient for students and some staff, Hospital and IT Services staff have asked for a closer location. Forsythe will become our primary ID Card location and the window at Maude will remain open, primarily to provide service to students. Both windows will be full service for faculty, students, and staff.

Going forward, Forsythe 190 will house staff involved in cell phone support, ID Card office support, and Admin support. The window will be open from 8–5 daily, and will not be closed at lunch, to ensure our clients' needs are met throughout the day.

We will continue to make cosmetic improvements over the next few weeks, but expect things to be finalized by mid-August. We are in the process of changing the relevant web site to reflect our two locations.

- Suzanne Schiessler
Shared Communication Services; Order Management

IPP Dates

By now, your supervisor should have started Phase 3 of the 06/07 Performance Management process. Below are some key dates to keep in mind...though your supervisor may assign alternate due dates to ensure the process is completed on time. If you have any questions about the process, you should start by talking to your supervisor.

Phase 3 of Performance Management is well under way:

• From July 15 to August 15, supervisors will review employee's self-assessment as well as client and peer feedback. In addition, supervisors will be completing initial drafts of IPPs to review and discuss with staff.
  
• From August 15 to August 24, supervisors will present final drafts of IPPs to staff and distribute salary letters for fiscal year 07/08.

If you are a supervisor, you have several other due dates for submitting IPP drafts, salary information, bonus information, etc., to your Executive Director. Be sure to check with your ED if you are unsure of the dates.

- Nilda Bonet
IT Services; Human Resources

Remedy Reimplementation Project Moving Forward

The project to upgrade our Remedy infrastructure and move to the Remedy Service Desk 7.0 application is moving forward.

The project recently received interim funding approval for our planned sets of servers to form the development, user-acceptance-testing, and production environments. There are also funds for additional Remedy licenses and a limited amount of Remedy professional services to augment our own Remedy developers.

The Remedy 7 advisory group, composed of key Remedy-using groups across campus, is meeting on a regular basis to work through the gap analysis our Application Support group prepared, which delineates the differences between Help Desk 5.5 (which is what we are using now) and Service Desk 7.0.

Careful decisions are being made about customization, with the intention of using as much out-of-the-box functionality as possible. The good news is that there are many new, useful features in Service Desk 7.0. The project timeline has not been finalized yet, but it looks like the transition to the new application will happen in the February to April, 2008 timeframe.

If you have questions, feel free to address them to Heather Ramamurthy, the project manager, Anne Pinkowski, or Chris Lundin.

- Chris Lundin
Client Support; Help Desk Services

Stanford Answers

At the end of May, IT Services rolled out a new IT knowledgebase called the Stanford Answers Support Analyst portal. As promised then, we're now announcing a similar portal designed for the Stanford community at large. Called Stanford Answers, the portal contains the majority of the solutions found in the Support Analyst portal, leaving out only those intended for IT support providers such as our Help Desk teams.

Stanford Answers is now live. The rollout was fairly quiet, and we'll be working on additional testing over the summer and looking to launch a much larger publicity campaign in the fall.

Meanwhile, we continue to improve the Support Analyst portal by adding new material and refining what we have. Our partners in Student Financial Services are using and expanding their own section of the Support Analyst collection, and have gotten several other divisions of the Controller's Office interested in building their own as well.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions or suggestions, or would just like more information about Stanford Answers.

- Tom Goodrich
Client Support; Help Desk Services

A regular summary of IT business, news about personnel, and pointers to other information of interest to IT Services staff. Coordinated, compiled, and published by the Communication Strategy and Standards Team. its in bits is published on the first and third Wednesday of the month.

Submissions are due by Noon on the Friday before the scheduled issue, to itsinbits-submissions@lists.stanford.edu for consideration. its in bits is distributed via email to its-all-staff@lists.stanford.edu and the subscription list itsinbits-subscribers@lists.stanford.edu People outside of IT Services can self-subscribe via mailman.

The next its in bits will be published on Wednesday, August 1, 2007.