Survey

What movie would you like to see at the IT Services Halloween gathering?

Results from last issue's survey question: Did you find the recent IPP process valuable?

There were 42 responses. 19 said "yes," 21 said "no," and 2 said, "Didn't have one."

When the same question was asked about the mid-point IPP review, there were 31 responses: 20 responded "yes," 6 responded "no," and 5 hadn't had a review.

Staff Profile

Dan Stillmaker

Dan Stillmaker manages Backup and Storage for Shared Application Services.


 

How would you describe your current job responsibilities?

I find myself telling folks that we manage computer storage systems. That usually gets me a blank stare. Then I tell them that it's "Lots of BIG computer disks connected to the hundreds of servers at Stanford University." That usually doesn't really clear up the blank stare. Just in case they do seem to comprehend, I like to drop some big words on them like "terabyte" and "data-deduplication" and throw in some acronyms like RAID, RTO, RPO, D2D...in a long rambling explanation of all things storage.

It eventually comes back to "Lots of BIG computer disks...."

Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?

I like to be a part of "folks doing things well." I love to see someone turn something around, save the day, be the hero. I enjoy being a part of a team where people enjoy what they do, know how to have fun, and work hard.

And then there are the "toys," er, I mean "tools." You just have to love some good technology now and then. How can you beat getting paid to work with computers?

What did you do before you came to Stanford?

I worked for PG&E for 25 years. I started as a Mechanical Engineer doing Energy Audits for large commercial and industrial customers (telling them how to save energy), then for over 20 years I was working in technology. In my last position, I was in charge of tactical planning for storage systems, network printing, and coordinated the lifecycle for all the servers, storage systems, printers, desktops, and mobile devices for PG&E.

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

Play with computers (I can say "play" because they don't pay me when I'm not at work. But usually I have to substitute the word "work"). I like to do woodworking, I swim to stay in shape (but not as fast as Nan), and I've been known to compete in computer gaming events. I think I was the oldest "geek" at the GForce LAN party in San Francisco a couple of years ago (if you are sharp, you might pick out a silver-haired guy in a couple of these pictures from the event)

What is your favorite movie, book, song?

I love a good Sci-Fi action movie (take your pick), but I would have to say "Being There" starring Peter Sellers as "Chance" the Gardener has got to be one of my favorite movies. I think Stephen King's "The Stand" is one of my favorite books. I also like the odd humor in much of Dean Koontz' work as well.

Staff Happenings

Comings and Goings

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

  • Jeffrey McMahon (Kim Seidler, Client Support; Computer Resource Consulting)
  • Christine Yelda (Nan McKenna, Client Support; Process and Account Management)

The following people have joined Information Technology Services. Welcome!

  • Amy Shek (Kim Seidler, Client Support; Computer Resource Consulting)

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

Tech Briefings / Tech Express

Tech Briefings: None This Week

The next Tech Briefing will be September 29th on "Using Open Source Software and Other Freebies."

If your department is running out of funds because you're spending too much on licensing fees for tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Illustrator, and Photoshop, open source software can help. In this Tech Briefing, Mark Branom will demonstrate Open Source and other free alternatives. Topics will include OpenOffice.org, Audacity, Picasa, Google Spreadsheets, Google Page Creator, and Writely.

Check the Tech Briefings home page for specials and last-minute additions.

Tech Express: ReportMart1 Upgrade

ReportMart1, the portal (web site) that is used to access PeopleSoft, STARS, Kronos, Pinnacle, DSS, Space Mgmt, R&DE, and CAMS legacy reports, was upgraded on 7/31/2006 to replace Brio with Hyperion Performance Suite (HPS).

Representatives from the ReportMart1 team will demo the new portal and discuss the changes involved in this upgrade. Topics will include: new URLs; documentation; the plug-in installation for PC users; "Connect" (vs. "MyApps") for Mac users; improved searching; bookmarks and favorites; procedures for exporting data; saving/running reports locally; known issues; and Q&A.

Thursday, September 21, 2006
12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Turing Auditorium
Carol Jordan and Anh Hoang, presenting

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

IT Employment Opportunities

There were seven new job postings for IT Services this week.

Req # 21990: Computer Information Systems Analyst - 100% FTE, Range 4P2 - Hiring Manager - Kim Seidler

The Computer Information Systems Analyst (CISA) provides standard contract desktop and local area network support and analysis to University departments. The CISA serves as a technical expert regarding all aspects of desktop computer support.

Req #21992: Sr. Application Administrator - 100% FTE, Range 4P4 - Hiring Manager - John Freshwaters

The primary responsibilities include: application administration and development, product management, vendor relations, applications strategy, architecture and design, and technical leadership developing and maintaining solutions and systems for SAS clients. In addition, the ability to manage projects, identify process efficiencies, establish productive vendor relationships, and technically mentor junior level administrators is desired.

Req #21993: Computer Information Systems Analyst - 100% FTE, Range 4P2 - Hiring Manager - Maria Maravilla

This position is with the CRC (Computer Resource Consulting) unit of IT Services. The successful candidate serves as a member of the consulting staff. The Computer Information Systems Analyst (CISA) provides contract (fee-for-service) desktop and local area network support to University departments. S/he also functions as a technical team member within CRC and will work closely with a Senior CISA Consultant/Team Lead or Computer Resource Associate on day-to-day work priorities.

Req #22200: Principal Backbone Network Specialist - 100% FTE, Range 4P4 - Hiring Manager - Mark Miyasaki

The Principal Backbone Network Specialist reports to the Director of Networking Systems within Information Technology Services. This position will be responsible for the planning, engineering, deployment, and technical operations of firewalls, VPNs, and other network security devices. Staff is expected to participate in the on call rotation.

Req #22203: Senior Backbone Network Specialist - 100% FTE, Range 4P3 - Hiring Manager - Mark Miyasaki

The Senior Backbone Network Specialist reports to the Director of Networking Systems within Information Technology Services. This position will be responsible for the planning, engineering, deployment, and technical operations of firewalls, VPNs, and other network security devices. Staff is expected to participate in the on call rotation.

Req #22206: Computer Information Systems Analyst - 100% FTE, Range 4P2 - Hiring Manager - Shirley Hodges

The Computer Information Systems Analyst (CISA) provides standard contract desktop and local area network support and analysis to University departments. The CISA serves as a technical expert regarding all aspects of desktop computer support.

Req #22207: Director, Order Management - 100% FTE, Range 1M4 - Hiring Manager - Jay Kohn

The Director of Order Management is a key manager in the Shared Communications organization and is responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day management for the Order Processing groups; a team responsible for providing all order entry and support for IT Services orders to the client community, including the campus hospitals and residences. Service includes voice, data, and video orders currently and will expand to include data center service orders as well.

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

Quote of the Week

“A true friend stabs you in the front.”

- Oscar Wilde

News

A Note From Bill...

Looking at our Client Satisfaction Survey and the various places that our business has grown and contracted over the past year, I see both successes and failures. I'm constantly asking: "What do we need to do to take IT Services to the next level? What do we need to do to become a model service provider at Stanford? How could we be more of a trusted and valued partner to all of our clients?"

So how would you answer it? Would you pick a particular service that needs enhancing? Or perhaps a key process that needs improvement? While we certainly need to address such issues, I'd suggest an even broader first step that I believe can transform all of our services and processes, a step that is directly related to the hundreds of comments I read in our Client Satisfaction Survey.

I'd like to raise the issue of accountability.

Now before you stop reading, yes, I realize that there have been previous discussions about improving organizational and individual accountability in IT Services with less than stellar results. However, I think those results have been a reflection of leadership's (and that includes my) failure to clearly define what accountability means to us as an organization and as individual staff members.

A commitment at work is essentially a professional promise. As a result, clients and colleagues have a simple expectation: when IT Services says it will do something, we must do it. When you say you will do something, you must do it. Simple, right? Of course not. We work in a dynamic industry located in a dynamic environment. So how can we deal with these factors and be completely accountable?

The first step is to be very precise in anything we promise. To do this, we must be crystal clear on the three elements of any commitment: the content, the date and time for delivery, and the conditions of satisfaction. (In my next its in bits column I'll go into each of these in more detail.)

Over the next weeks and months, you'll be hearing a lot more from me about the issue of accountability. I sincerely believe that a key to raising our clients' satisfaction score up to 90%, or even 95%, and to being seen as a valued partner who delivers on commitments, is for all of us to become more accountable. In the meantime, I encourage you to talk to me about this, and I hope you will all start having conversations in your workgroup and with your colleagues about how we might all become more accountable.

- Bill Clebsch
IT Services

Changes in Service Consulting Reporting

Over the past months, we have had our Service Consulting staff partnering with the Account Managers to broaden the perspective and role of both groups. This partnership has worked well, and we are going to take the next step and move the groups into a single reporting structure.

Effective October 1st, the following staff will report to Nan McKenna in Client Relations: Nancy Ansaldo, Susan Arsenault, Frances Locke, Greg Steiger, and Dominga Zepeda.

The Service Consultants will continue to work on Shared Communications projects, and will expand that to include all of IT Services when working with clients. The Account Managers will broaden their perspective and include more communications areas in their discussions with clients as well. By combining these two groups we will get a much more coordinated process when working with our clients. This will be a very positive step in our client-focused work.

- Jay Kohn
Shared Communication Services

Sweet Hall

There will be no more clustering around the workstations on the second floor of Sweet Hall, no more gathering for animated discussion at the consultant's desk, and no more waking up the sleeping students who have been there all night. In other words, the Sweet Hall Reconfiguration project is at an end and has been successful.

As you may know, when Sweet Hall opened its doors it was the original home of the organization currently known as IT Services. I'm not sure anyone can recall all of the names the organization has gone through from then until now, but there were many. Slowly, the IT staff moved out of that core campus building for destinations on the edges of campus. Finally, all that remained was the second floor workstation cluster and the systems in the small machine room in the basement.

Now the cluster is gone and only the basement machine room systems remain in Sweet Hall.

Since the reconfiguration involved more then simply moving the workstations, a broad group of individuals were involved in the project. Steve Loving, from the Project Management Office, steered the ship. Representatives on board included folks from the School of Engineering, UNIX Systems and Applications, Technical Facilities, Documentation, Design, and Delivery, the Technical Analyst group, Networking Systems, the Software Licensing group, and the Process and Account Management groups.

While people from all of these groups came and went over the months of the project, each contributed significantly to the project's success and on time completion.

While the Sweet Hall Cluster is gone, a new remote access service has sprung up in its stead; UNIX Computing Resources at Stanford. Please take a look at the new web pages for this service.

Goodbye Sweet Hall Cluster....

- Phil Reese
Client Support; Process and Account Management

New Metrics Web Page

The FY06 Metrics Project was launched in March, 2006. The intent of the project was to identify and publish a key set of IT metrics for internal and external distribution. We collect these metrics in order to measure our performance against established targets. We publicize these metrics to our clients and peer institutions to increase visibility into our organization.

A second project goal was to define and implement a process for regular metric collection, updating, and posting. To that end, we have set up data forms within AFS where business owners can easily input a few key numbers. Through the magic of scripting, the data and graphs on the web page are automatically populated whenever a data form changes; huge progress from where we were last year.

A third goal was to fully automate metric collection wherever possible. In other words, eliminate the staff data entry component. We did achieve this in a few cases and will look for further automation in the next phase of this project.

I do think we have made considerable progress. I want to thank each of the business owners who contributed their time to this effort. The Client Satisfaction Team, particularly Chris Lundin, Nan McKenna, and Jim Knox were of great support and assistance. The biggest kudos go to Jon Robertson (UNIX Group) and Brian Young (DDD); these guys were simply great and absolutely indispensable!

We have two new web sites: IT Services Internal and Public.
Here are the URLs.

Public:
http://itmetrics.stanford.edu

Internal:
http://itmetrics.stanford.edu/its-internal/

- Lynne Myers
Client Support; Metrics

Stanford Desktop Tools

The Desktop Systems team and the Kerberos 5 Migration project are pleased to announce the availability of the Stanford Desktop Tools on the Essential Stanford Software site.

The Stanford Desktop Tools provide SUNet authentication and security tools, as well as OpenAFS access, for Mac's and PC's. Please note that users upgrading to the Stanford Desktop Tools will also need to upgrade their calendar client to Oracle Calendar.

10.1.2. users participating in year-end close should wait until after they've finished closing activities before installing. The new tools are available at:

Windows: http://ess.stanford.edu/pc/

Mac: http://ess.stanford.edu/mac/

Calendar Software: http://calendar.stanford.edu/

PC-Leland 2.1.4, MacLeland 2.4.1, and MacAFS have moved to the corresponding Previous Software Versions page.

- Jon Pilat
Client Support; Project Management Office

TechPort Special Price

If you are looking for a bargain on readily available information and training, Technology Training Services is offering early bird special pricing for TechPort again this year.

The Early Bird Special price is $145 for round-the-clock access (with Windows and a SUNet ID) through August, 2007.

You'll pay less for more hours of access to the online courses and books. After 11/10/06, the price will go up to $175. Sign-up/Renew your license for a year of TechPort to take advantage of this offer.

TechPort offers over 1,300 online training courses and more than 4,500 unabridged, searchable books. Go to http://techport.stanford.edu to try out a sample course, see the list of the IT and Project Management courses, peruse the titles of the IT books, and get registration information.

- Leni Silberman
Client Support; Technology Training Services

Tech Training Class: Security

One section of its in bits used to list the upcoming classes offered by Tech Training. That will change this week—focusing instead on one or more specific classes of interest. You can always see what's coming up in Tech Training classes by visiting http://techtraining.stanford.edu

- Managing Information Technology at Stanford (ITS-2813), Wednesday, September 27, 10–12, Turing Auditorium (Polya Hall), Free.

This course covers what managers need to know about computer security at Stanford. Managing at Stanford often includes working with sensitive data. This presentation will cover the criteria to use to determine if you are working with Stanford Restricted and Sensitive data and the steps you should take if you are.

The presentation will cover the most common ways that computers can be compromised and present strategies to protect the data. Examples of case studies that highlight the manager's role in protecting Stanford computing resources will also be included. This class will be offered again on November 1, 2006.

For information on the Security Training series of classes for beginners, managers, and tech support staff, visit the Security Training web site.

Information on other courses offered is available on the Tech Training web site. There are links to upcoming courses by date or by course code.

- Leni Silberman
Client Support; Technology Training Services

Holiday Party

The barbecue sauce stains from the summer picnic are barely dry, yet it's time to turn our thoughts to the '06 Holiday party, to be held once again at the Stanford Faculty Club. You'll receive a Sundial invitation soon, but in the meantime, please hold the date:

Thursday, December 14, at 5 p.m.

- The IT Services
Holiday Party Planning Committee

IT Services Halloween Celebration

The party never stops. It's time to have a Happy Halloween Party! Please come enjoy a movie and popcorn on Halloween afternoon at 3 p.m. in Turing. If you have a favorite Halloween movie, submit it to the survey question in this issue of its in bits.

Hope to see you there!

- The Editors

About its in bits

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 new subscription list itsinbits-subscribers@lists.stanford.edu. People outside of IT Services can self-subscribe via majordomo.

The next its in bits will be published on Wednesday, October 4, 2006