Shelton Named UA Vice Provost, Chief Information Officer

• November 6th, 2024
• in Uncategorized

Mike Shelton has been named the next vice provost and chief information officer at The University of Alabama and will begin his tenure Dec. 1.

Shelton will move into his new role after serving as deputy chief information officer for the UA Office of Information Technology since 2019. He has more than 25 years of experience in information technology. Shelton started as a programmer at UA in 2006. In addition to his role with OIT, Shelton serves as an adjunct instructor teaching leadership and ethics in the Culverhouse College of Business.

Use this Student Tech Checklist as your go-to guide for essential tech at UA

• October 4th, 2024
• in Uncategorized

Are you starting your academic journey at The University of Alabama? To help you navigate your tech needs, UA OIT has compiled a comprehensive Student Tech Checklist. This guide is designed to ensure you have all the essential technology tools in place before you step into the classroom. Here’s a list of what you need and why it’s essential for your success at UA.

1. Download the Duo Mobile App.

 Why You Need It: The Duo Mobile App is essential for securing your university accounts. By switching to the Duo app for multi-factor authentication (MFA), you can protect your information with an added layer of security, moving away from less secure methods like text messages.

2. Familiarize yourself with OIT’s free software

 Why You Need It: OIT offers over 70 free software packages for UA students, such as Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft Office 365. Taking advantage of the free software will allow you to perform better in and out of the classroom.

3. Set Up Your ACT Card Mobile ID.

Why You Need It: The ACT Card Mobile ID allows you to use your smartphone, Apple Watch or iPhone to access buildings, attend events, and make payments across UA’s campus. It’s a convenient way to keep your student ID always accessible.

4. Connect to our Wi-Fi

Why You Need It: Eduroam and UA-Xfinity are the primary Wi-Fi networks at UA, giving you seamless internet access across campus. Connecting to eduroam & UA-Xfinity ensures you have reliable and secure internet wherever you are on campus, which is crucial for academic work and staying connected.

5. Add the IT Service Desk to your Contacts

Why You Need It: No need to panic when something goes wrong. When you have the IT Service Desk in your contacts list, you won’t have to search the web for our phone number or email. The Service Desk offers some technical maintenance and services free of charge! You can reach them at (205) 348-5555, at itsd@ua.edu, or in person at 125 Gordon Palmer Hall.

6. Log In to Blackboard Learn

Why You Need It: Blackboard is the hub for all your online coursework. Logging in and familiarizing yourself with this platform ensures you can access all your classes, assignments and course materials, keeping you organized and on top of your studies.

By following this checklist, you’ll be fully equipped to tackle your studies at The University of Alabama confidently.

University of Alabama’s Office of Information Technology Completes Most Ambitious Disaster Recovery Exercise

• May 20th, 2024
• in Uncategorized

In a significant milestone for campus operations, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) at The University of Alabama successfully conducted its most ambitious Disaster Recovery (DR) exercise on May 17. This test, a live DR scenario, was designed to ensure that critical campus operations could continue uninterrupted in the event of a data center failure.

This exercise aimed to perform a physical failover from the primary data center (DC-1) to the secondary data center (DC-2). The team shut down a substantial subset of servers and applications in DC-1, forcing DC-2 to function as the primary data center. The test included crucial services such as networking, campus-wide internet connectivity, VoIP, and the development and testing environments for Banner, the university’s primary administrative system. After running services from DC-2, the team executed a failback to DC-1, ensuring a smooth transition between the two centers.

This 15-month-in-the-making exercise required the involvement of every area within OIT and multiple campus partners, including on-campus resources and virtual participants. Originally planned for the entire weekend to address potential issues, the team completed the exercise in under six hours. All steps of the process were meticulously documented to be used for future DR exercises and cross-training.

This test demonstrates the resilience of the university’s IT infrastructure by simulating the failure of critical systems and validating the university’s ability to recover. This successful exercise strengthens the readiness of campus operations, ensuring that, in the face of unexpected disruptions, the university can continue to provide essential services with minimal downtime.

AI Approved List

• May 7th, 2024
• in Uncategorized

A current list is available here: AI Approved List – oit.ua.edu | The University of Alabama

When using AI tools, be sure to adhere to OIT’s AI Minimum Security Standard.

OIT to Perform Disaster Recovery Exercise

• April 24th, 2024
• in Uncategorized

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) is performing a disaster recovery exercise from Saturday, May 18, at 7:00 a.m. to Sunday, May 19, at 7:00 p.m. The exercise will involve shutting down the Gordon Palmer data center network and restoring services at the Ridgecrest data center. We do not anticipate this exercise affecting email, Office 365 or Blackboard Learn, but all applications housed in the Gordon Palmer data center will be unavailable.

During this exercise, OIT will isolate the Gordon Palmer data center from the UA network, simulating a disaster that has rendered the data center inoperable. The primary goal of this exercise is to validate network connectivity, identity services, internet connectivity, and other prerequisites for the continuity of IT operations. Additionally, OIT will conduct a Banner recovery exercise, validating that we can successfully restore operations to a “business as usual” state once a disaster has been remediated. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the IT Service Desk at 205-348-5555 or itsd@ua.edu.

Upgrade Notice: K2/Everest Production Environment Update to Version 5.6

• April 1st, 2024
• in Uncategorized

On April 7, 2024, we will be upgrading to Version 5.6 to enhance system performance, security, and functionality.

Key Upgrade Details:

• Date and Time: The upgrade is scheduled for April 7, 2024.
• Affected System: K2/Everest production environment.
• Upgrade Version: We will be updating to Version 5.6.
• Expected Downtime: Minimal downtime is anticipated; however, there may be brief interruptions in service during the upgrade process.

Important Notes for Users:

• Plan Ahead: Please plan your work accordingly, considering the upgrade timeline.
• Save Work: We advise saving any important work or documents prior to the upgrade to avoid potential data loss.
• Post-Upgrade Support: Our IT support team will be available to assist with any issues or queries following the upgrade. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you encounter any difficulties.

We understand the importance of uninterrupted access to our systems, and we assure you that every effort will be made to complete the upgrade process efficiently and minimize any disruptions. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the upcoming upgrade, please contact the IT Service Desk at ITSD@ua.edu or (205) 348-5555.

Upgrade Windows 10 – 22H2

• April 1st, 2024
• in Uncategorized

Beginning in April 2024, faculty and staff with Windows computers will begin receiving announcements on their computers to upgrade Windows 10 to the newest supported version, 22H2.

Faculty and staff have the option to upgrade when they receive the announcement or schedule the upgrade for another time. OIT recommends that faculty and staff perform the update at the end of the workday, as the upgrade will require 90 minutes of downtime.

This upgrade will not delete any applications or data, but as always, OIT recommends backing up before performing any OS upgrade. Windows 11 users will not be affected.

Please perform this upgrade at a time convenient to you. OIT suggests starting the upgrade or scheduling it to occur just before you leave for the end of the day. OIT also recommends performing the upgrade while on campus, connected to power, and connected to the UA network. Below is an example of the announcement faculty and staff can expect to see.

Machines that are not upgraded by September will automatically receive the update from OIT. OIT recommends that faculty and staff schedule the upgrade for this summer and perform it at a time of their choosing.

macOS Sonoma 14.3 is Now Available

• January 24th, 2024
• in Uncategorized

The University of Alabama’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) is pleased to inform the faculty, staff, and students that macOS Sonoma 14.3 is now available for installation on all OIT-managed machines campus-wide. It is highly recommended to opt for the most recent version for improved performance and security. Before updating, please ensure that you have an up-to-date backup of your data. Users can easily install the update by navigating to “System Preferences,” selecting “Software Update,” and following the on-screen instructions. For any assistance or queries during the installation process, individuals are encouraged to reach out to the OIT Help Desk at ITSD@ua.edu or 205-348-5555.

Xfinity Outage – Tuesday, January 16

• January 24th, 2024
• in Uncategorized

A letter from Xfinity –

Dear Residents:

We’re writing to apologize for the service slowdowns and disruptions that occurred last Tuesday on campus. This is definitely not the experience our customers should have. You deserve better, and together, in partnership with your university leadership team, we have put a plan in place to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

As you can appreciate, we continue to deal with irregular weather patterns which have a direct impact on utility services across the board – cable and internet included. The extreme cold temperatures we all saw over the past several weeks severely damaged our network and caused the issue. Again, we can do better…and we are!

We’re taking steps to prevent an issue like this from happening again and to make sure that even in  adverse weather or if there’s damage to our network, your Wi-Fi service will remain at full strength.

We’re committed to providing excellent service on campus and making sure you have what you need to meet your academic and personal connectivity needs.

If you have any issues regarding your WiFi, please contact us using the Xfinity Assistant Live Chat at xfinityoncampus.com. You will be connected with a real Xfinity representative. If you’re unable to use the real-time chat support, [please call 833-455-2678.

Email Forwarding

• January 22nd, 2024
• in Uncategorized

The University of Alabama has a policy in place to ensure the security of its digital communications and data. The policy requires adherence to the minimum security standards, which state employees, contractors, and non-student affiliates are explicitly prohibited from configuring mail clients to automatically forward UA email to personal accounts or other companies or institutions without prior, documented approval from OIT Information Security. Additionally, the use of personal or other external accounts or services to store or transmit official University data and communications or to conduct official University business is strictly forbidden. This policy aims to safeguard sensitive information, maintain data integrity, and mitigate the risks associated with unauthorized access or data breaches.

Please reach out to security@ua.edu if you have any questions.