CLASnet: College Network Infrastructure Upgrade

Overview

Benefits

Microsoft Exchange for email, calendaring, and addressbook
Webmail for remote email access
Additional server data storage space
Single Sign-on for CLAS, UF Portal, and Gatorlink
Share data resources with campus colleagues
Allow access to campus resources for off-campus colleagues
Important step to meeting campus IT security requirements

Challenges

All units must be migrated by August 2008
CLAS no longer covered by campus Novell Netware license
Update requires Windows XP or Vista. Most computers running Windows 2000 may be upgraded to XP
Non-Microsoft systems must switch as well
Lack of personnel for daily IT support during the migration
Ongoing security upgrades required

Example UFAD Migration

Questions and Answers

Benefits

Migrating from Novell Netware to Microsoft Windows servers: Tied into UF's ActiveDirectory system; CLASnet will offer several new services
MS-Exchange Email: Exchange users will be able to access the campus addressbook, share calendars with other campus users.; Will use UF CIO's MS-Exchange front-end servers; Provide secure Webmail access to remote users; Departments using CLASnet for email will be migrated first.; Units hosting their own email will be invited to migrate afterwards
New Disk Storage: Will have roughly 10 terabytes of storage available, with multiple levels of data protection.; Designed for fault-tolerance and high-availability (99.999% uptime).
Single Sign-on: Same usernames and passwords as the UF Portal and Gatorlink. UFAD allows cross-unit authentication, so we can enable anyone with a valid Gatorlink account access to disk storage, calendars, etc.; Can share these same resources with your colleagues at other universities via Gatorlink
Security improved: Compliance with FERPA, HIPAA, Sarbanes/Oxley requirements.

Challenges

All units must be migrated by August 2008
CLAS is no longer covered by the campus Novell Netware license: Due to personnel and hardware issues, the first migrations originally scheduled for April won't occur until August. CLAS is no longer contributing to the campus Novell Netware license, so we shouldn't be using the software any longer.; We will work with each unit individually to identify the best time to migrate. However, since the CLASnet Netware servers will no longer provide service after August 2008, all units must be migrated.
Update requires all computers to run Windows XP or Vista: The migration will require all Windows computers to run at least Windows XP. Many older computers can be upgraded, while others will need to be replaced. Some units may decide to switch to a computer lab containing fewer, but more capable computers.
Computers running non-Microsoft operating systems need to use UFAD as well.: Units investing in non-Microsoft systems must invest in IT staff to configure and provide ongoing support for such systems.
Lack of daily IT supportSupport for IT trouble reports will be limited while we migrate units to UFAD. We may recommend 392-HELP as a first-line of troubleshooting support, since they can help reset passwords, configure home email clients, and can submit trouble tickets to CLASnet personnel should they be unable to resolve the problem. Additional technical duties will be the responsibility of the department contact.
Ongoing security upgrades required: Federal and state laws, such as FERPA, HIPAA, and Sarbanes-Oxley, mandate specific security requirements for computers connected to the campus network. Failure to meet these requirements can result in disconnection from the campus network, or found individually financially liable. All computer systems will be secured against software modifications. Thus software installations must be performed by IT personnel.

Example UFAD migration schedule

CLASnet personnel will meet with unit faculty & staff, in a meeting similar to this, to explain the migration and answer any questions.
CLASnet personnel and the contact will walk through the unit, surveying what computers are where, what licensed software is installed, what hardware upgrades are required, etc. We will also note any local user datafiles.
CLASnet personnel will meet with the unit chair/director. We will provide results from the survey so any required updates/replacements can be ordered ASAP, assuming availability of departmental funds and/or authorization by the college office.
The computer contact or office manager will locate licenses for any licensed software, make archive copies of any local user datafiles, and order any required upgrades. The department will survey any computers that cannot be upgraded.
CLASnet personnel return and begin upgrading computers. Under ideal circumstances, a Windows XP reload will take a 90 minutes, but multiple computer can be reloaded concurrently.
After all the computers are upgraded, CLASnet personnel and the unit's chair/director will visit as many users as possible to ensure they can perform all UF-related job duties on the new system.

Questions and Answers

Additional information on security requirements

Privately owned computers on campus networks: These same security requirements apply to private computers connected to the campus network. Such computers will need to be on a restricted network, such as UF-Wireless, and not on the building network. Not all buildings will have wireless by the time we migrate; in the interim, individual ports may be converted to the walkup network for private computer connections.Legal Acts impacting IT security; Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002 mandates a set of procedures designed to ensure accurate financial disclosure. The UF CIO is responsible for the security, accuracy, and reliability of the computers that manage and report the financial data, including the ERP systems.; Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 includes provisions that address the security and privacy of health data. It establishes regulations for the use and disclosure of any person's protected health information.; Family Educational Right to Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, also known as the Buckley Amendment, provides student with the right to seek access to their student records, and a right to privacy for said records.

Last updated: Aug 07, 2007 (03:41:28 PM EDT)
URL: http://www.clasnet.ufl.edu/migration/handout.shtml