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January 31, 2007

VCU Microsoft Windows Vista Presentation

Last month, representatives from Microsoft visited campus to review their latest operating system release, Windows Vista. Click on the link below to download the audio file and listen to what they had to say. If you administer IT resources at VCU you will find this particularly helpful.

Download file

To learn more about purchasing Microsoft products click here to visit the VCU Purchasing webpage for Microsoft products.

VCU Microsoft Office 2007 Presentation

Last month, representatives from Microsoft visited campus to review their latest office suite release, Office 2007. Click on the link below to download the audio file and listen to what they had to say. If you administer IT resources at VCU you will find this particularly helpful.

Download file

To learn more about purchasing Microsoft products click here to visit the VCU Purchasing webpage for Microsoft products.

Scheduled Maintenance - E-Mail Servers

Scheduled maintenance will be performed on the E-mail system Saturday, February 3, between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. During this maintenance window, access to e-mail may be unavailable on your primary server. Access to your e-mail via your alternate server should be available automatically when accessing through VCU Mail Anywhere, or via your alternate server using an IMAP connection or the Notes client.

Bb Collaboration tools - experienced problem on Tuesday (January 30, 2007)

We experienced a problem with the Bb Collaboration tools (Communication button - Collaboration - Virtual Classroom/Chat) on Tuesday, January 30. We implemented a fix last night (Tuesday) and it appears to have fixed most of the problem. We think at this point Internet Explorer is working better then Firefox for this feature. Please contact the Help Desk if you are experiencing problems using the tool. Technology Services Help Desk Contact Information Phone: 828-2227 Email: help@vcu.edu Help ticket: http://www.ts.vcu.edu/helpdesk/

Sametime Instant Messaging Unavailable - Resolved

Sametime is available. If you are unable to connect, please close and reopen the Notes client.

Previous alert:
E-Mail Services is working to bring the Sametime Server back on-line. This enables the instant messaging via the Notes client or VCU Mail Anywhere.

January 30, 2007

E-Mail Routing Changing to New Hardware

Tuesday, January 30, 2007, there may be intermittent interruptions of mail routing during a cutover to the new Ironport system. This will take place around 10 p.m. VCU Technology Services Staff will monitor servers and mail routing during this change.

VCU Mail Anywhere Access - Mail Routing Delays - RESOLVED

All e-mail servers should now be available via the Notes client, VCU Mail Anywhere, and IMAP clients. Mail has been delivered that may have been delayed. Please contact the Technology Services Helpdesk for further assistance at 828-2227.

Prior alert: Users may continue to experience intermittent outages on the Faculty-Staff servers as well as the student VRAM servers via IMAP, the Notes client, and VCU Mail Anywhere. Mail is now routing and has been delivered. Please continue to monitor this site for updates.

myVCU Portal System Status

myVCU Portal was experiencing a problem. The system has been restarted to clear the issue. The Portal team is working to determine the nature of the issue for permanent resolution.

UPDATE: The Lotus Notes E-mail and Calendar portlets have been temporarily disabled due to delayed response times. These portlets will reappear once the Lotus Notes connection issues have been resolved.

January 23, 2007

Reduced Availability for Banner January 26-28

The Banner systems (Banner INB Forms and Self-Service Banner) will not be available beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 26th. User access should be restored on Sunday, January 28th. This event allows for data conversion of students from the legacy SIS+ system (names, addresses, etc) into the new Banner Student system and is one of the last major milestones for the Banner Student implementation. Students will begin to use the Banner Student system this spring for fall 2007 semester registration. Summer 2007 semester registration will be completed this spring using the current SIS+ system. Please contact the Technology Services Help Desk at 828-2227 with any questions.

January 22, 2007

www.vcu.edu Website Is Down - Update

A problem has developed with the computer that serves the webpages for the VCU website. Technology Services is working to determine what the cause is and correct it. Thank you.

Update: The VCU web site is back in operation. Thank you for your patience.

January 19, 2007

E-Mail Servers Available

Access to all e-mail servers is now available. Please contact the Technology Services Helpdesk at 828-2227 if you require additional assistance.

Interruption to E-Mail Access - VCU Mail Anywhere

E-Mail Services is working on an issue that may prevent users from accessing their e-mail via VCU Mail Anywhere. There will also be a delay in mail routing until this is resolved. This alert will be updated, please check back for further updates.

January 17, 2007

Scheduled Maintenance - E-Mail Servers

Scheduled maintenance will be performed on the E-mail system Saturday, January 20, between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. During this maintenance window, access to e-mail may be unavailable on your primary server. Access to your e-mail via your alternate server should be available automatically when accessing through VCU Mail Anywhere, or via your alternate server using an IMAP connection or the Notes client.

January 16, 2007

Help Desk Experiences High Call Volume

The Technology Services Help Desk is experiencing longer than usual wait times for telephone support calls due to the normal high volume for the start of the semester. Another contributing factor is the consolidation of the Help Desk and Media Support Services support functions which are now both located at a new location in Cabell B30. This consolidation will allow for a more centralized support program for faculty, staff and students. Please bear with us as we work to answer all support requests and move into our new location. Thanks!

Computer Center May Lose Power Today

The Computer Center is currently operating on filtered power, there is a possibility that power could be lost during the day; updates will be provided as received.

January 11, 2007

Network Maintenance May Disrupt Service Friday Evening

VCU Network Services will be performing network maintenance beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday, January 12th. Use of the eID authentication service may be momentarily disrupted between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. During this disruption users will not be able to use their eID to log onto VCU web-based services such as the myVCU portal, Blackboard, VCU Mail Anywhere and any other online service that uses the eID for logging into the service. Please contact the Technology Services Help Desk at 828-2227 should you have any questions or concerns.

myVCU Portal Upgrade

On Friday, January 12, 2007 from 6pm to 8pm, the myVCU portal will be upgraded. This major upgrade will enhance functionality and improve performance. The portal will not be available during this time. In addition to viewing the VCU and Richmond events calendars, you will also be able to view and access your Lotus Notes personal calendar. You will also be able to read, reply, and compose email within the portal. A number of the portlets will be consolidated to allow for easier management and usability. Due to system limitations, the upgrade will reset your portal layout back to the system default and if you utilize the Stock Portlet, you will need to reenter your stock symbols. For more information about the upgrade, please visit URL: http://www.ts.vcu.edu/faq/myvcu/upgrade.html .

January 9, 2007

Technology Seminars: Microsoft VISTA - Office2007 - Product Licensing

Technology Services will host information sessions on the new release of Microsoft VISTA and Office2007. Kevin Dean, Microsoft's systems engineer and account representative for the Mid-Atlantic region, will be on site to discuss the impact of deploying VISTA and Office2007. Three sessions will be held on January 22, 2007 in Cabell B-35 and simulcast to the Sanger B1-020 on the MCV campus. The schedule includes a session on Microsoft VISTA, Office2007 and Licensing Microsoft Products. If you have a specific question you'd like to have addressed during these session, please forward your question to tmellers@vcu.edu..
Schedule details and registration information is available at http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/it/ .

January 5, 2007

Scheduled Maintenance - E-Mail Servers

Scheduled maintenance will be performed on the E-mail system Saturday, January 6, between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. During this maintenance window, access to e-mail may be unavailable on your primary server. Access to your e-mail via your alternate server should be available automatically when accessing through VCU Mail Anywhere, or via your alternate server using an IMAP connection or the Notes client.