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HelpUCSF Campus Report September 2004
UC Information Technology Leadership Council
September 7-8, 2004
Administrative Systems Advisory Committee (ASAC) Project: UCSF Link
Work continues on this campus-wide initiative that includes research administration, distributed processing of selected financial functions, and asset management. Since our last ITLC update, efforts have been focused on:
- Distributed Journals: Successful go-live across the campus on April 12,
2004
- The successful implementation of PeopleSoft Journals was first component of the distributed processing launched into production. The distributed journals process has been live now since April 12, 2004. Most recently completing a successful Year End close for the University. In the first month of online processing, over 4,500 journals were successfully created, approved and posted by 473 preparers and approvers. The average elapsed time was 3.5 days versus over 8 days in the same period in 2003.
- Asset Management: Successful go-live on August 23, 2004 for Phase I
- Asset Management team successfully attained their first PeopleSoft Asset Management implementation milestone. The Asset Management module was implemented and made available to the Controller’s Office Asset Management (CAM) Department. During Phase I implementation the Controller’s Office will be the primary users. The implementation of the PeopleSoft Assets Module provides seamless integration with the PeopleSoft GL, AP, PO, and GM modules and reduces the duplication of effort.
- Asset Management Phase II
- In the next few months the Asset Management team will be working with Campus
and Medical Center stakeholders on the following major tasks:
- Automate the Capitalization and Elimination journal entries between PeopleSoft AM AND PeopleSoft GL.
- Complete reconciliation of both the Medical Center and Campus converted equipment inventory.
- Implement the Physical Inventory process, which will be staged over the next year.
- In the next few months the Asset Management team will be working with Campus
and Medical Center stakeholders on the following major tasks:
- Research Administration: Go-live still estimated for summer 2005
- Completing the detailed functional and technical design and build phases.
- Positive Time Reporting System (OPTRS)
- Continuing with development and delivery of training for the OLTRS system to be rolled out to Pilot Departments in September 2004 and to the Campus in October 2004.
- For more information, please visit the website for this project http://ucsflink.ucsf.edu or contact Mara Fellouris, Project Leader, at mara.fellouris@ucsf.edu.
Data Center Consolidation
The proposed co-location of the Campus and Medical Center Data Centers has been approved for preliminary planning. As a first step, a space inventory of current and projected use is underway.
ITS Desktop and LAN Services (DLS) Program
On May 25, 2004, ITS Customer Support Services launched a new Desktop/LAN Services (DLS) program to provide centralized support to departments under the Vice Chancellor, Administration & Finance (VCA&F). This program was developed in pursuit of the VCA&F strategic goal to “…obtain, develop, and deploy technology solutions that provide the best cost/benefit value to VCA&F and that complement other existing or planned systems.”
Desktop and LAN Support (DLS) Objectives
• Improve support without sacrificing existing functionality
• Enhance desktop and server security
• Reduce costs through hardware and software standardization, and economies of scale
• Progress over time toward standardized administrative computing environment
DLS Team
• Consolidated from four different departments into one ITS Unit with:
o 10 desktop technicians
o Two server administrators
• Provides service at six different UCSF sites
DLS Customers
|
Individual Customers |
Departments |
|
665 |
12 of the 13 departments reporting to the Vice Chancellor - Administration & Finance (one exclusively Mac department is not participating) |
|
140 |
15 administrative departments reporting to other Vice Chancellors |
|
805 |
Total customers |
DLS Tools
• Remedy problem and change management system
• Microsoft Systems Update Server and automatic Sophos anti-virus updates to all desktops
• Blackberry wireless handhelds for email and voice communications with techs in the field
• Standard configurations for new purchases
• Written Service Level Agreement regarding to response time to service requests
• Departmental liaisons help DLS coordinate support efforts within their departments
• DLS Advisory Committee provides forum for customer feedback
Additional information can be found at http://its.ucsf.edu/about/customer_support/dls.jsp.
Infrastructure Projects – Current Status
· Common Individual Identifier Project
Background: This project seeks to unify identity management at UCSF by connecting all applications systems which store human identity information to a common identity management system. This entails the establishment of a single identifier namespace for all UCSF-affiliated persons.
Status: The Individual Identifier System (IID, released by UCOP in 1994 in support of the on-line component of the Payroll/Personnel System) has been extensively modified to support a web service interface. Work is under way to connect the Student Information System (SIS) to IID via this web service. Other application systems will subsequently be connected. The IID population will serve as the superset of identities available to the UCSF enterprise directory.
· Enterprise Directory Project
Background: This project involves collection of more contact and directory-type information on UCSF-affiliated persons and deployment of an LDAP-compliant enterprise directory to make that data available to individuals and applications.
Status: A prototype directory is under construction using IBM Directory Server software. Decisions are pending concerning UCSF-specific extensions to the standard LDAP schema. The schema has already been extended to include the eduPerson and eduOrg objects, as specified by Internet2 and EDUCAUSE.
· Uniform Organizational Structure/Department Server Project
Background: This project seeks to extend to all campus-wide administrative application systems a common identifier for organizational entities and a common repository for information about those entities and their interrelationships.
Status: Extensive modification of the Department Database (DEP) structure is nearing completion. This work both increases the flexibility of the DEP system and enables the storage of additional information about organization entities and the organizational hierarchy.
· Authentication and Authorization Project
Status: David Mischel leads this project. The project website is http://www.ucsf.edu/its/planning/authnz/.
o Over 45 stakeholder application systems have submitted surveys which identify requirements.
o Draft requirements have been written and shared with stakeholders for comment.
o The project team has been formed with members from ITS and the UCSF Link team project management office.
o A draft policy regarding a password standard for the project has been distributed for comments to an enterprise-wide audience.
Joint Services RFP
In July, the Campus and Medical Center awarded the paging services contract to a new vendor, ARCH Wireless. We are currently planning the transition from Verizon to ARCH Wireless services, which entails the implementation of a new paging infrastructure that will operate in parallel to the old during the transition. Phase 1 involves surveying campus locations to develop a benchmark regarding pager signal strength.
Mission Bay Campus
Progress on the construction of the Mission Bay campus continues:
s Relocation of faculty and staff to Genentech Hall, the first building on the Mission Bay campus, has been completed.
s The second building (Genetics, Development & Behavioral Sciences Building) has been turned over for occupancy. Relocation of faculty and staff has begun and will continue. Network connectivity is up and running.
s QB3 (a research facility connected to Genentech Hall) is under construction with an anticipated occupancy date of February 2005. The RFP for network equipment will be released soon.
s Construction on the Student Housing project (which consists of 750 apartments) has begun with an anticipated occupancy date of June 2005.
s A 900-space parking structure is under construction with an anticipated completion date of August 2005.
s The Helen Diller Family Cancer Research facility is in the design phase with an anticipated completion date of late 2007.
NGMAN: Next Generation Metropolitan Area Network
The Next Generation Metropolitan Area Network (NGMAN) RFPs and RFQs were released in September 2003. Just prior to award in April 2004, it was learned that a recent California PUC ruling provided more competitive fiber options. The procurement vehicles were rewritten and released for bid the same month. In June 2004 it was determined that the vendors needed to re-bid for the fiber portion of the project.
The UCSF NGMAN Committee is composed of technical personnel from across the UCSF Campus and UCSF Medical Center who have volunteered to serve on the committee. Their evaluation of the current fiber vendor bid responses is nearly complete. The single protocol (IP only) NGMAN will be DWDM with Gigabit Ethernet-based solution at the core. It will replace the UCSF SONET-based ATM MAN that currently interconnects several main UCSF Campus and UCSF Medical Center locations, i.e., Parnassus, Mission Bay, Mission Center Building, Laurel Heights, San Francisco General Hospital, Mt. Zion Hospital, and Veteran’s Administration Hospital Medical Center. Migration to the new network is expected to begin in spring 2005.
Out-of-Band Management
ITS Enterprise Network Services has completed the installation of a comprehensive out-of-band network management system. All core, Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), and Internet routers can be managed and configured via secured dial-up lines in the event a major outage cuts off normal network access.
ITS “Shopping Cart”
ITS Enterprise Network Services is planning a new web-based ordering system that will allow customers to review and select voice and data services on-line and place them in a virtual “shopping cart.” Customers will be able to identify the products and services that best fit their needs and access information on the costs associated with those products and services before placing an order
The goal is to simplify the process for ordering these services. To accomplish this, a user interface will be designed that feeds our existing billing system and is:
- Practical
- Informative
- Easy to use
Meetings are now being arranged with customers so that they may provide their requirement for this service. We are exploring different systems and developing the ERD (Engineering Requirements Document) for the project. This system is expected to be rolled out in fall 2005.
Recruitment
Recruitment was successfully completed for the positions of Director, Information Technology Services (ITS) and Director, Business Services, both senior ITS management positions reporting to Assistant Vice Chancellor and Campus CIO Ken Orgill.
Andrew Wismiller, who recently served as a Director at Deloitte Consulting, is the newly-appointed ITS Director, and is responsible for development, implementation, integration, maintenance, and operation of campus-wide administrative systems -- including applications and World Wide Web server support -- and campus-wide communications applications such as electronic mailing lists. He will manage a staff of 50.
Lynda Jacobsen takes on the role of Director of Business Services. Her responsibilities will include financial analysis, planning, management, and control of all ITS budgets and funds; short- and long-range financial forecasting; and strategic planning. She will direct a staff of 17. Lynda brings to ITS almost 20 years of UCSF experience, most recently as Director of Faculty Relations and Administrative Services, Academic Affairs, in the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor.
Secure IT Conference
The SecureIT 2004 Conference jointly presented by UC and CSU, and co-hosted by CSU-San Bernadino and UCSF, held in April 2004 was well attended and received excellent evaluations. Details of the conference, including many of the presentations, are available at http://www.secureitconf.com/2004/agenda.jsp.
Security
Carl Tianen, UCSF Chief Information Officer, has formed an information security, called Enterprise Information Security (EIS). The team consists of the following functional areas:
- Architecture and engineering
- Programs and consulting
- Tools and services
- Compliance and response
An information security vision and strategy were completed and set the direction for improving the UCSF information security posture.
To further the information security vision and strategy, a roadmap of security projects was developed. The roadmap spans the next three years and is pending budgetary approvals.
A project was initiated and is in progress to deploy the Sygate personal firewall to all desktops.
Voice Communications Consulting Services
ITS engaged Western Telecommunications Consulting Group (WTC) to recommend alternatives to renewing UCSF’s SBC Centrex contract that expires in January 2005. Part of WTC’s engagement is devoted to an assessment of the current infrastructure in terms of its readiness for a converged voice and data network (VOIP). The purpose of the assessment is to offer short- and long-term recommendations that will support UCSF’s strategic goals. Since the last update, efforts have been focused on:
- Wire room surveys
- Physical outside plant surveys (fiber and copper)
- Review of fiber outside plant by WTC and UCSF Fire, Life & Safety group.
- Capacity review and analysis of online CAD drawings of fiber plant.
- Review of copper outside plant documentation provided by SBC for the most accurate information regarding outside plant or inter-building connectivity. WTC will use this information to assess copper plant growth capacity.
WTC will present and review the results of their assessment to ITS/ENS Senior Management on September 1, 2004.