Feature Article:  Squirrel Mail Retires!

Phase 2 of the Campus Technology Services (CTS) Email System Upgrade project occurred on Monday, August 20, 2007.  On this date, Communications Express (CE) replaced Squirrel Mail as SUNY Oswego's web-based mail reader.  CE offers additional features and functionality not available in Squirrel Mail including message receipts and priorities, sharing of mail folders, SUNY Oswego email address searches, mail filters, mail forwarding and automated vacation message replies. 

If you are not a user of Squirrel Mail, this upgrade did not affect you. You can continue reading and sending email as you normally do.   

Communications Express can be accessed by going to www.oswego.edu/mail and clicking on the “Login” button.   Your login remains as your SUNY Oswego email username and password. 

If you are a user of Squirrel Mail and have not already transitioned to CE, you should plan on doing so by November 5, 2007.  On this date, Squirrel Mail will be officially retired and not available for use. 

As you transition to CE, there are a few things that you should be aware of:

• If you have had your outgoing email messages automatically saved to a “Sent” mail folder in Squirrel Mail, you will need to enable that feature in CE as it is not turned on by default.
• If you have used an email signature in Squirrel Mail, you will need to recreate it in CE.  
• If you have a Squirrel Mail address book that you would like to use in CE, you will need to move it. 

Instructions for accomplishing each one of these optional tasks are available on the SUNY Oswego mail page at www.oswego.edu/mail under the “Related Links” column.

An ANGEL for Everyone!

SUNY Oswego was recently involved in a pilot program of the ANGEL Learning Management System (LMS) with the SUNY Learning Network (SLN).  The ANGEL LMS allows faculty to manage their course online.  Its features include assignment submissions, online quizzes and tests, group discussions, a gradebook, and a whole lot more. 

SUNY Oswego was one of three campuses selected to use ANGEL as a result of SLN’s need to replace the software they were using for fully online courses. The software is no longer being supported by the company who made it.  The pilot was conducted during the Spring 2007 semester and five SUNY Oswego faculty used it with seven courses.  The pilot was a success and SLN has adopted it as the program of use for fully online courses.  It also replaces SLN’s CourseSpace software for web-enhancing face-to-face courses.

As a result of this change, SUNY Oswego has been making preparations to allow all faculty the opportunity to use the ANGEL LMS for the fall 2007 semester.  All SUNY Oswego fall 2007 courses have been loaded into ANGEL.  In addition, all students registered for classes have been loaded into ANGEL and automatically enrolled in the appropriate ANGEL courses.

Faculty that would like to use ANGEL for their fall courses may do so by logging in to ANGEL (oswego.sln.suny.edu) with their SUNY Oswego email username and password.  Once logged in, you will see a listing of courses you are instructing.  Just click on one of the courses to start developing online components for it. 

Please note that courses are automatically disabled to students.  They cannot access any courses until the courses have been enabled.  Therefore, when you are ready to have your students access your course, you will need to enable it.  Instructions for doing this are provided in the “Faculty FAQs” on our ANGEL web site (www.oswego.edu/academics/angel). Students login at the same ANGEL web site using their SUNY Oswego email username and password.

Although training is not required for faculty to start putting materials online, we strongly encourage faculty to attend trainings.  Trainings are being organized for the fall semester and you will be able to register online at the ANGEL web site (www.oswego.edu/academics/angel). 

In the near future, staff will be able to login to ANGEL, but won’t see anything very useful until a feature called ANGEL Community Groups is implemented later in the fall 2007 semester.  Community Groups will allow faculty, staff, and students to share information, establish timelines, and participate in discussions online that are relevant to the group’s purpose. 

If you would like more information about ANGEL or need assistance setting up your course, please email angelhelp@oswego.edu. 

Vista Assistance Now Being Offered

In January 2007, Microsoft released a new version of Windows, called Microsoft Vista.  Vista is Microsoft’s replacement for Windows XP.  Among some of its features are enhanced security, parental controls, improved applications and additional graphics support.  Internet Explorer version 7 also comes pre-installed with Vista.

To make sure that our existing applications used on campus were compatible with Vista, CTS performed testing during the Spring 2007 semester.  We found a few applications that did not work properly with Vista including editing SUNY Oswego departmental web pages with the OU Campus editing software, registering student machines on the campus network (ResNet), and using the wireless network.

CTS has worked on correcting these issues and is happy to announce that all three applications are now functioning with the Vista operating system.  OU Campus was upgraded over the summer (see our July Newsletter) to be compatible with Vista and Internet Explorer version 7.   We have a brand new ResNet registration system, called Clean Access from Cisco Systems that will be used for fall 2007 semester student network registrations in the residence halls.  This system is compatible with Vista.   CTS has also just prepared an updated VPN client that can be installed on Vista machines that will allow those users to access the wireless network.  To download the new VPN client, go to our software downloads page at www.oswego.edu/cts/services/user_support/software_downloads.html.

Did You Know?

During the Spring 2007 semester, Microsoft released a new version of Office for Microsoft Windows users.  Microsoft Office 2007 is a complete change from previous versions.  Not only does it look different, but it was rewritten in a new file format that makes it incompatible with older versions of Office.  This means that if someone sends you an Office 2007 document and you have a previous version of Office, you will not be able to open it.  However, Microsoft released a Compatibility Pak utility to resolve this problem.  Once installed, the Compatibility Pak will enable you to view documents created in Office 2007 even if you are using a previous version.  CTS has made this free utility available on our software downloads page at: www.oswego.edu/cts/services/user_support/software_downloads.html.

It is possible that students may be coming to campus with Office 2007 installed on their machines.  We highly recommend you download the Compatibility Pak so that you will be able to easily share documents.  Please note that this utility was automatically installed on new machines delivered to faculty and staff this summer.

At this time, CTS has not officially migrated to Office 2007.  Office 2003 is still installed in all of our computer labs and new faculty and staff computers.  However, as mentioned above, the Compatibility Pak was automatically installed on new machines delivered to faculty and staff this summer and it has been installed in all of the computer labs. 

New ResNet Registration System

ResNet refers to the residential network on campus.  It is the part of the campus network that students connect to in the residence halls.  At the beginning of each fall and spring semester and before they are allowed on the network, student machines are scanned to make sure they are not infected with any viruses and to make sure they have anti-virus software and the latest security updates installed.  This is done to prevent the spread of viruses and other malware on the campus network. 

Formerly, in order to perform this scanning process, CTS created an application and CD that together scanned student computers and updated them with the latest security updates.  Once the CD was created, it was mass-produced so that each room had a CD. Instructions on how to use the registration system were also created and placed in each room. This was a very time-consuming operation that was done once at the beginning of each semester. 

Over the summer, CTS worked on replacing the registration system to make it easier for students to get connected to ResNet.  Our system has been replaced with a product called “Clean Access” from Cisco Systems.  Clean Access improves the registration system and adds additional features.

Here are some of the benefits of Clean Access:

• A CD is no longer required to get machines up-to-date with the latest security requirements.  An agent is downloaded from the Clean Access registration system and installed on the computer.  The agent does all the scanning and updates as necessary.
• Formerly, in order for roommates that were living in a room installed with a network hub to register their computer, they needed to take turns plugging directly into the wall jack.  Once both students were registered they could then plug into the hub and use the network at the same time.  This was a very confusing step for students, especially new students.  Clean Access eliminates this step.  All roommates can connect their computers into the hub at the same time and get registered on the network.
• In the old registration system, CTS required that our site-licensed McAfee anti-virus software be installed.  Users who were using different anti-virus software needed to uninstall it and then install the McAfee software.  Clean Access is able to check to see if other anti-virus software is installed and up-to-date.  McAfee is no longer required.
• Computers are scanned each time they are rebooted or minimally, every six days.  In the old registration system, they were scanned only at the beginning of the semester.  After that time, if a computer got infected it could easily spread to other computers on ResNet.  Because Clean Access scans on a more regular basis, it can prevent the outbreak of viruses and other malware spreading on ResNet.

Instructions will be provided to each residence hall during move-in on how to complete the new Clean Access registration process.  Students having problems getting registered on the network can call the Technology Support Center at 312.3456.  Alternatively, CTS will be providing “Room Service” where users may sign-up to have a CTS technician go to their room and troubleshoot any problems.  The schedule for this is as follows:

• Students living in Scales, Waterbury, Riggs, or Johnson Halls may sign up for assistance in the Scales Hall computer lab on Thursday, August 30th from 3-9 p.m.

• Students living in Funnelle or Hart Halls may sign up for assistance in the Hart Hall computer lab on Thursday, August 30th from 3-9 p.m.

New Printing System in Computer Labs

CTS tested a new printing system in the Snygg computer lab over the summer that is now being deployed to all general access and departmental computer labs.  The Pharos printing system will automatically deduct the correct number of pages from your allocated print quota.  If a print job is 12 or more pages, a pop-up window will appear asking whether you really want to print the job.  Print quota will not be deducted until you agree to print the job.

In addition to doing normal print quota deduction, the Pharos print system offers additional features:

• It gives SUNY Oswego wireless network users the ability to print to various computer lab printers.  Previously, printing to public printers was not available on the wireless network. 
• It allows students living in the residence halls to print to various computer lab printers right from their residence hall room. 

These additional features require the installation of some software on your computer in order for it to know about the different computer lab printers.  This software is available from the Pharos web page at http://www.oswego.edu/cts/services/user_support/pharos.

As you print jobs to the computer lab printers, you’ll notice that the banner page that includes your username on it does not specify your print quota balance as it has done in the past.  While CTS works on fixing this issue, you may check your quota using the print quota link on the Account Tools website (www.oswego.edu/admin) or by calling the help desk at 312.3456.

Look for Pharos in all computer labs by the start of the fall semester.  

New Technology available in the Campus Center

Look for three new computer labs opening this fall 2007 semester in the Campus Center.  Two labs, located in rooms 202 and 206, will be dedicated to classroom instruction. The third, located in room 207, will be a general open access lab that will open on September 12, 2007.  Hours for the open access lab will be:

Monday-Thursday: 8am-11pm
Friday: 8am – 5pm
Saturday: 10am – 4pm
Sunday: 12pm – 11pm

For fall 2007 hours of the other computer labs in Snygg, Penfield, and Mahar, please check our website at: www.oswego.edu/cts/services/instructional/labs/current_schedule.html.

In addition to the new computer labs, four advanced technology classrooms, two laptop-ready meeting rooms and a technology-rich group study room are being built in the Campus Center.  Wireless capabilities will be in the public areas of the building as well as the classrooms by the end of the fall 2007 semester. 

Notes from the Help Desk

Fall 2007 semester hours for the Technology Support Center (Help Desk) as of Wednesday, August 29 are:

Monday through Thursday 8am – 9pm,

Friday 8am – 4:30pm,

Saturday 12pm – 4pm, phone service only.  

We will be closed on the following holidays: Labor Day (9/3/07), Thanksgiving (11/22/07 – 11/25/07), and Christmas (12/25/07).

Software License Renewals

A number of CTS purchased campus software licenses
expired over the summer.  The mathematical and statistics
software including SAS, Maple, and Minitab all received license
renewals.  Licenses, and in some cases newer versions of the
software, have been updated in the computer labs they are
installed in.  For a listing of the general access computer labs
you can find these packages in, please check our lab software
web page at: www.oswego.edu/cts/services/instructional/labs/computer_lab_software.html.

If you are a faculty or staff person and have SAS, Maple, or
Minitab installed on your SUNY Oswego computer and need
it renewed, please contact the Technology Support Center
at 312.3456.

In addition to having all three pieces of software in some of
the general access labs, Minitab is available for students to
install on their personal machines.  If you would like it
installed on your machine, please visit the Technology
Support Center in 26 Lanigan to sign out an installation CD.

Professional Development

CTS will be offering workshops again in the fall semester.  Workshops will be offered during the months of October and November. If you would like see a workshop offered on a particular technology-related topic, please email cts-workshop@oswego.edu.  The Fall schedule will be posted and online registration will be available on our workshops web site at: www.oswego.edu/cts/services/instructional/workshops.html.

Looking Ahead

The following are projects CTS is currently working on:

• Mailing List Software Replacement:  CTS has completed testing of the two pieces of software that will be replacing the majordomo mailing list software.  CTS personnel as well as other members of the campus have evaluated the two products called Mailman and Listserv.   Given the feedback provided by all included in the testing, Mailman is the product that has been selected to replace majordomo.  CTS will be working on migrating majordomo lists later in the fall 2007 semester.   
• Web Server Upgrade:  Work continues on configuring the new web server.  As reported in previous newsletters, two technology positions (the Web Coordinator and a CTS Technology Support Professional) contributing to this project have been vacant since the spring 2007 semester.  One position, The CTS Technology Support Professional has been filled and we look forward to moving this project ahead. 

If you have any questions related to any of these projects, please contact the Technology Support Center at x3456 or by email to help@oswego.edu.