ITS NEWS SUMMER EDITION
Issue #1
ITS News
Summer
Edition
2015
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BULLETIN FOR THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
IN THIS ISSUE:
Computer Lab Summer
Schedule
Reduced Computer Lab
Availability July and August
The new academic calendar’s semesters
(with diminished breaks between sessions)
has reduced availability to perform necessary
system maintenance.
The opportunity to configure computer labs
for the oncoming semester (adding new
software packages, upgrading software, etc.)
is diminished due to classes being scheduled
for longer time frames.
To adjust for this, one or more engineering
computers labs during the months of July
and August will periodically be removed from
service to address necessary updates.
Faculty and staff should anticipate lab
outages during the months of July and
August for this reason.
Have NEW Software for
Engineering Computer Labs?
If additional software is required for inclusion
on engineering lab systems for the fall 2015
semester, contact COEN IT Services
department with the request (and software)
by:
July 10th
Once classes are in session it is extremely
difficult to perform computer lab updates, as
rooms are heavily scheduled.
IT Staff Availability
Changes in August
Page 2
SolidWorks, Labview, Mathematica and
Matlab are just a few of the applications
already on the list for inclusion and updating
for fall.
List of Available Software
See the software currently in engineering
computer labs online:
http://coen.boisestate.edu/its/coenwindows-labs-software
Windows & Linux Computer Labs
Available Lab Resources
Page 3
ITS NEWS SUMMER EDITION | Issue # 1
In August all COEN IT Staff will be
focused on computer lab
upgrades and critical system
outages, only.
During this time there will be
limited availability of IT
staff. Once computer lab
maintenance is completed,
normal operations will resume.
2
IMPORTANT DATES
7/10: last day to submit changes for computer labs
8/17 – 8/21: COEN Computer Labs Closed for
Maintenance
8/16: last day of summer classes
8/18: summer session grades due
8/17: faculty back for fall
8/24: fall session begins
Software Purchasing
When purchasing any software for use on a
desktop or server, send
the request to COEN IT Services for
processing (rather than order on your own).
Although there’s no requirement for
software purchasing to go through COEN IT,
doing so will ensure the request is tracked
should additional information or assistance
be needed.
University-level requirements affect
purchase time-frames on some software
packages, possibly requiring additional
review by other organizations at the
University:


The SARB Committee reviews
software purchases over $1,999.00
The Legal department reviews
software end-user agreements
(and may require changes)
Either review may delay the purchasing
process, so it’s good to get IT involved to
record, track and document the item in case
delays need to be addressed.
ITS NEWS SUMMER EDITION | Issue # 1
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MORE INFORMATION ABOUT LABS
http://coen.boisestate.edu/its/welcome/co
mputer_labs/
Windows & Linux Computer Lab
Resources
There are several computer labs in the
Engineering complex available for students
and faculty.
A computer lab is a resource with multiple
computers (rooms with only a lectern and
console machines are considered
classrooms).
Matlab for
Home Use
Battery Mascot?
The image above is of a Macbook Pro battery that
opened up on its own, exposing dangerous materials
inside.
FAST MALWARE FACTS
20%
*Percent of all the malware that’s ever existed up to
2012 was created that year, then equivalent to 82,000
daily threats
Starting summer
2015, Matlab will be
available to faculty,
staff, or students for
installation on
personal
computers.
More information
will be announced
(at a later date)
regarding software
distribution.
Department-specific computer labs:
ERB 3100 (CE)
ENGR 239 (ECE)
ENGR 336 Mechatronics (MBE)
ENGR 337 (ECE)
Metageek 213& 214 (CS)
ENGR 111 Tutoring Center (CS)
Open to all engineering students:
ENGR 212 – 35 PCs
ENGR 215 – 12 PCs
ENGR 238 – 32 PCs
MEC103 – 28 PCs
VLAB - 20 PCs during the day (50
available after hours)
Microsoft
DreamSpark
and VMWare
Academic
Program
(VMAP):
Legit
Subscriptions
(not Phishing!)
Engineering faculty, staff, and students
are enrolled in two separate (and
distinct) software programs:
ITS NEWS SUMMER EDITION | Issue # 1
4
SAMPLE


Microsoft’s DreamSpark
VMWare’s Academic Program (VMAP)
OF
LEGITIMATE
DREAMSPARK NOTIFICATION
It is always prudent to question and/or
delete messages you suspect are SPAM
or phishing attempts.
Membership provides free access to
Microsoft software (with the exception
of Office applications) and VMWare
virtualization software (VMWare
Workstation – Windows, Fusion – Apple
OSX).
It’s OK if you delete your account
notification from DreamSpark or
VMAP—we can reset your account
again, too.
Program members may download and
install software on personal computers.
Email invitations sent from DreamSpark
(administered by Kivuto) and VMAP
distribution stores are legitimate (not
phishing schemes).
During the fall, registration with the
DreamSpark and VMAP programs can
take up to two weeks after the semester
starts, as current student enrollment
files must be imported into the system
to deliver automated notifications.
Notifications will be sent from a
site/domain called “On the Hub” (the
service provider for both programs):
New Systems in the ENGR 215 Lab (arriving fall 2015)
Coming this fall, the five-year old
desktops in the ENGR 215 lab will
be upgraded to HP All-in-One (21
inch) computers configured with
these specifications:
These systems will take up less
table space as the monitor and CPU
are combined into one unit (also
easier to transport on the wheeled
tables). They are more physically
secure against theft than tablets,
since they’re not portable devices.
NEED TO CONTACT COEN IT?
Sending an email to
coenits@cs.boisestate.edu
automatically generates a help
ticket
The screens will be ideal for
eventual migration to Windows 8.1
or 10 (slated for 2016). Newer
Windows operating systems have
touchscreen functionality features
currently not available in Windows
v7.
•
•
•
•
•
•
i5 Processor
8GB of RAM
256GB solid state drives
Wireless network access
Touchscreens
Washable
keyboard/mouse
ENGR 215 Lab
ITS NEWS SUMMER EDITION | Issue # 1
5
Personal Computer Support
Supporting computers
personally owned by faculty,
staff or students (“home”
systems) is tricky for the
College of Engineering’s
Information Technology
Services staff, because home
systems aren’t attached to the
college or University support
umbrella.
If hardware fails or is damaged
during a consultation, we’re
technically responsible for
fixing it once the case is opened
(but cannot use University
funds to replace components).
Doing so could also void the
warranty on new systems that
are still actively under
coverage.
Some licensed software
packages are not allowed to be
installed on a personal system.
Each vendor has a different
position on whether it is
considered appropriate or legal
to install their software on a
personal machine, which is
specified in their software
agreements (or EULA) which
users must agree to upon
installation of the package.
Some vendors, like Wolfram
(Mathematica) and Mathworks
(Matlab) historically would not
allow for home installation, but
later changed their end-user
agreements allowing for it.
Personal PCs may also be
configured with a “Home”
version of Windows 7 or 8.1,
which has different
functionality than the
Enterprise version running on
University equipment. Some
software packages are not
compatible with “Home”
operating system
permutations, resulting in poor
overall application performance
or errors.
Once an IT staffer has made a
configuration change to a
computer, it’s also difficult to
ever get out of the loop on
supporting that system. It’s a
situation that over time can
become very time consuming.
That’s why the IT staff group for
Engineering provides limited
support services on home
machines—there are simply not
enough resources available to
include them while supporting
all of the systems running in the
computer labs, scientific labs,
and administrative
departments. Our focus is to
keep the engineering systems
up and running, but that means
home machines are outside of
the scope of what we can
effectively manage.
We can make
recommendations about how
to solve problems, however.
If you still need hands-on
assistance for a personal home
system, OIT (Office of
Information Technology)
provides technical support for
faculty, students and staff on
personal machines at their SUB
and ILC “Zone” locations.
Hardware Support
Each internal computer component can represent a
different point of failure.
Unshakeable Focus on Engineering
Computer Lab Support
Engineering IT staff supports several computer labs and
engineering systems, such as the CS Tutoring Center,
shown above
ITS NEWS SUMMER EDITION | Issue # 1
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Back Up Your
PC’s Data!
Local hard drive files
(computer’s c:\\ location) are
not automatically backed
up.
Important documents should
be saved to a COEN network
server (L: U: or W: drive are
backed up nightly),
Adobe Acrobat DC is HERE –
Replaces version XI (and in the
‘cloud’):
https://creative.adobe.com/products/acrobat
GoogleDocs (unlimited
space), Dropbox,
thumb/flash or external
backup drive to protect your
data (even if your system
crashes).
Remember to back up
routinely and often (old
backups won’t include the
latest updates to files
&documents).
The Bronco Wireless
network will be replaced
by Eduroam this May:
http://oit.boisestate.edu/2015/04/20/goo
dbye-bronco-wireless-hello-eduroam/
Important
Symantec
Antivirus Notice:
In January 2015 version 11 of the
Symantec Antivirus software
client was retired (‘end of life’),
which means there are no new
definition updates providing
protection.
If you’re running v11, contact us
for an upgrade to keep your
machine safe.
ITS NEWS SUMMER EDITION | Issue # 1
7
ITS
News
Summer
Edition
Articles &Newsletter
by M. Moore
1910 University Drive
Boise, Idaho 83725