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Issue : January 9, 2008 |
No contacts? No links? No problem: send your inquiries and comments
to oitbrief@umn.edu.
The UM Tech Brief is a resource for University of Minnesota technical support staff and department and unit decision makers.
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Security and
Internet Services
Security home |
SPAM AND VIRUS STATS.
For the month of December:
Attempted 118 million
Accepted 23 million (20%)
Blocked 70 million (59%)
User Unknown 14 million (12%)
Grey listed 11 million (20%)
Unauthorized access 43 million (62%)
Spam source 5 million (7%)
Dynamic 4 million (5%)
Insecure 13 million (19%)
Protocol Violation 2 million (3%)
DNS problems 3 million (4%)
Anti-virus software caught 4283 messages. |
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Network and Telecommunication
Services
NTS home |
WIRELESS UPGRADE.
OIT obtained Board of Regents approval to upgrade the University's
campus wireless network service using a network solution provided
by Trapeze. This new wireless network, which runs on 802.11n technology,
introduces
technological improvements in security, central management, network
management tools, guest access, and more. The scope of the project
is "replacement only," meaning that OIT only intends
to replace all existing
access points across campus. Attend a Town Hall meeting to learn
more; view pertinent details at http://www.umn.edu/wireless.
INFOBLOX CUTOVER.
This spring, NTS is cutting over its IP management from QIP to
an Infoblox appliance-based solution, using the Service Gateway
as the user interface. Infoblox has been providing DHCP services
to campus Residence Halls since the beginning of fall semester.
NTS is excited to begin using this tool for campus-wide IP address
management, and to take advantage of the additional
features and functionality that Infoblox offers. NTS will provide
hour-long training sessions both before and after the cutover,
beginning the week of January 14th-18th. For up-to-date information,
visit the NTS website at
http://www.umn.edu/nts.
NEW YEAR'S DAY OUTAGE.
A campus-wide telecommunications outage occurred during
the transition from December 31, 2007 to January 1, 2008, due partly
to the failure of the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) devices
that Networking and
Telecommunication Services (NTS) uses for emergency power. Most
systems and networks recovered within 15 minutes, and the remainder
on New Year's Day.
NTS identified a software defect, and determined that the UPS devices
initiated a restart at midnight that triggered their failure. Steps
have been taken to ensure that it does not happen again. NTS apologizes
for any inconvenience this has caused and asks that any issues
related to this
outage be reported to 1-HELP on Campus (612-301-4357).
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Academic and
Distributed
Computing
Services
ADCS home |
ON-DEMAND TRAINING: YOU DECIDE WHEN AND WHERE!
January cold keeping you from getting the computer training
you need? UTTC has you covered! We have on-line, self-paced learning
materials that you can view when, where, and how often you like.
Go to http://uttc.umn.edu and
click on 'Tutorials.' Current topics include Gopher Messaging,
Microsoft Office 2007, Moodle, M Key, myU Portal, NetFiles, UMChat,
UMCal, and WebVista 4. Put away the gloves because you won't even
have to go outside!
WEBVISTA: JANUARY TRAINING.
WebVista is course management software used to create, organize,
manage, and host password-protected web-based learning environments.
If you're totally new to WebVista, attend the "Instructor Orientation" on
January 31 for an overview of features, tools and support. If you're
ready for hands-on practice building a basic site, enroll in the
January 17th "WebVista 4: Creating Basic Course Web Sites" course.
For experienced users, an online overview of what's new in WebVista
4 is available to watch at any time. See http://uttc.umn.edu for
details on all spring semester WebVista training options.
NEW INFECTION ALERT: FAKE CODECS.
This holiday season, fake codecs for video players were
among the biggest computer threats. Folks downloading codecs needed
for video players found themselves victim to viruses, malware,
and the like. (A codec is software
that is used to compress or decompress a digital media file, such
as a song or video). Please keep your computer safe! Our Safe Computing
web site offers the latest news, links, and assistance for keeping
your computer clear: http://safecomputing.umn.edu. |
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Digital
Media
Center
DMC home |
ACTIVE LEARNING GENERAL PURPOSE CLASSROOM INITIATIVE.
Several faculty are participating with OIT and the Office
of Classroom Management in a yearlong pilot project to investigate
the ways in which changed space and technology can impact higher
level teaching and learning
practices. Read the Spotlight Issues article "Active Learning
(Flexible) Classrooms: An Innovative Partnership Project":
http://dmc.umn.edu/spotlight/active-classrooms.shtml.
TEACHING IN AN ACTIVE LEARNING CLASSROOM.
Find out how and why Professors Maria Gini (Computer Science
and Engineering) and Jennifer Gunn (History of Medicine) are teaching
in the EE/CSci 2-260 active learning classroom. See the Exemplary
Projects article
"Live-wired Flexible Classrooms Energize Teaching and Learning": http://dmc.umn.edu/projects/gini/index.shtml.
REMINDER: GET READY TO TEACH WITH TECHNOLOGY.
DMC/ADCS staff members can help instructors and their assistants
prepare to teach with technology this spring, but time is of the
essence! Meet with consultants, hire video experts, get training,
and more. Call 612-625-5055
(Minneapolis) or 612-625-8030 (St. Paul); or send e-mail to mailto:dmc@umn.edu.
UPCOMING TECH TALK EPISODES.
Our sixth season continues in the new year on TPT Minnesota
Channel 17, Sundays at 9 p.m.: January 13, Technology and Renewable
Energy; January 20, New News Tools; and January 27, Technology
That Keeps You Healthy. For more information and to view past episodes,
see: http://techtalk.umn.edu/.
ELI WEB SEMINAR JANUARY 14.
Sign up in advance for the Educause Learning Initiative
(ELI) Web Seminar, January 14 at noon, to hear Gardner Campbell (ELI
Advisory Board member and Professor of English) discuss the emergence
of Web 2.0 and what it means for teaching and learning. For more
information and to register:
https://www.educause.edu/ELIWEB081.
ST. PAUL STUDIO OPEN HOUSE JANUARY 30.
Stop by the DMC studio in 69 McNeal Hall, St. Paul, on January
30 between 3-4 p.m. Enjoy refreshments, tour the suite, ask questions
about evaluating learning outcomes, or share your plans for teaching
with technology! For
more information, call 612-625-8030, or send e-mail to mailto:dmc@umn.edu.
SPRING TEL SEMINAR SERIES.
Join us at the spring Technology-enhanced Learning (TEL)
seminars, 12-1:30 p.m.: "The Secret of My (Simulated) Success" (February
6, 101 Walter Library), "Presenting Scenarios and Telling
Stories with Online Video" (March 5, 101 Walter Library), "Authentic
Learning with Online Video" (April 3, 105 Cargill Building),
and "Insights from the DMC/OIT
Faculty
Fellowship Program" (April 23, 101 Walter Library). See:
http://dmc.umn.edu/issues.shtml.
ETF DATES SET FOR SPRING.
Mark your calendars for the spring Educational Technologists
Forum (ETF) sessions on February 13 and April 9, 3-4:30 p.m., 402
Walter Library. Check the Web site at http://dmc.umn.edu/etf, or
call 612-625-5055 for information about topics and presenters.
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