INSIDE
If you have questions or comments about this newsletter,
contact
Dr. David Schmidt at 4487.
Viv Zimmerman and Jane Rajewski, co-editors.
The Computing & Telecommunication Center would like to welcome those who are new and greet those who are returning to campus. I would like to update you on several fronts. To continue the front metaphor, our fronts seem small after watching Saving Private Ryan.
Lotus Notes/Domino
We are in the midst of installing the Notes (LN)
client on machines across campus and training E-mail and calendar users.
Dr. Forsythe was quite helpful in polling departments for early training
needs. We have been scheduling classes based on the list that he
compiled and we will offer open classes as soon as those on his list have
completed training. We believe that the Notes system will satisfy
practically all the faculty and staff E-mail needs. The Notes client
handles attachments, formatting, groups (distribution lists), and has many
advanced features. In particular, I find the Address Book in LN to
be very useful, and I like some of the drag and drop features.
Because many of us are used to OfficeVision (OV), there will be an adjustment period. Some things may be easier in OV, at least until we find shortcuts for doing the same tasks in Notes. Also, there will be a bit of an awkward time while some are using Notes and others are using OV. Actually, for some things we will all continue to use OV until we tailor Notes to our campus environment. We will continue to maintain both calendars for a time and use the OV allusers, faculty, and staff distribution lists until all faculty and staff are trained on LN.
When everyone is on LN, many of the slight inconveniences should go away. We trust that after the transition, most users will feel that the change was well worth it.
The Notes/Domino platform enables us to try the
Lotus
Learning Space web course development system too. We are running
Learning
Space on the LN server, and CTELT will assist faculty in learning how
to use it.
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Upgrading
Computers and Expanding the Campus Network
In order to use Notes, the on-campus PC’s must
be on the ethernet network, and off the older ISN network. There
was no good way to connect the LN server to the ISN, and LN likes a fast
network (the ISN is rather slow). Therefore, for those who need to
have access to campus wide E-mail, they must be on the campus ethernet
backbone. The Deans and Directors have identified terminals and older
PC’s that need to be replaced in order to use the campus ethernet.
The Action Plan to upgrade the network and to replace those ancient (in
computer terms) PC’s was funded. We believe that by January 1999
all users will be off the ISN (with the exception of the terminals we still
set up for arena enrollment).
Taking terminals and older PC’s off the ISN means
that we needed to add hubs with additional ports to the ethernet network.
So, ports were added to every major building on campus made possible by
Action Plan funding.
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Legacy
to Web
We continue to seek workable solutions for making
our student information and other legacy data (on the mainframe) available
over the web. We believe that students should be able to see information
that is valuable to them such a transcripts, enrollment, fee payments,
etc., using the web. We are seeking good tools that will work in
our environment (DL/1 and VSAM files). We may program it all ourselves
or propose using some vendor front ends to speed the process. We
have identified some promising tools and some potential vendors.
We expect to decide on a direction soon.
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Data
Warehouse
The state and many accrediting agencies (not
to mention Deans and Directors) expect more and more reports. Regents
institutions are more and more accountable to the Regents for a variety
of self-assessments. To satisfy those needs, as well as the need
for many internal routine reports, we are reviewing a number of scenarios
for bringing data into a data warehouse. A data warehouse would archive
a selected set of detailed information including, for example, enrollment
information by university, department, or instructor. It would have
demographic information about students. Users would be the able to
view summary information and then “drill down” to see deeper and deeper
levels of detail. This ability uses a set of OLAP (On-Line Analytical
Processing) software tools. A well-designed data warehouse will help
address some of the data issues which are of concern to the University
Assessment Committee.
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Dialing
In from Off-Campus
Because 96 modems handle the incoming modem traffic,
we believe you should have quick, reliable access to the Internet from
home. We expanded the modem pool from 48 to 96, so that portion of
Internet access should work reliably. Our Internet provider, KANREN,
has added a number of additional T1 and T3 connections to Kansas City (Qwest),
so we should experience somewhat quicker access to Internet sites.
We are indirect beneficiaries of KU and K-State’s commitment to Internet
II because we connect through services feeding K-State. FHSU is still
on Internet I lines, but those connections have been enhanced at K-State
as well. As KANREN’s Internet provider, Verio, upgrades its service,
there are periods of slow times, but they attempt to minimize those.
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CTC
Staff Additions and Changes
Chad Dague has joined our staff as 3/4
time Programmer/Analyst II and will be working on programming legacy to
Web solutions. We look forward to working with him on a full-time
basis. Chad has been employed as a student employee in the CTC for
the past year. He will graduate in May 1999 with a BBA in CIS.
Carmen Witten, previous statistical consultant, has accepted a position with Sykes in Manhattan. Carmen worked here for about a year and we wish her well in her new endeavor.
Jesse Jacobs has been hired to replace
her. Call 5276 to schedule an appointment with him.
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Training
Classes
The CTC and CTELT offer a variety of mini-classes,
workshops, and training sessions to help you use the various systems on
campus. We encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to
use the on-line systems for advising, registering students, posting grades,
and other functions. Training schedules are sent thru OV mail.
We hope that you find this Newsletter informative
and helpful. We hope that you will keep it nearby so that when you
want to call the CTC, you will have the phone numbers handy. Feel
free to stop by the CTC and become acquainted with us.
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CONFIGURATION
CONTROL
by Michael Lacy, Manager
Miscellaneous
Computer Info
The FHSU Mainframe is an ES9000 IBM 9121 Model
260 with 512 Meg Main Storage and speed of 16 MIPS. The operating
system is VM/ESA 2.1 running VSE/ESA 2.3 as guest operating systems.
We have one 3880 disk controller which controls I/O to the two 3380 disk
drives. One 3990 controller controls I/O to the four 3390 disk drives.
The two 3380 disk drives have approximately 10 gigabytes of storage and the four 3390 disk drives have 68 gigabytes of storage.
Three 3422 tape drives at 6250 BPI with data streaming capability and three 3490 tape drives at IDRC capacity allow us to retrieve data stored on tape or can be used to create backup tapes or archives.
One 3174 controller and two 7171 controllers control terminal access to the mainframe along with one Bus-Tech 3172 controller for Ethernet connected PC's.
The campus has approximately 900 PC's and terminals attached via an AT&T Information System Network or Ethernet access.
An IBM 6262 printer at 1400 lines per minute prints many reports, labels, grade mailers, and a variety of other jobs.
In addition, an IBM 3812 LED page printer with graphics capabilities prints reports, letters, OV notes, and other tasks submitted from across campus.
Other printers attached to the system via RSCS
and TCP/IP print other jobs as submitted.
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INFORMATION
CENTER
by Jane Rajewski, Manager
The Information Center consists of Computer
Operations, User Services, and the CTC HelpDesk. In addition
to the scheduled services provided to the University departments, the following
user services are available through the Information Center. Under
each item is the procedure to follow to ensure the best service.
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Standard
Report Programs or Mailing Labels
Fill out a Request for Computing Services
form (F5 on Menu #1 of OV, then F1) and submit it to the CTC for
approval at least three working days before the desired completion
date. Indicate the program number, any desired options, the number
of copies needed, and paper type. You will be notified when the job
is completed. If you have any questions or concerns, please
contact Alvin Hearne at 5687 or Jane Rajewski at 5819.
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Ad
Hoc Reports, Mailing Labels or Data to be Downloaded
Fill out a Request for Computing Services form
(F5
on Menu #1 of OV, then F1) and submit it to the CTC for approval at
least one week before the desired completion date. Please
try to be as specific as possible when writing the description of the data
and the report. You will be notified when the job is completed.
If you have any questions or concerns about what data is available or the
type of reports the Center can produce, please contact Jane Rajewski
at 5819 or Alvin Hearne at 5687.
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Test
Scoring Using the OMR Full-Page Scanner
150 question answer sheets are available for
pick-up at the Dispatch Window (TH111). Please make sure the students
use No. 2 pencils and erase cleanly. No. 2 pencils are available
at the Dispatch Window. Return the score sheets and complete the
test scanning request form at the Dispatch Window. Your test will
be scored and the desired reports printed within eight working hours.
You will be notified when the job is completed.
Please refer any questions or concerns to Jane Rajewski at 5819
or Alvin Hearne at 5687.
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Training
on Mainframe Software for Faculty and Staff
Send an OV or LN note to CCVZ or CCJR indicating
which systems you would like training offered. Training will be offered
if enough users indicate an interest for a particular item; users will
be notified of classes offered through OV or LN notes. We try to
offer several sessions of each system at different times to allow you to
choose the session that best fits your schedule.
As new administrative systems are developed, we will be offering courses in that area for the appropriate personnel. Please notify Viv Zimmerman at 4031 or Jane Rajewski at 5819 about new employees who need to be trained or other training needs.
Also, please let us know when someone resigns
or leaves your area so his or her security to the system can be removed.
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Help
Desk for Users with Mainframe Hardware and Software Problems
Feel free to call the CTC Help Desk at 5276
with any hardware or software problems or questions. If we don't
have the answer, we will route your concern to the appropriate person.
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IDs,
Password and Security
To request CMS, CICS, LN, or Internet IDs and
passwords, fill out a Request for Computing Services form (F5 on Menu
#1 of OV, then F1) stating the desired access and submit it to the
CTC. IDs and passwords are set up within a couple of days after receipt
of the request. If you are requesting IDs for a whole class, allow
one week's time. You will be notified of your IDs and passwords after
they have been established. Your ID and terminal security for administrative
systems is normally established when you sign up for the training classes.
If you are having any problems with security violations, please call Jane
Rajewski at 5819.
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How
to Change Your CMS Password
Having a protected password is essential to the
security of the information you have on your account and the protection
and privacy of the information you may have access to on CICS. We
encourage you to periodically change your CMS password. You can easily
change your password by keying the word MENU and pressing ENTER
from the main OfficeVision menu. Select F6 Change CMS Password
and follow the prompts.
CICS passwords cannot be changed by the user at
this time. If at anytime you feel that your CICS password may have
been jeopardized, please call Jane at 5819 to get your password
changed. A form will be sent out periodically to the CICS user asking
them to select a new password and return the form for processing.
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CICS
Security for New Faculty
CICS security for the basic inquiry functions
in the course, student, and transcript systems is automatically set up
for the advisor level for all new faculty after we receive the list of
new faculty from the Provost’s office.
The list is given to Jane Rajewski so that the appropriate security can be set up. After the security is set up, each faculty will have an opportunity to sign onto both systems (OV and CICS) simultaneously and toggle between the two. They may also use the library system from their office workstation. In addition, they may sign onto LN and begin using it once their LN ID is set up. Hopefully, this will get everyone started on a productive semester.
Security for all other CICS administrative systems will still require the user to request the appropriate security form. The form will then be mailed to the chair person for signatures. The user will be notified when the security is set up.
If you have questions/concerns about your CICS
security, contact Jane Rajewski at 5819 or CCJR.
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Submitting
Requests for Computing Services
Requests may be submitted electronically thru
OV on the Request for Computing Services form. To submit a request
through OV, press F5 on Menu #1, then F1. A form will appear
on the screen. Fill in the blanks; be as specific as possible.
Press F4 to send the request. Your request and a copy will
be printed. A copy will be immediately sent as an OV note to the
sender. It will be scheduled by the CTC staff and the copy will be
returned to you for your records. Call Viv at 4031 or Jane at
5819 if you need assistance.
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Helpful
Information
The CTC Staff Directory, a list of phone numbers
to call for frequently reported problems/questions, and the FHSU Computer
Labs Info flyer are included as the last pages of this issue of the newsletter.
Please keep these pages near your phone or in
your 1998-1999 FHSU Campus Directory and Student Handbook for future reference
so that we can serve you more efficiently.
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CMS
& OV Availability Policy
CMS and OV (OfficeVision) are available from
2:30am until midnight Monday through Friday. The systems are up and
running unattended on holidays and from 2:30am Saturday until Monday morning.
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Administrative
Database Availability Policy
The administrative databases, which are in CICS,
are up from 2:30am to 7:00pm each regularly scheduled work day. They
run unattended from 2:30am to 7:00am each of those days and also unattended
from 2:30am Saturday through 7:00am Monday and on holidays.
The Library NOTIS system will be up from 2:30am to 11:00pm each regularly scheduled work day Monday through Thursday; from 2:30am to 6:00pm on Friday work days; and after 2:30am on Saturdays.
Requests for changes to the above policy on a
day-to-day basis may be made by submitting a computer-generated Request
for Computing Services on OV (F5, F1) by noon on the day the requested
change is needed. Request approval is contingent upon the scheduled
production load of second shift operations for that day. Direct questions
and recommendations to Dr. David Schmidt.
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Dispatch
Window Hours
Fall semester hours
for the CTC Dispatch Window TH111 are:
Mon-Thurs
7am to 11pm
Friday
7am to 6pm
Saturday
CLOSED
Sunday
5pm to 11pm
For
Your Information
by Viv Zimmerman, User
Services
Full Disk
Message
A full disk will prevent you from opening your
OV mail. If you sign on to CMS and a message displays indicating
that you have a full disk, contact the programmers in the Configuration
Control section at 4067 or 4489, or call Jane at 5819.
Additional space will be temporarily added which allows you to delete any old OV mail or notes. This space is automatically removed at 4:30pm the same day so you must go through and make deletions promptly.
Please delete old mail and notes regularly to avoid this problem. If you need assistance deleting, call Viv at 4031.
Keep in mind that Internet and forwarded notes
fill up space more quickly with all the extra header information.
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Tomanek
Hall Lab News
A lab monitor is present during open lab hours;
however, labs may be unavailable to users at times so that we can perform
routine maintenance. CTC labs will resume regular hours after the
Labor Day weekend.
No food, drinks or tobacco of any kind is allowed in any of the labs. Also, users may not bring and use their own zip drives in any of the CTC labs.
Users must display their FHSU Student ID Card to use these labs.
Hours for the Tomanek Hall computer labs (TH123,
125, and 127) are:
Sept 8 thru Dec 18:
Mon-Thurs
8am to 11pm
Friday
8am to 6pm
Saturday
12noon to 6pm
Sunday
1pm to 11pm
For more information, visit our web site at http://www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/. You may also contact the CTC HelpDesk by calling (785) 628-5276 or by sending E-mail to helpdesk@fhsu.edu.
Office hours for the CTC HelpDesk are subject
to change and are consistent with Tomanek Hall computer lab hours.
They are posted outside our office (TH113) and may be viewed from
our Web site.
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Recycle
Laser Paper
If you have any extra scrap paper that is printed
on one side only, we would be interested in re-using it in our labs.
Many of the printouts in our labs are rough drafts and recycled paper helps
us cut down on expenses.
The paper must be laser quality, free of staples
or rips and have one clean side. It can be white or any
color. If you have a sizable amount of paper that we can recycle,
call Viv at 4031 or Jane at 5819 and we would be happy to
make arrangements for pick up.
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Reserving
CTC Labs
Faculty or staff must submit a Request for Computing
Services thru OfficeVision (F5, F1) on Menu #1 to reserve a lab.
Be sure to fill in your department name and number or the request will
not be sent. We are unable to schedule the labs without this
request.
Anyone who reserves the Tomanek Hall Computer Labs for workshops, classes, or seminars and then wishes to cancel their reservation is asked to please fill out a Request for Computing Services form (F5 on Menu #1 of OV, then F1) and submit it to the CTC so that we can cancel your lab reservation. Please keep in mind that each lab has a seating capacity of 24 workstations and one workstation at the front desk (TH125 does not have a computer at the front desk at this time) for the instructor and that no food, drinks, or tobacco of any kind is allowed in any of the labs.
Many of the attendees are trying to bring food and beverages into the labs. The possibility of spilling a beverage onto the equipment or a power source exists and could severely damage equipment or cause the shutdown of the lab for repairs.
Anyone caught bringing food or beverages into
the lab will be asked to remove it immediately. Repeat offenders
will not be able to reserve the labs in the future. Please
abide by this policy.
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Lotus
Notes Training
With the beginning of the Fall 1998 semester,
all new faculty will have a CMS ID which will enable them to send and receive
OV E-mail or use any Internet software such as Netscape or Eudora until
they can get a Lotus Notes (LN) ID. The LN training is not mandatory;
however, we strongly recommend that you attend to learn the basics of using
Lotus Notes.
The CMS ID will also enable users to send computer requests, warehouse orders, telephone/voice mail requests, work with Vita’s, and various other request forms.
We are offering Beginning Lotus Notes training throughout the fall semester. Our goal is to get all the faculty and staff trained before the end of the year. Initially, we will be training the administrators, deans, chairs, their secretaries, and other support staff. After this initial training period is completed, we will be offering training to the remaining faculty and staff. At this time, the training schedules will be sent thru E-mail. Later this semester, the schedules will also be posted on the web. At this time, it is not necessary to call. Instructions for signing up for the training sessions will be included in the letters.
Notes with the training schedule are sent to faculty and staff through OV mail each time new sessions are offered.
We've already had over 150 faculty and staff complete
the training.
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Moving
from OfficeVision to Lotus Notes
As we move from OfficeVision (OV) to Lotus Notes
(LN), there are some important tasks that must be done. Following
is a checklist of things that all users must do as soon as possible; the
sooner you begin this process the better!
Send a Request for Services (F5, F1 on OV Menu #1) to let us know when we can start forwarding any new incoming mail to your Lotus Notes Account. It would probably be wise to have your non-OV mail forwarded to LN after you have taken the training; however, you will still have to check your OV account for mail sent thru OV. OfficeVision will not be available after 4:30pm December 23, 1998.
Go thru all your OV mail. Delete any saved notes that you do not need. The notes you wish to keep must either be printed (printouts may be picked up at the Dispatch Window in TH111 or we will put it in the campus mail) or forwarded to your new Lotus Notes address. Each user is responsible for emptying his/her mailbox on or before December 23, 1998. Files in your filelist can be kept.
Go thru all your OV Notelogs and the OLDMAIL Notelog. Delete any that you don’t wish to keep. The notes you wish to keep must either be printed or forwarded to your new Lotus Notes address. To print your Notelog(s), press F4, change name of notelog if different than Note Log, F8, press Enter (printouts may be picked up at the Dispatch Window in TH111 or we will put it in the campus mail). Each user is responsible for emptying his/her Notelogs on or before December 23, 1998.
Print your OV Calendar (F1, change F8 to Print 99 days of the calendar, F8, and then hit Enter). The printout may be picked up at the Dispatch Window in TH111 or we will put it in the campus mail. Then enter the calendar entries onto your Lotus Notes Calendar. Each user is responsible for re-entering his/her Calendar info on or before December 23, 1998. Until all faculty and staff are trained, it will be necessary to maintain both OV and LN calendars.
Signoff (un-subscribe) from any listserves that you had using your OV E-mail address. Resubscribe using your new Lotus Notes address to any listserves you wish to continue receiving. Each user is responsible for completing this task on or before December 23, 1998. After this date, notes sent to your OV address will not be forwarded to your LN address.
Go thru all entries in your CMS Names file. Type names at the command arrow on OV Menu #1. Press F7 to go thru the file and delete (F9) any names that you don’t wish to keep. When finished with this task, press F3 to return to OV Menu #1. The names you wish to keep must be printed and then entered into your Lotus Notes Personal Address Book.
To print your names file, go into your filelist by entering filel at the command arrow on OV Menu #1. Tab to the line with your ID NAMES A and enter prt3812. It may type over some of the letters on the file name, but this is OK. The printout may be picked up at the Dispatch Window in TH111 or we will put it in the campus mail. Each user is responsible for completing this task on or before December 23, 1998. Now, you are ready to enter the names from this list into your Personal Address Book in Lotus Notes.
Print screen all your OV distribution lists and then go into LN and add them as Groups. The distribution lists you wish to keep must then be entered into your Lotus Notes Personal Address Book. Follow the instructions in this manual for creating groups.
Until the conversion from OV to LN is complete, you will need to keep your CMS account for sending Request for Computing Services, Vita, Warehouse Orders, Request for Telecommunications Service, Request for CTELT Services, Fact Book Information, Forsyth Library Requests, etc. This will mostly affect secretarial staff and others who frequently use these forms. We are in the process of conversion, but it is not completely ready yet.
Look thru the Lotus Notes 4.6 training manual
that has been provided by the FHSU Computing and Telecommunication Center.
It has all the information that you’ll need to begin using Lotus Notes.
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On-Line
Registration
Luci Williams, LuAnn Pfeifer and Viv Zimmerman
will hold training for on-line registration from late October through November
2nd. This will be just prior to the actual Spring 1999 registration.
These sessions are for faculty ONLY. The training is mandatory for any advisor who wishes to register advisees.
We will not be able to offer this training again until March, 1999.
To sign up, send a note to either CCVZ or vzimmerm@tiger.fhsu.edu, call 4031, or leave a Voice Mail message indicating which session number you would like.
Each session meets in Tomanek Hall 107.
Choose one of the sessions from the following table.
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If you are interested in registering your advisees,
contact Jane at 5819 or Viv at 4031. We will send you
the security form.
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On-Line
Grade Entry
If you are new faculty or have never entered
grades before or if you haven't signed onto CICS recently, please sign
onto CICS and see if you can access the Course System (for example,
try function 81 Roster Inquiry or 71 Roster Grade Update).
This security must be set up before you will be
able to enter grades. If you do not have a CICS ID or if you have
questions, please contact Jane at 5819 or Viv at 4031.
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View
Class Rosters On-Line
If your security is already set up for the Course
System, you may view your rosters by doing the following:
* Sign onto CICS.
* Enter 04 at
the Enter Function prompt.
* Enter 81, DEPT,
COURSE NUMBER, SECTION, YEAR, SEMESTER.
HINTS: Semester codes: U = Summer, F = Fall, S = Spring
* Press TAB to
move from field to field.
* The default will display
ALL students
(regardless of status).
Follow instructions
on screen to make another
choice.
* View your roster and
follow the prompts at
the bottom of screen.
If you have a printer attached to your work station, you may do a print screen to have a rough copy of your roster(s).
If you need assistance with viewing your rosters
or if you would like to have security to this system, call Viv at 4031
or Jane at 5819.
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Terminated
Employees / OV Directory Changes
Please notify Viv at 4031 or send a note to ccvz
if any faculty, staff or student employees terminated their employment
with your office at the end of the semester so that we can remove their
IDs.
Also, send us a listing of any new employees that includes office phone and room number information. We need this info for security purposes and also to keep the directory updated.
The information contained in the OV Directory automatically displays at the bottom of any electronic requests submitted.
If you need assistance, contact Viv at 4031
or Jane at 5819.
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CTC
HelpDesk News
by Nancy Geier, HelpDesk
Supervisor
CTC HelpDesk
Announces Changes
In May, 1998, the office in Tomanek Hall, Room
113 was renamed the CTC HelpDesk. This name more clearly describes
the office, which has become a multi-purpose HelpDesk within the Computing
and Telecommunication Center. The CTC HelpDesk is a focal point for
access to FHSU computing and telecommunication systems. Two major
functions of the office are handling applications and support for Internet
Dial-Up Accounts and providing computing-related services and information
to students through Student Office Systems (SOS).
The separate telephone number that was used for
Student Office Systems has been discontinued; there is now one number for
all calls to the CTC HelpDesk: (785) 628-5276. In addition,
the E-mail address that was previously used for Internet Dial-Up support
has been discontinued; there is now one E-mail address: helpdesk@fhsu.edu.
Office hours are consistent with the three Tomanek Hall computer lab hours
and may be viewed along with other information about services provided
by the CTC HelpDesk at our web site http://www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/.
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What
is Dial-Up?
Dial-up is a process which enables you to use
your computer’s modem to connect to the Internet from off campus by dialing
in to Fort Hays State University’s remote access servers. The connection
also allows you to access the IBM mainframe systems. From this remote
access, you can check your E-mail, download shareware, run statistical
software, access the web, and do a variety of other tasks. Students
also use the system to communicate from off campus. Because more
and more students use E-mail, the system makes it easier to contact students
electronically.
There are some minimum system requirements a computer must meet in order to do dial-up.
Internet Dial-Up Accounts are only available to FHSU students, faculty, and staff.
If you are interested in applying for an account
just stop by the CTC HelpDesk (TH113) to fill out an application
form. A photo ID is required to obtain an account. A consultant
will provide instructions and assist you in determining whether your system
requires software. If you need software, it is provided for a $5
fee. There is no service fee for faculty or staff accounts.
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New
Area Code
If your computer was configured for dial-up prior
to July 20, 1997, you may need to change your dialer to use the new 785
area
code. The 913 area code has still been available for use during the
permissive dialing period. The permissive dialing period ends
September 30, 1998. After this date, you must use 785 instead of
913.
In addition to changing the area code of the dial-up access number you are dialing to, you will also want to change the area code of the location or home number you are dialing from. If you change the dial-up area code and do not change the location area code, your dialer will assume that the call is long distance and will dial a 1 before dialing the rest of the number. Although dialing for local calls is not affected by the change, if you wish to use your modem to dial long distance numbers using the new area code, you will want to make sure your location area code is also set to use the new area code.
In Windows 95, the location area code can be found
by clicking on Dialing Properties in the Modems section of the Control
Panel. Detailed instructions for making these changes in Windows
95 and in Netscape Dial-Up Edition for Windows 95, Windows 3.1, and Macintosh
systems are available from the CTC HelpDesk. In addition, these instructions
may be viewed and printed from the Internet Dial-Up FAQ section of our
web page at http://www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/.
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New
Dial-Up Modems Now in Service!
In April 1998, forty-eight new modems were added
to our Dial-Up modem pool to bring the total number of modems in service
to 96. The addition of these modems required the installation of
two new T1 lines and the coordination of efforts between our data communication
and telecommunication staff and Southwestern Bell. The installation
was completed with almost no interruption of service to our customers.
We appreciate the efforts of all those involved in making this a smooth
transition.
Prior to the addition of these new modems, many
of you may have experienced ‘busy signals’ when dialing into our system
during the evening hours. An industry ‘rule of thumb’ suggests a
ratio of 15 active accounts for every modem. As the number of accounts
we provided increased from approximately 100 accounts in Fall 1996 to over
950 accounts in April, we noticed that this ratio was surprisingly accurate.
We anticipate that the addition of these modems will alleviate this problem
for quite some time.
The new modems are 56K Flex. The original
48 modems were upgraded from 28.8K to 33.6K during the Spring 1998 semester.
Please note that although you may have a 56K modem, this does not necessarily
mean that you will have 56K response time. Many factors can
influence the speed of a connection. In many cases, the quality of
telephone lines will cause the response time to be less than 56K (usually
33.6K). Also, if you have a 56K X2 modem, you will be able to connect,
but will probably not be able to achieve a 56K connection.
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Password
and ID Information
Please be aware that sharing your ID and password
for any computer system with another person or allowing another person
to use your system access is a crime. In Kansas, effective
July 1, 1997, according to House Bill No. 2058,
Computer password disclosure is a class A nonperson
misdemeanor. Computer password disclosure is the unauthorized and
intentional disclosure of a number, code, password, or other means of access
to a computer or computer network.
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FHSU
E-mail Search Engines
Use http://www.fhsu.edu/search/
to find E-mail IDs for FHSU faculty, staff, and students.
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APPLICATIONS
PROGRAMMING
by Daryl Carswell, Applications
Programming Manager
The Application Programming section of the CTC is comprised of a manager, four full-time programmer/analysts, and one 3/4 time programmer analyst. Our main function is to develop and support administrative computer systems for the IBM mainframe computer in areas such as student records, degree progress, payroll/personnel, accounting, course inventory and schedule development, alumni and endowment records, and facilities.
Future directions for administrative applications include the ability for students to access information about their own academic and financial records. We are currently investigating different software packages and methods of accomplishing this task.
If we can be assistance to you, please contact
us.
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DATA
COMMUNICATIONS
by Dan Pfeifer, Coordinator
Maintaining anti-virus protection on user’s computers has been a labor-intensive proposition for Microcomputer Services personnel. Each time a new virus appeared it required a visit to users’ computers to load in the newest .dat file containing the anti-viral program for the new virus. With hundreds computers to service, this process was untimely for the user and difficult for the Microcomputer Services personnel to accomplish. To eliminate the problem, the CTC recently purchased fifteen hundred licenses of McAfee’s anti-virus software program. The program comes with the capability of automatic updating of the .dat files on users’ computers via the Ethernet network. This makes for more timely updates to users’ computers and eliminates the labor-intensiveness of the updates.
The license agreement is for two years.
This gives the owner of the license rights to all .dat file updates and
upgrades to the software that McAfee makes over the term of the license.
Yes, to maintain the update and upgrade privileges after the two-year term
of the license, it will require renewal of the license at some cost.
To help defray the first cost of the licenses, the CTC will bill the user’s
department ten dollars per computer/program installation. The software
will be installed by a request only from users or their departments.
To request installation, please use the Request for Computing Services
form on OV. We encourage you to take part in this program
to protect the important data that resides in your computer files.
If you have questions about this program, please contact one of the Microcomputer
Services personnel at 4021 or by E-mail at microservice@tiger.fhsu.edu.
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Ethernet,
ISN and Modem Pool Plans
After nearly six years, the migration of the
campus data network from the ISN to ethernet approaches a successful conclusion.
Before the Fall 1998 semester concludes, all faculty, staff, and computer
lab workstations will be connected to the ethernet. Funding provided
by 1998 Action Plans and individual departmental initiatives assure this
goal. This will permit all users to participate in client/server
applications like the World Wide Web, Lotus Notes, the new library catalog
system, and hopefully soon, web enabled access to mainframe databases.
The ISN will continue to support arena enrollment in the Memorial Union
as long as necessary.
We plan to shutdown the old dial-up modem pool (628-4051) on December 23, 1998. Users of this dial-up modem pool should plan to use the new dial-up modem (628-4116) after this date.
If you have any questions concerning the above
described plans, feel free to call me at 4038 or by E-mail at dpfeifer@tiger.fhsu.edu.
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Duplicate
IP Address Message
If you are connected to Ethernet and receive
a duplicate IP address message when trying to connect, please write down
the message and contact Dan at 4038, Cheryl at 4119, or Mark
at 4026.
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Network
Resources: Brief Guide to Keeping Connected
by Cheryl Helget, Network
Administrator
Many of you have been using printers and sharing files through the campus network for some time now. Others are just beginning to actively participate within the campus network. This short troubleshooting guide is presented to you so that you may be able to better understand your networked environment and so you may be able to communicate your problems to us more accurately if you are unable to resolve the problem yourself. A few of the most common problems are addressed. This guide does not address problems with accessing off-campus resources.
I’ll begin by briefly describing your networked environment on campus. You most likely have a PC or Mac on your desktop. Within your Mac or PC there is a NIC (Network Interface Card) that is visible from the back of your computer. The computer is the thing that whirs, clicks and beeps when you turn it on, and is often simply referred to as your machine. You will not find a NIC on the back of your video monitor that is connected to your computer. The NIC in the back of your machine contains a jack that looks like a telephone jack, except it is a little larger. There is a cable plugged into the NIC that has connectors on both ends that look like large telephone connectors. The opposite end of the cable is plugged into a data jack on the wall. The cable, which we refer to as a network cable, must be plugged into the data jack, not the telephone jack. In newer buildings, the jacks are clearly labeled with a telephone icon above the telephone jack, and a computer icon above the data jack. In older buildings, the jacks are vertical to one another, and either jack could have been used for the data jack when wired, but generally the data jack is on the bottom. (Remember this if you rearrange your office!) The cable you are using should have been provided to you by The Computing and Telecommunication Center (CTC). If the cable was not provided by the CTC, it may not have been made to our campus network specifications.
The data jack in the wall is connected to a cable that runs from the jack to a central device, called a hub, in your building. The hub resides in a room called a wiring closet, where the building network cables converge to become a part of the campus intranetwork. Fiber optic cable connects your building hub to the main campus network, which eventually leads to the main campus computers, servers and the internet.
When experiencing connection problems, as they relate to network resources, find out if anyone else in your office or on your floor is experiencing the same problem. If more than one person is experiencing the same problem simultaneously, then the problem most likely exists with a server or other network component within the campus network. If many people in the same building are experiencing similar problems, designate one person to call the CTC to explain the problem.
If the network problem appears to be unique to your machine, there are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem yourself:
I. One of the most common problems is losing access to a network resource that you previously had access to, such as a printer or a shared drive. Many times this is caused by incorrectly logging onto your windows session. The shared resource you are wishing to access may be using security from a Windows NT domain. (A domain is a logical group of computers in an NT-based Local Area Network that share the same security account database.) If this is the case, you will need to logoff by clicking START, selecting SHUTDOWN, and then selecting the bottom option: Close all programs and logon as a different user. Log back onto your windows session with the correct ID and password. After logging back on, try to regain access to the resource by performing the following: .
To regain
access to a printer resource:
For Win95 and NT users: Open up the My Computer
icon on your desktop, then open the Printers folder to check if
the printer you were once accessing is still included in the group of printers.
If not, you will need to add it back: Click the Add Printers Icon, select
Network Printer Server, click Next, find your printer under
the list of shared printers (which are organized by domains or workgroups,
then by server or peer names, then by shared printers), click the printer
share name, click OK, choose whether or not you want this
printer to be your default printer, then wait to see if the add
is successful.
If the printer is included in the group of printers, but the icon is shaded and you are unable to open it when clicked, delete the printer by right-clicking its icon, then select delete. Now go about adding it back in as previously explained.
To regain access to a shared directory:
Open Network Neighborhood on your desktop.
If you do not see the share’s host machine in the browse list, click Entire
Network, then Microsoft Windows Network. You will need
to maneuver through the browse list to find the workgroup or domain that
the resource’s host computer is listed under. When you find the host computer,
double click it to display the directories it is sharing with the
network. Hopefully you will see the directory to which you wish to
map. Right click the shared directory, choose map,
then click OK. When troubleshooting shared directory access problems,
keep in mind that a shared directory is a directory on a disk that is
available to other people on the network. It can be a directory on
the hard disk of a peer machine, or a directory on the hard disk of a server.
The loss of access may be due to the host machine of the shared directory
not being turned on, or perhaps it has lost connection to the network at
some point in time while you were linked to it. Another consideration
is that the share was removed by the host machine’s operator.
If you receive an Access Denied message when trying to regain access to network resources that you previously had access to, call us to help you resolve the problem.
If you receive a message stating that the network path was not found when you try to reestablish connections, you should perform the following:
Check to see if the network cable is firmly plugged
into your NIC in the back of your machine, then check to see if the other
end of the cable is plugged into the data jack on the wall. Look
at your NIC in the back of your machine. If you have a NIC that has
little lights
for indicators, you should see a green one.
A green light indicates that you have a link to the network and,
usually, indicates that network connections are good from your network
card on. If you have a solid red light on your NIC, a problem may
exist with your cable, your wall jack, or with the network card itself.
If you do have a solid red light, you should call us to resolve the problem.
Yellow lights are OK.
II. If you can access shared printers and directories but cannot access VM/CMS, Profs, CICS, bigcat, scatcat, alleycat, or successfully launch Netscape, then your problem may exist in your TCP/IP configuration. Telnet, TN3270, and other internet access require TCP/IP. TCP/IP is the standard internet protocol. A protocol is a set of rules that one computer uses to communicate with another computer. If two computers are to communicate, they have to be using the same protocol, or, in other words, speak the same language. If your TCP/IP is incorrectly configured or in some other manner corrupted, you will not be able to communicate with other machines using TCP/IP-based applications. If you find that your TCP/IP applications are not functioning properly, please call us to help you properly configure your TCP/IP protocol. Do not attempt to configure TCP/IP yourself, as an incorrect configuration on one computer may cause communication problems for another computer.
If you cannot identify the source of the problem or need help resolving a problem, contact the CTC. When you call us, we will want to know:
A description of the
problem.
What operating system you are using: Macintosh,
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT Workstation, DOS, Windows 3.1, or Windows
for Workgroups? When you boot a PC, a screen displaying the installed
operating system should appear. If you are running a Macintosh, it
is important to know what system version you have. You can find the
operating system version by going to Finder, choosing the Apple, then About
This computer.
Have any new updates, changes or additions been applied to your machine recently or since the last known time that resource access was successful? Have you ever been successful in accessing the desired resource?
Is anyone else near you experiencing the problem?
What exact error message is displayed, if any? Please be sure to write down the error message so you can relay it to us exactly as it was displayed.
What were you working on when the problem occurred, or what events preceded it?
These are only a few of the problems that you
can encounter while working in a networked environment. Perhaps now
you may be able to perform some simple troubleshooting to maintain your
connections.
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Lotus
Notes Update
by Mark Griffin, Unix
Sup/Network Adm.
As of 9/9/98, we have installed the Lotus Notes Client software on approximately 300 computers. The computers that were selected for these initial installations came from a master list provided by the Vice Provost and consisted of mostly chairs, directors, and their secretaries, Of the first 300 installations, about 150 of the users have been trained on Lotus Notes. We expect the rest of this initial group to be trained soon and have already started offering classes to all faculty and staff. More LN training sessions will be offered throughout the entire fall semester.
For those that have not had Lotus Notes installed yet, please be patient. We will be coming around to all of the departments as quickly as we can. In the meantime, feel free to install the Lotus Notes Client software on your own computer. The procedure is not difficult. Please refer to web address http://www.fhsu.edu/NotesInstall for complete directions.
We have had many questions concerning the new E-mail address. The new LN E-mail addresses are typically your first initial and last name up to a total of eight (8) characters. There are some exceptions, usually due to duplicate accounts being set up using our basic naming scheme. Your Internet E-mail address is yourid@tiger.fhsu.edu. On September 14, 1998 we will plan to have the shorter domain addressing scheme put into effect. That means you will be able to use yourid@fhsu.edu. We had wanted to have the shorter address in place initially, but found a problem setting up the new Notes mail with the same address as our OfficeVision E-mail.
Both OV and LN can use the short fhsu.edu address, but those of you who are using Netscape, Internet Mail, Eudora, etc may have to make a change in your mail server setup to read your OV Internet mail. If you have specified fhsu.edu as your SMTP or POP3 server, you will have to change those settings to fhsuvm.fhsu.edu. There is more detailed information on making these changes at http:// www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/email_info.htm. If you are currently using the bigcat server for E-mail, you will not need to make any immediate changes.
We encourage everyone to move to Lotus Notes as quickly as possible. Our goal is to discontinue OfficeVision (Profs) for E-mail and calendar use by December 23, 1998. This does not mean that CMS will go away, only OfficeVision. We will continue to forward Internet mail from your OV account to your LN account until the end of May, 1998.
For those that have started using LN, don’t forget
to continue checking your OV mail until we have everyone moved over to
the new system. Thanks for your patience and cooperation.
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Web
Page Development
The FHSU web pages are growing on virtually a
daily basis. Almost every day some department is adding a new page
or a new feature to an old page. But there are still quite a few
departments that haven't gotten their page put up yet. What are you
waiting for? If you say you don't know where to start, maybe this
article can help.
First, you need to decide what do you want on your web page. At first, you might just start with basic things such as the name of your department and a list of the services your office provides. Then, you have to design the web page.
There are numerous web editors out there (Netscape Gold, Netscape Composer, Hot Dog Pro, PageMill, Microsoft Front Page, MS Word97, etc.). These may also be referred to as HTML editors, which stands for HyperText Markup Language. Most of these editors are relatively simple to use.
Many of you can create simple web pages without any additional instructions. Just start the editor of your choice and start typing and clicking. Others may wish to purchase one of the hundreds of books available on we publishing. Or, if you're still a little nervous about trying this on your own, CTELT periodically offers an excellent class on web publishing.
After you have developed your web page, you are ready to make it available for the whole world to see. Faculty and staff may submit a Request for Computing Services (F5, F1) on OV asking for an account to publish web pages and specify which department the web pages are for. Students will need to stop by TH113 and complete a request form for publishing web pages.
If you are going to want your page linked to other FHSU web pages, and most of you will, then please specify that in the request as well.
Within a few days you will receive the ID and password and some basic instructions on uploading your pages to the web server. Once you receive your ID and password you can add more web pages and make changes to your current web page as often as you like.
If you have questions about publishing FHSU web
pages, you may contact Mark Griffin by E-mail at griffy@bigcat.fhsu.edu
or phone/voice mail 628-4026. Mark may not know all the answers
but can probably direct you to the right place.
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Listservs
and Usenet News
First, let me attempt to explain what listservs
and Usenet news are and how they differ. Both can be excellent resources
for getting information on specific topics and providing information to
specific groups of people. Listservs send the information through
E-mail to specific users that have subscribed to the list. Usenet
news is more like a public bulletin board open for all to see. That
is, all who want to see.
To get on a listserv, you have to subscribe to the list with your E-mail account. In order to subscribe, each listserv has a specific format that must be followed. In some cases, you may have to actually apply to be added. After you have subscribed, any E-mail that is sent to the list will also be sent to you. On very active lists, this may cause you to receive a flood of E-mail. Sorting the useful listserv E-mail from the garbage can be a chore.
On the other hand, Usenet news can be viewed at your own leisure and does not clutter your E-mail. You can use Netscape to view Usenet news. Because there are various versions of Netscape and each one is a little different, I can't give a specific set of directions to follow to get Usenet news. However, if you startup your Netscape and go to the News window you should be able to connect to our news server (news.fhsu.edu). This should give you a long list of available news groups that you can sort through. Decide for yourself which ones are useful or interesting. You can read the discussions that are occurring on the news groups and submit your own thoughts on the topic at hand as well.
In some cases, listservs will post their messages to a specific news group. Those listservs can be found under the bit.listserv news groups. It would be a great help to us if those that are on listservs would start reading the information on the news groups whenever possible and unscribe from the list mail. If you must subscribe to a listserv, please read it regularly! Unread listserv mail consumes valuable disk space.
If there are faculty, staff, or organizations
that wish to have their own newsgroup or listserv setup here at FHSU, they
need to send a Request for Computing Services (F5, F1) on OV.
If anyone has a question about listservs or Usenet news, they can E-mail
Mark Griffin at griffy@bigcat.fhsu.edu
or give him a call at 628-4026.
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.
MICROCOMPUTER
SERVICES
by Dan Pfeifer, Coordinator
Data Communication
Computers, printers, and networks are marvels of technology that help us do our work when everything is working properly. They can be extremely annoying and frustrating to us when they are not working properly and prevent us from accomplishing our tasks. We become anxious and want immediate assistance.
Have you ever gone to a store or service center that provides service from behind a desk or counter? Perhaps you have waited in line while the attendant tends to other customers. The phone rings. The attendant rushes to answer it while you wait. It’s maddening, isn’t it? Or you are in a waiting line and some latecomer jumps in ahead of you. What is the point of this, you ask?
The foregoing scenarios occur numerous times a day to the staff in the Microcomputer Services Group. They are serving the needs of someone else and the phone rings. It’s someone who has a problem or question that seems to need the staff’s immediate attention. Indeed, emergencies occur that require immediate attention and the staff tries to promptly deal with them. Too many times, however, the perceived “emergency” is no more important than someone else’s “emergency and the staff must make judgments about priorities. Generally, we follow the policy of first come, first served. We strive to treat everybody fairly and equally with our time, talent, and resources.
So we ask you to help us in meeting your computing needs in several of the following ways. If you need our services, submit a Request for Computing Services on the form available on OfficeVision Menu #1 (F5, F1). This is the method by which we track your job.
Post-it notes, scraps of paper, and word of mouth are difficult things to keep track of when there are large numbers of requests. Describe briefly, but succinctly, the service you need. Too many times we get problem descriptions like: “my printer is not working”. Well, how is it not working? Try to describe the symptom(s) with more detail. This helps us to determine the experience level of the technician needed to fix the problem, or maybe a phone call from a technician can resolve the problem.
Perhaps you have a question that does not need immediate attention. We suggest that you E-mail us at microservice@tiger.fhsu.edu with your questions. We will answer it within one working day.
If you truly have an emergency then certainly
call us at 4021. Be mindful that we may be on the phone or
out on service calls, so please leave a voice-mail message and we will
return your call within one hour. Thank you for your cooperation.
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TELECOMM
SERVICES
by Tom Webb, Manager
The mission of Telecommunications is to facilitate
the smooth reliable communications of voice, data and video at a minimum
cost and a maximum utility and ease of use to the university.
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Using
the Campus Phone System
Instructions on how to use the campus phone system
can be found in the front of the FHSU Campus Directory that is published
each Fall by University Relations. This is where you can learn how to start
and stop call forwarding, transfer a call, and other fancy tricks.
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KANS-A-N
Long Distance
Official university long distance calls are routed
over the KANS-A-N long distance trunk lines. Please review your KANS-A-N
Directory for some important information about this service. Any
long distance calls you place from your campus phone are routed by the
PBX switch. Long distance calls from off campus can be made with
the use of a KANS-A-N credit card issued by Darlene Schippers (5900) of
the Business Office.
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Requesting
Telephone Services
Use the OfficeVision system to request services.
From the main Menu #1, press the F5 key (Request for Services).
Then press F6 for and see Telecommunication Services. The first
three selections (F1, F2, and F4) are for AUDIX voicemail accounts.
Press F5 to request the addition, removal or movement of phone lines.
If you are moving to a new office, please submit
your request for service at least two weeks in advance. If you have
a problem with your phone service, you can call or E-mail us directly (Tom
at 4488, Vaudene at 5999 or Bob at 5997).
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AUDIX
Voicemail Service
Our voicemail is processed with the Lucent Technologies
AUDIX system. Training for the AUDIX system is on video which we
will loan to you upon request.
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For
Your Convenience
Remember to review the last few pages of this
Newsletter for the CTC Staff Directory and the Who Do You Call If... list
for frequently reported problems/questions. Keep these lists near
your phone. Please use these resources when calling the CTC
so that we can serve you more efficiently.
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We have also included the FHSU Computer Labs brochure; feel free to make copies of the lab brochure for your students.
Have a good semester!!
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Bye
Bye OfficeVision
Remember that OfficeVision will go away on December
23, 1998 at 4:30pm. That will be sooner than most of us realize!
How are you progressing on your move to Lotus Notes? See the article, Moving from OfficeVision to Lotus Notes on pages four and five of this newsletter. Please don’t wait until the last minute to get started on these tasks. You might be so busy with end-of-semester projects that you will be swamped as time runs out.
For those of you who are already trained, remember to check both your OV mail and your LN mail. Also, remember to keep both the OV and LN calendars up-to-date during the fall semester. For help with LN, call the CTC HelpDesk at 5276.
Who
Do You Call If ????
FHSU
Computing and Telecommunication Center Staff Directory
FHSU
Computer Lab Information Page
© 1999
Computing and Telecommunication Center
Fort Hays State University