Computing and Telecommunication
Center
Fort Hays State University
If you have questions or comments about this newsletter,
contact
Dr. David Schmidt at 4487.
Viv Zimmerman and Jane Rajewski, co-editors.
by
Dr. David Schmidt, Director
Soon
the spring semester will be over and we wish all of you well this summer.In
this issue of the newsletter, I’d like to pass along some information about
our new Intrusion Detection System, the Sungard system, and KANREN.
Because
of a FIPSE grant, we were able to acquire a Network Intrusion Detection
System. Dan Pfeifer, Data Communications Manager, and Andrew
Fleming, Asst Unix/Asst Network Administrator, have done a great job
in getting the system operational, and they will continue to add functionality
to it.You might ask, what is an intrusion detection system?
The
short, non-technical explanation is that it is a system for detecting intruders,
notably malicious hackers and crackers.Because intruders can be quite clever,
good intrusion detection systems need to detect subtle changes by actively
monitoring a variety of vulnerable intrusion points and systems.
1)
One scheme checks each packet as it passes through the network.FHSU now
has a sensor to monitor the packets coming through the Internet router
from the outside. This is the first line of defense against off-campus
intruders. Suspicious activities exhibit several characteristic patterns,
so the system attempts to detect those patterns.
2)
A second scheme carefully watches system files (whether the system be UNIX,
Windows, or Mac). Attacks involving system files typically leave
some tell-tale traces or "signatures." The intrusion detection administrators
can activate a variety of modules, also called signatures, to look for
the different kinds of attacks. These attacks vary. Some intruders
attempt to get root access to the system, access that has a very high privilege
level, a level that can permit a lot of damage to the system. Then
they use the invaded servers for a variety of activities, some benign and
some not.
3)
A third scheme reviews the activity logs, for example, logs of web server
requests (http, ftp, etc.) to see if intruders are trying to exploit well-known
security holes.
4)
A fourth scheme takes a more activist role. It creates "honey pots,"
attractive targets that trap the intruder or lead the intruders away from
vulnerable areas.
Some
intruders gain control over a server and then use it to scan other servers
for vulnerabilities, issue denial of service attacks (that try to flood
selected internet sites with so many requests that they effectively shut
them down), sending spam, or for other nefarious activities.
If
the Internet sensor does not catch the intruder entering the system, it
is sometimes possible to detect the intruder by monitoring the packets
being broadcast over the Internet from FHSU. In other words, if one
does not catch the intruder by monitoring the incoming traffic, sometimes
one can catch him or her by monitoring the outgoing traffic.
Intruders
like to target universities because some universities are fairly lax about
enforcing security provisions and universities have powerful servers.
The system has already shown itself to be useful because it detected one
university server making unauthorized contacts with other non-university
servers.
ITPAC
and a CTC-based Security Committee will formulate policies on responding
to these attacks. It is sometimes the case that departmental servers
(at FHSU and all other universities too) are exploited, and those responsible
for those servers are unaware that they are being exploited. We want
to formulate procedures for notifying departments when that happens and
protecting the servers from future attacks, not to mention other liabilities.
We
are very pleased to announce that Al Leiker, Budget and Planning,
will be coordinating the Sungard project. He will be our chief liaison
with Sungard, setting schedules for work to be done, and overall shepherd
of the Sungard project. As he will discover, one aspect of this is
knowing who to talk to at Sungard for a given issue. What we now
know as Sungard was once two companies: Bi-Tech and Software Research Northwest.
In many ways they are still two companies, so it is important to know where
the responsibilities lie. They are cooperating at a number of levels,
so they are on the road to becoming one company in fact and not just in
name.
We
reached one important milestone in the Sungard implementation when Daryl
Carswell,
Applications Programming Manager,sent our student
data to Sungard for them to load into the Oracle database. Sungard
has a conversion/load program, and they populated many tables for the RIM
training (Registrar's Module) on our Oracle server.
Having
large amounts of our data in the system was quite useful for training because
FHSU staff could check our data on the Sungard screens. Also, Sungard
staff could verify that our data was loaded into the correct tables.
Several trainers remarked about how clean our data was. Daryl
Carswell and his staff did a great job in understanding Sungard's data
structures and in formatting our data for their data conversion utility.
We
were also eager to see how well their system functioned. It was our
first chance to performance test the system. We immediately noticed
some serious performance issues while doing certain kinds of database searches.
There were some other issues involving batch jobs and internet access time.
Bruce
Shubert, Vice President of Administration and Finance, sent a frank
letter to them. As a result, Sungard immediately sent out four staff
members to verify the problems and to attempt to find solutions. We demonstrated
to them circumstances in which we experienced slow response times, unexpected
results, and congestion of some batch jobs. To their credit, they
made some progress while they were here.
They
accelerated the web response time measurably, and they did a prototype
of a solution for the database searches. After returning to Chico
and Seattle, they agreed on a schedule for re-writing the database search
module and in making the re-write available to us. We should be able
to stress test it in early June. We believe this will go well, and we continue
to move forward with the Sungard project.
The
next orientation session involves the AFF Module (Student Affairs
& Housing Module) during the week of June 17. After the orientation,
we will load some of our housing data to prepare for training in using
the AFF Module shortly after.
As
some of you know, we use KANREN (Kansas Research Network) as our Internet
Service Provider (ISP). At last week's Board meeting and Annual Meeting,
KANREN discussed ways to improve the Fort Hays internet service.
We currently pay for 10 Mbps of bandwidth to the commodity Internet (also
known as Internet 1), and we receive the service from Southwestern Bell
Internet Services (SBIS). For now, 10 Mbps is enough bandwidth for
the campus. There is a problem when SBIS service goes down though
(as it has several times) because there is only one T1 (1.5 Mbps) of redundant
connectivity. In cases of interrupted service to SBIS, the Internet
connectivity slows to a crawl.
We
are quite pleased that KANREN is attempting to provide a 20 Mbps connection
to another ISP, the Great Plains Network, in Kansas City. They are
working with DISC (State telecommunications and computing) who is eager
to increase their bandwidth in Hays too. Not only does that provide
a second Internet provider over a high bandwidth connection, but also it
crosses Local Access Transport Area (LATA) boundaries between 785 and 620/316.
Because it crosses the LATA boundaries, it will assist communications with
schools in the 602/316 LATAs. For example, if we wish to establish
interactive video sessions over the commodity Internet with Barton County
Community College or Pratt Community College, there should be sufficient
bandwidth to sustain a good connection.
Even
in this dismal upcoming budget year the state is considering passing the
Kan-Ed legislation to take money from the Universal Service Fund to provide
bandwidth across the state. This money would subsidize connections
among ISPs. Schools would still be required to select their ISPs
and pay for the connection to them, but the backbone would be subsidized.
When I asked the impact of Kan-Ed on us at the Board meeting, I was told
that our KANREN fees help pay for the backbone now so that if the state
subsidizes the backbone we will pay less for our service. Further,
if Kan?Ed legislation passes, we would have access to Internet 2 because
KANREN would be a member of Internet 2.
What
that means is that traffic to Internet 2 schools would be routed over the
high speed Internet 2 backbone. Further, if a department had a research
project or a class to teach that involved connectivity to Internet 2 schools,
that Internet traffic would travel over the high speed Great Plains (and
Abilene) Internet 2 connections. Having the Internet 2 connection
would enhance some grant applications should departments take advantage
of money available to support Internet 2 projects. Currently KANREN
uses FHSU as a collection point for 785 LATA traffic. Hays will be
a strategic location for DISC and KANREN should Kan?Ed be funded.
We
would like to welcome Melanie Chapman, Senior Administrative Assistant,
to the part-time position (located in the Switchboard room) vacated by
Rusty Fulmer, who completed his degree and accepted other employment.
Student
Web Services (SWS) Stats
by
Chad Dague, Programmer/Analyst
The
personal information portion of Student Web Services (SWS) was launched
in May of 1999. This secure area allows students to view information
about themselves.
The
data categories available through SWS to students are address information,
financial information, class schedules, and unofficial transcript.
Within these categories, students can view mid-term and final grades, view
current fees due, view history of financial information, and maintain address
information. To view a demo of what students see, please visit http://www.fhsu.edu/sws/demo.
Since
its introduction, SWS has been logged into 172,727 times generating over
850,000 system requests. So far this semester the system has been
logged into 48,104 times by 5,405 students (this is 93% of enrolled students,
up from 72% last semester). In total, 12,187 current and former students
have logged into SWS since its inception.
by
Nancy Geier, HelpDesk Supervisor
HelpDesk
Semester Interim Hours
(Effective
May 15 - June 3, 2002)
Mondays
- Thursdays 8am - 5pm
Friday,
May 17
8am - 5pm
Fridays,
beginning May 24 8am - Noon
Weekends
CLOSED
Memorial
Day, May 27 CLOSED
HelpDesk
Summer Semester Hours
(Effective
June 4 - July 26, 2002)
Mondays
- Thursdays
8am - 6pm
Fridays
8am - Noon
Weekends
CLOSED
Independence
Day, July 4 CLOSED
Office
hours are subject to change. They are posted outside our office (TH113)
and may be viewed from our home page at www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/.
Student
Internet Dial-Up Accounts to Expire in June
The
expiration date for Spring 2002 student Internet Dial-Up Accounts is June
10, 2002.
All
students who wish to have Internet dial-up service during the summer
semester must complete payment for summer classes and then come
to the CTC HelpDesk (Tomanek Hall, Room 113) to submit a new application
for a summer account. A new application is required for all students
once each academic year, beginning with the summer semester. This
gives us an opportunity to obtain current customer information and to provide
updated materials and information.
Part-time
students may be charged technology fees (up to $6.00) to obtain a summer
account. For more information about technology fees, view the Internet
Dial-Up Application Information section of the CTC HelpDesk web site at
www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/
or contact our office.
Students
who will not be enrolled for the summer, but need Internet access during
the summer for FHSU-related purposes, must complete a Special
Account Request form. Forms are available in the HelpDesk office.
Complete details regarding the Special Account Policy are available under
the Internet Dial-Up Policies section of our web site.
Students
who will not be enrolled for the summer and wish to have dial?up service
next fall should complete payment for fall classes, and then stop
by the HelpDesk to submit a new application.
Please
note:Faculty and staff accounts expire only upon termination of employment;
you do not need to reapply for service.
Faculty
Access for On-Campus Labs
As
many of you already know, a new process using the student Scatcat login
has been implemented in many on-campus computer labs over the past several
months. A link to logon assistance information and a current list
of labs using the new login process is located on the CTC HelpDesk home
page at www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/.
As
part of this project, faculty Scatcat accounts have been set up for some
faculty who frequently work in computer labs. If you need access
to one of these labs, call or stop by the CTC HelpDesk to find out if an
account has been created for you or to request an account. Please
allow up to two working days for the creation of a new account.
SOS
Offers New Products
Please
let your students know that Student Office Systems (SOS) now has CDRs,
standard Jewel CD cases, and colored slim CD cases available for purchase.
Other products available include Zip disks, 3 ½" disks, transparencies,
and glossy paper. We also offer scanning, color printing, and FAXing
services for students. For a complete list of SOS products and services,
view the SOS section of the CTC HelpDesk web site.
Coming
Soon... A New Look for CTC HelpDesk Web Site
Behind
the scenes, the CTC HelpDesk web site has been undergoing a major reconstruction
project over the last few months. In order to better serve the FHSU
community and to keep up with the changing Internet environment, our staff
has been updating not only the content of the site, but the graphical interface
as well.
The
new design will introduce many new features, including an improved Highlights
section, an easy to use drop-down navigation system, and a site map to
help users find specific pages. We will also retain many current
features that have served our customers so well, including a drop-down
list for commonly used pages, links to other campus resources, and our
popular E-mail Help section.
To
avoid confusion for those accessing our site for assistance during this
last part of the semester, the new design will be unveiled following the
end of the spring semester.
So
check out www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/
this summer to see the new look of the CTC HelpDesk web site!
Be
a positive force in the FHSU electronic community!
As
a user of Fort Hays State University systems, you are part of the university's
electronic community. Improper use of shared systems by community
members can lead to reduced response times and unnecessary expenditures.
This also means that appropriate use can result in improved system performance
and cost savings.
Here
are some ways you can be a positive force in the electronic
community:
*
Review and follow the FHSU Acceptable Use of Computing Resources Policy
(found online at www.fhsu.edu/ctc/).
It is intended to ensure security and efficiency for all who use FHSU systems,
and your use of any FHSU system requires compliance with this policy.
*
If you use Internet dial-up service, always disconnect when your connection
is not being actively used. This provides an opportunity for others
to connect. The dial-up system currently has 214 possible concurrent
connections that are shared by approximately 1800 customers.
*
Do not share your password for any system. Not only is this illegal,
but you can be held legally responsible for any activity that occurs through
use of your account. If you believe someone else may know your password,
bring a photo ID to the CTC HelpDesk and we will assist you with obtaining
a new password.
*
Install and maintain current virus protection software on your home and
office computers. This will reduce the probability of "catching"
a virus and spreading it to others.
*
Refrain from sending or forwarding "spam" E-mail. Sending unsolicited messages
is an unnecessary (and often illegal) activity that wastes system and human
resources.Illegal activity will be investigated and users will be held
accountable.
*
Report any suspicious activity to the Computing and Telecommunication Center.
Thank
you for doing your part to help FHSU provide safe, efficient, and affordable
service to our electronic community!
How
can we provide better service?
Is
your Internet dial-up connection performing to your satisfaction?
Have you recently contacted or visited the CTC HelpDesk? If so, how
did we do? If you have ideas, concerns, or other feedback, let us
know! Contact us at the CTC HelpDesk, Tomanek Hall, Room 113, (785)
628-5276, E-mail us at helpdesk@fhsu.edu,
or fill out an online survey at www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/.We
look forward to hearing from you!
byViv
Zimmerman, User Services
Registration
Training Completed
Fourteen
faculty completed on-line registration (OLR) training this spring.
The next training sessions will be held in August. If you are a new
faculty or have never attended this training before and would like to attend
the next time it’s offered, contact Jane Rajewski at 5819
for a security form. The training is mandatory for any advisor
wanting to register advisees.
CTC
Labs Spring Interim Hours
(Effective
May 15 through June 3, 2002)
The
hours between the spring/summer semester for the CTC Tomanek Hall computer
labs are:
Mondays-Thursdays
8am - 5pm
Friday,
May 17
8am - 5pm
Fridays
8am - 12 noon
Weekends
CLOSED
Memorial
Day, May 27 CLOSED
CTC
Labs Summer Hours
(Effective
June 4 through July 26, 2002)
The
summer semester hours for the CTC Tomanek Hall computer labs are:
Mondays-Thursdays
8am - 6pm
Fridays
8am - 12noon
Weekends
CLOSED
Independence Day, July 4 CLOSED
The
hours between the summer/fall semesters for the CTC Tomanek Hall computer
labs are:
Mondays-Thursdays
8am - 5pm
Fridays
8am - 12noon
Friday,
August 16 8am - 5pm
Weekends
CLOSED
As
always, if you have questions, feedback, comments or suggestions regarding
our labs, please let us know; send a note to vzimmerm@fhsu.edu
. For more information about our services or hours, visit our web
site at http://www.fhsu.edu/ctc/labs/
or stop by TH127 (next to the elevator) and check with the lab monitor
on duty.
Effective
immediately, in order to logon to any of the computers in TH121 and TH127,
users must login with their Scatcat ID and password. The logon screen
will display the following information and all of the information must
be entered in lowercase:
Username:
Your
Scatcat ID
Password:
Your Scatcat password
Domain:
labs
Any
instructor who has reserved the TH121 lab for classes and plans to use
the computers will also need to use his/her Scatcat ID and password in
order to logon. Account activation may take one hour or longer; so
it is imperative that students and instructors have their Scatcat account
activated prior to using the lab. A link to logon assistance information
and a current list of labs using the new login process is located on the
CTC HelpDesk home page at www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/.
If
you need assistance signing on, activating your account,or using the TH121
lab, contact the lab monitor on duty in the TH127 CTC computer lab.
Other
campus computer labs that are also using the Scatcat login are at FL020,
FL Main Floor Sports Bar Lab, Forsyth 2nd floor lab, RH348 (English Classroom),
TH125 and TH225 (GIS labs), and STH122 (Nursing).
We
have posted information on a web page to aid faculty or staff who are unfamiliar
with submitting a Request for Computing Services to reserve our CTC TH123
(Mac Lab) or TH121 (Pentium) Computer Lab for a class or workshop.
The information can be found at http://www.fhsu.edu/ctc/labs/reservinglabs.html
If
you reserve either lab, we recommend that you come over prior to using
the lab to ensure that you can access everything that you need for your
class or workshop.
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
and we will be happy to make pick up arrangements.
CTC
Newsletters on the Web
For
your convenience, we have the past CTC newsletters posted on the web at
http://www.fhsu.edu/ctc/newsletters/news.html.
There are a number of newsletters out there if you are interested in viewing
them.
Lotus
Notes 5.0 Hints and Tips. . .
Change
Your LN Web Browser
Many
users find the Lotus Notes browser cumbersome and if you wish to change
the browser that LN uses to another browser, do the following:
Click
File,
Mobile, Edit Current Location, click on the Internet Browser
tab, click the drop-down menu for Internet browser, select Netscape
Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer, click OK,
and click the Save and Close button.
Then,
the next time that you are reading your LN mail and click on the URL listed
in a note, you will be able to access the site from your preferred browser
rather than the LN browser.
Adding
a Signature File
Many
users like to automatically include their personal closing information
at the bottom of outgoing notes such as name, title, department, institution,
address, phone, Fax, E-mail address, etc. This feature is available
in Lotus Notes release 5.0 and above. Follow the instructions below
if you would like to automatically include a signature in your outgoing
notes.
Open
your mail, click on the Tools button, choose Preferences,
and click on the
Mail tab and the Signature tab.
Click
the box next to Automatically append a signature to the bottom of
my outgoing mail messages.
Click
on Text.
In
the Signature box, enter the text of the closing information
that you prefer. When finished, click
OK. These settings
can be modified at a later time or as needed.
Your
LN Personal Address Book
Your
LN Personal Address Book contains names and IDs of off-campus persons that
you E-mail. You may Add, Edit, and/or Delete entries as necessary.
You
can Add people to your Personal Address Book in two ways:
If
you received E-mail, select or open the note, click the Tools button
and choose Add Sender to Address Book. Click
OK.
The
above method leaves less chance for errors because it automatically adds
the E-mail address without having to re-key the whole thing.
The
second method (listed below) is handy for entering the address from a business
card or letterhead.
Open
your Personal Address Book and click the Add Contact button
or choose Create Contact. Fill in the Name and
E-mail
address fields in the Contacts window. Click
Save and Close
when finished.
Note:
In most cases, all that you need to enter is the Name and E-mail
address information. All of the other fields are optional.
End
of Semester Acct Maintenance
With
the end of the semester rapidly approaching, it is important that you notifyViv
Zimmerman at vzimmerm@fhsu.edu
whenever faculty, staff, or student employees terminate employment with
your office so that we can remove their IDs and update our mailing groups
and security tables.
It
is imperative that all security is removed for those who no longer work
in your office.
Having
a protected password is essential to the security of the information that
you have on your account and the protection and privacy of the information
that you may have access to on CICS. We encourage you to periodically
change your Lotus Notes and CICS passwords. If at any time you feel
that your CICS password may have been jeopardized or would like to have
it changed, please E-mail Jane Rajewski at jrajewsk@tiger.fhsu.edu.
Include in the note your CICS ID, current CICS password and what you would
like for your CICS new password (up to 8 characters). You will be
notified via LN when to start using the new password.
Have a
safe and fun-filled summer!
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© 2002
Computing and Telecommunication Center
Fort Hays State University