All Hands IT MeetingAll Hands IT MeetingUnited Arab Emirates UniversityUnited Arab Emirates University

7 September 20057 September 2005

IntroductionIntroductionCIO’s GreetingCIO’s Greeting

Enterprise IT Projects for Academic Enterprise IT Projects for Academic Year 2005/2006Year 2005/2006

University-Wide ImprovementsUniversity-Wide Improvements

A Word on UITS Division StructureA Word on UITS Division Structure

Briefings by UITS LeadershipBriefings by UITS Leadership

Question & Answer SessionQuestion & Answer Session

Enterprise IT Projects 2005/2006Enterprise IT Projects 2005/2006• Integrated Business Information System (IBIS) Integrated Business Information System (IBIS)

Selection and DeploymentSelection and Deployment

• Maqam Network Campus Upgrade/Replacement Maqam Network Campus Upgrade/Replacement

• UAEU Help Desk SystemUAEU Help Desk System

• Upgrade of Banner SIS Hardware and Software Upgrade of Banner SIS Hardware and Software (Includes Hostels Application)(Includes Hostels Application)

• Web Services Infrastructure Upgrade to Support Web Services Infrastructure Upgrade to Support UAEU Site Clean-upUAEU Site Clean-up

Enterprise IT Projects 2005/2006Enterprise IT Projects 2005/2006(Continued)(Continued)

• UAEU Campus Master Plan, First Phase CIT Building on MaqamUAEU Campus Master Plan, First Phase CIT Building on Maqam

• New Falaj Hazaa CampusNew Falaj Hazaa Campus

• Enterprise Backup Project Implementation & MigrationEnterprise Backup Project Implementation & Migration

• Servers ConsolidationServers Consolidation

• AD Consolidation & Deployment Outside of AAAD Consolidation & Deployment Outside of AA

• Test and Training Lab Upgrade to Support Enterprise Test and Training Lab Upgrade to Support Enterprise Applications and IntegrationApplications and Integration

• Improved Group Collaboration Tools (Shared Calendar, Tasks, Improved Group Collaboration Tools (Shared Calendar, Tasks, Contacts)Contacts)

Project Management ApproachProject Management ApproachBegan With Project Validation Process, Began With Project Validation Process, Came Up With Validated and Prioritized Came Up With Validated and Prioritized List of ProjectsList of Projects

Role of Coordinators and Executive Role of Coordinators and Executive SponsorshipSponsorship

Tool - UITS Project Tracking SpreadsheetTool - UITS Project Tracking Spreadsheet

Process - Weekly UpdatesProcess - Weekly Updates

University-Wide ImprovementsUniversity-Wide Improvements

New Bylaw, Policies and ProceduresNew Bylaw, Policies and Procedures– University Organizational Structure University Organizational Structure

Which Eliminates “Silos”Which Eliminates “Silos”– Structure for Review, Revision and Structure for Review, Revision and

Continuous ImprovementContinuous Improvement

Next Steps Include Next Steps Include – Integrated Business Information SystemIntegrated Business Information System– Proposal for New Pay and Benefits PlanProposal for New Pay and Benefits Plan

UITS Structure: Enterprise IT GroupsUITS Structure: Enterprise IT Groups

Customer Support CenterCustomer Support CenterHeba EbeidHeba Ebeid

Infrastructure and Core Technologies Infrastructure and Core Technologies Manhal QaderManhal Qader

Enterprise Applications and Integration Enterprise Applications and Integration John CollinsJohn Collins

Customer Support CenterCustomer Support Center

Help Desk ServicesHelp Desk Services

Help Desk Provides Common Interface For All CustomersHelp Desk Provides Common Interface For All Customers

Supporting Enterprise ServicesSupporting Enterprise Services

Assists and Supports Faculty, Students, & Staff (College IT)Assists and Supports Faculty, Students, & Staff (College IT)

Providing Hardware/Software Technical Support to Providing Hardware/Software Technical Support to Administrative UnitsAdministrative Units

Evaluate hardware and software purchase requests for Evaluate hardware and software purchase requests for compliance with network connectivity standardscompliance with network connectivity standards

Help Desk Services (Cont.)Help Desk Services (Cont.)Our goal is to implement and expand our support Our goal is to implement and expand our support model to increase quality of servicemodel to increase quality of service

Implementation of Enterprise Help System to assist Implementation of Enterprise Help System to assist in:in:– Identify recurring problems and trends for resolutionIdentify recurring problems and trends for resolution– Reporting, Recording and Tracking ticketsReporting, Recording and Tracking tickets– Producing reports to managementProducing reports to management

Increase Change Management to track and Increase Change Management to track and streamline problem resolutionstreamline problem resolution

Monitor and proactively address network and systems Monitor and proactively address network and systems issues with more effective management toolsissues with more effective management tools

Training and Documentation ServicesTraining and Documentation ServicesSupport HR, Student and Academic Affairs by Support HR, Student and Academic Affairs by providing IT trainingproviding IT training

Work Integrated Learning Environment for Student Work Integrated Learning Environment for Student InternsInterns

Maintain Enterprise Systems DocumentationMaintain Enterprise Systems Documentation

Internal to UITS, Set Standards and Provide Internal to UITS, Set Standards and Provide Guidance for Technical and Customer Guidance for Technical and Customer DocumentationDocumentation

Infrastructure & Core Infrastructure & Core TechnologiesTechnologies

Unix ServicesUnix Services

Enterprise Systems Support (Banner, AIMS)Enterprise Systems Support (Banner, AIMS)

Internet, E-mail, Library and other systemsInternet, E-mail, Library and other systems

Enterprise Data Backup SystemEnterprise Data Backup System

Network Management SystemsNetwork Management Systems

Windows ServicesWindows Services

Active Directory, Windows updates, Active Directory, Windows updates, Backup User Data and other desktop Backup User Data and other desktop servicesservices

Blackboard e-Learning System, Faculty Blackboard e-Learning System, Faculty Web Pages and UAEU Web SitesWeb Pages and UAEU Web Sites

University-Wide Anti-Virus ServiceUniversity-Wide Anti-Virus Service

Enterprise Server IssuesEnterprise Server IssuesPower consumption in the Data Center Power consumption in the Data Center

Hardware platform standardization and Hardware platform standardization and consolidationconsolidation

Centralized backup systemCentralized backup system

Expanding AD throughout UAEUExpanding AD throughout UAEU

Single sign-on for usersSingle sign-on for users

Enterprise Network ServicesEnterprise Network Services

UAEU Enterprise Data Network: UAEU Enterprise Data Network: Architecture, Design, Planning, Architecture, Design, Planning, Installation, Operations, Installation, Operations, Management and SupportManagement and Support

Network Services (Cont.)Network Services (Cont.)

Internet Access, Security and FirewallsInternet Access, Security and Firewalls

Wired and Wireless Data ConnectivityWired and Wireless Data Connectivity

Remote Access ServicesRemote Access Services

Piloting IP Telephony (VoIP)Piloting IP Telephony (VoIP)

Enterprise Network IssuesEnterprise Network IssuesNon-Standard multi-vendor network Non-Standard multi-vendor network infrastructureinfrastructure

Insufficient fiber distribution on campusesInsufficient fiber distribution on campuses

Legacy Network on Maqam CampusLegacy Network on Maqam Campus

No Redundancy between ISI and MaqamNo Redundancy between ISI and Maqam

Inadequate Etisalat ServicesInadequate Etisalat Services

Enterprise Applications & Enterprise Applications & IntegrationIntegration

Banner ServicesBanner Services

Student Information System (SIS)Student Information System (SIS)

(SCT Sungard Banner product)(SCT Sungard Banner product)– RegistrationRegistration– ReportsReports– EvaluationsEvaluations– Book DistributionBook Distribution– TranscriptsTranscripts

Banner Services IssuesBanner Services Issues

Highly modified and customized, Highly modified and customized, non-standard codenon-standard code

No Data Base Administration from No Data Base Administration from the beginningthe beginning

Hardware limitationsHardware limitations

Data integrity provided by users Data integrity provided by users (training issues, inappropriate use of (training issues, inappropriate use of tech staff for data entry)tech staff for data entry)

Web ServicesWeb Services

Just completed a consolidation and Just completed a consolidation and redeployment of Web pages (within redeployment of Web pages (within our scope)our scope)

In the process of re-designing Web In the process of re-designing Web layout and templateslayout and templates

Researching administrative content Researching administrative content management toolsmanagement tools

Studying Luminis as a portalStudying Luminis as a portal

Web Services IssuesWeb Services Issues

Content and users providing their Content and users providing their own updated informationown updated information

Providing users a common tool set Providing users a common tool set for contentfor content

Style guides, standards, guidelines Style guides, standards, guidelines for publishingfor publishing

Test environmentTest environment

Custom Applications ServicesCustom Applications Services

Administration Information Administration Information Management System (AIMS)Management System (AIMS)

Several other programs including:Several other programs including:– Hostels Hostels – Food AccountingFood Accounting– Student ID CardsStudent ID Cards– Department AccountingDepartment Accounting– over 6 other independent systemsover 6 other independent systems

Custom Applications IssuesCustom Applications IssuesNo best practices utilized during No best practices utilized during development of independent systemsdevelopment of independent systemsCode was written by staff that have Code was written by staff that have left, with no documentationleft, with no documentationNo commonality between systemsNo commonality between systemsNo standard platform either hardware No standard platform either hardware or softwareor softwareNot a complete set of test and Not a complete set of test and development environmentsdevelopment environments

ConclusionConclusionEnterprise IT Projects for Academic Enterprise IT Projects for Academic Year 2005/2006Year 2005/2006

University-Wide ImprovementsUniversity-Wide Improvements

UITS Division Structure & BriefingsUITS Division Structure & Briefings

Questions?Questions?