December 2011 Upgrade of SAP R/3 System

The University is conducting a technical upgrade of the SAP R/3 system during the Christmas holiday break. The upgraded version of the software will position UK users to take advantage of new functionality being developed and implemented by SAP. This is the transactional portion of the system; BW/Reporting and portal functions are not being upgraded at this time.

Our core SAP software is being upgraded from version 6.0 Enhancement Pack 4 to 6.0 Enhancement Pack 5, but new functionality is not automatically activated. IT and the functional teams of the Enterprise Applications Group (EAG) are completing a great deal of work to ensure that the system continues to support the administrative processes of the University with minimal impact on end users.

The underlying architecture will change, but the end-user will see minimal differences in "look and feel" or functionality. Users will see no change in the look of the portal when accessing SAP. Even the SAP transactions that are accessed through the SAP GUI will appear very similar to the current appearance. All UK custom applications (including interfaces and reports) have been tested and verified. No significant changes have been identified through the testing process. The focus of all EAG staff is on testing and preparing the new system to be fully functional and, more importantly, minimally disruptive for UK staff.

The system will be unavailable to users beginning on Tuesday, December 27, 2011 and will be returned to the users by 8:00 AM on Thursday, December 29, 2011.

Long Distance Code Changes

Effective September 1, UK Communications and Network Systems has replaced employees' long-distance authorization PIN codes with the eight-digit* employee ID number listed at the top of every employee's pay statement. The 7-digit code previously used for long distance no longer works.

Authorized employees should use their employee ID number to place long-distance calls going forward. Employees will also be able to verify their long-distance access by viewing the "Employee Self-Service" tab in the myUK portal. The long-distance code change is part of efforts to improve operational efficiency and supply cost savings for the university.

Effective October 1, 2011, calling cards are needed to place an international phone call from a UK telephone. International calling cards can be requested by department administrators for individual employees by completing the PDF form available at www.uky.edu/IT/CNS/forms/CC_form.pdf. Details on where to mail or fax the completed form are available at the bottom of the form. Additional information regarding international calling cards is available at www.uky.edu/IT/CNS/products/callcard.html.

Effective November 1, 2011, domestic long-distance calls from all UK phones will require use of the employee ID number as the long-distance pin authorization code.

Note: FAX lines will be exempted unless requested otherwise.

For additional information regarding the new long-distance codes, visit www.uky.edu/ukit/longdistancefaq, contact the CNS Work Order Desk at commwo@uky.edu, or call the UKIT Service Desk at (859) 218-HELP (4357).

*Please note: 2011-2012 Employee Faculty/Staff ID Cards exclude the leading zeros at the front of the employee ID number, but these leading zeros are required when using the ID number as the long-distance PIN.

myUK Service Request Application

The new web-based application now available through myUK streamlines the processes for staff to request Information Technology (UKIT) services. This application replaces old forms for phone, data, and CosmoCom requests with a consolidated, "wizard"-based experience. The application is the foundation of a new system to provide users with a common interface, to increase efficiency, and to expedite the workflow of all UKIT service requests.

The requestor, business officer, and UKIT fulfillment team receive a confirmation e-mail with request details after submitting information via the new web-based application. Requestors also have the option to include multiple, and same-type requests on a single request.

UKIT went to great lengths to share the news of the application through presentations across campus, newsletters, and word of mouth. In addition, a diverse group of beta testers used the application for six weeks prior to the campus-wide announcement.

A few comments from beta testers:

"The new UKIT Service Request Application is another great representation of the inclusive and collaborative product development process that is now the UKIT standard.User feedback was solicited at an early stage in development. The product team was engaged and responsive to our concerns and considerate of how the application would be used in our respective areas of responsibility."
– Christopher Canjar, UK Agriculture Data Center

"I was really impressed with how much thought and effort the CNS and IT staff put into making the form user friendly."
– Gail McAlister, UK HealthCare IT Services – Business Services Division

In the first week after the announcement, over 25 percent of UKIT service requests came through the new application. For the weeks beginning September 19 and October 5, over 50 and 85 percent of requests, respectively, were submitted via the new process. On October 4th, an automated notification to business officers based on department was implemented. UKIT will release additional features soon which include request history reporting by department, date, requestor, and cost center.

Since implementing the application, there have been some questions related to help tickets or trouble tickets also referred to as incidents. An interruption of service or problem with existing hardware, software, systems, services, etc… should be reported through the respective customer support (help) desk (ex. UKIT Service Desk for campus and UKHC ITS Help Desk for healthcare areas). The UKIT service request web application is primarily used by business officers and facilities staff to request new UKIT services such as phones or network ports or to change the options/settings on an existing service.

Additional information and screenshots of the new Web-based application are available at www.uky.edu/ukit/UKITServiceRequests.
For other questions, please contact the UKIT Service Desk at 859-218-HELP (4357).

Idle Exchange Account Policy

UKIT has a new policy on the local Exchange system for University of Kentucky employees. UK Exchange accounts not accessed for a year or more will be deleted from Exchange to conserve storage. The email in the deleted accounts will NOT be recoverable. Simply log into your UK Exchange email to reset the access date. UK employees are requested to check their UK Exchange email at least once a month. Please share this new policy with co-workers.

UK STUDENT EMAIL

University of Kentucky's student email service is provided by Google Apps and Windows Live. These providers fall into the category of "cloud computing" meaning that applications, file storage and email accounts are housed on off-campus servers and can all be accessed through a variety of devices such as laptops, smart phones and tablets. The email services offer students expanded mailboxes, additional collaboration and production tools while costing the university less money than the previous email service.

All students have been migrated from Exchange, the university’s former email provider, to "the cloud." Students have the option to choose either a Google Gmail or a Microsoft Live account, but their Universal Email Address " John.L.Doe@uky.edu" remains the same.

The migration excludes Medical students in colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Health Sciences, Nursing and Public Health due to health information privacy regulations. UK Student Employees will have the option to access an Exchange account for job purposes, but all other mail (general and course materials) should be sent to the student's "cloud" account.
Links to Student Email FAQs and the login pages for Google Apps and Windows Live are available at www.uky.edu/email.

Migration to Lync 2010

On Jan. 7, UK Information Technology migrated from Microsoft Office Communicator Systems (OCS) 2007 R2 to its newer product called Microsoft Lync 2010. About 3,300 UK users use OCS daily to connect with one another online.

Beginning Jan. 10, UK staff, faculty, and students will be able to download the Lync 2010 client at http://download.uky.edu/. All current OCS users should install Lync 2010 by January 31. Installation instructions are available at http://wiki.uky.edu/lync.

Current users with existing meetings scheduled on OCS were moved to the Lync servers during the migration. However, to join these meetings as a presenter, users will need to have the latest Live Meeting client installed. A link to the latest Live Meeting client is available at http://wiki.uky.edu/lync.

The Mac Communicator client from Microsoft Mac Office 2011 and the Mac Messenger 7.02 client both work with Lync 2010. It is recommended that all Mac users run the Mac Communicator client for the best experience.

Additional information about the new Lync 2010 and this migration are available at http://wiki.uky.edu/lync. Lync 2010 features are highlighted in a video at http://wiki.uky.edu/lync/Videos/What%20Is%20Lync.aspx.

ESS Enhancements Makes Changes Easier

UK employees may now enter or update tax withholding (W4, K4) through myUK Employee Self-Service (ESS).  This convenient new feature allows employees to update this information entirely online, with no paper forms required.

The latest ESS enhancements add to a growing array of tools making it easier for UK employees to enroll in benefits, update financial and contact information and much more.

Recent additions to ESS are part of an overall system upgrade, which includes enhanced progress (step-by-step) indicators on many existing features. These updates also provide the foundation for future improvements, including customized professional development plans and manager self-service features, among others.

For an overview and instructions for tax withholding and all other ESS features, visit the new myUK Employee Self-Service Overview site at http://www.uky.edu/HR/myuk/welcome.html.

To log on directly to myUK, visit https://myuk.uky.edu/irj/portal.

link blue

UKIT coined the term "link blue" to define a directory account (userid and password) which can be used when connecting to many campus-wide systems. For more information click here.

Security change impacts Wireless Remote Desktop

To further secure the ukyedu wireless network, a change has been made to disallow the use of Remote Desktop (RDP) from the wireless network unless VPN is used. The user has to log in to VPN first, then access RDP. This change was made to further protect the information that flows across the network. A wiki site that details the instructions for installing VPN has been updated to include instructions for connecting to RDP through the ukyedu wireless network. That link is: http://wiki.uky.edu/vpn/Wiki%20Pages/Home.aspx. If you have any questions, please contact the UKIT Service Desk at 859-218-HELP (4357).

Register Your Wireless Device and Bypass Wireless Logon

UKIT is pleased to announce the release of a new feature for current students, faculty, and staff: The ability to register your wireless device. By registering your wireless device once every six months you can bypass the wireless login page when connecting to our wireless network. For more information please see our wiki article: How to Register Your Wireless Device, or go straight to the Wireless Device Registration site to get started.

Phishing Scam Emails

Many UK account holders have received false and potentially damaging “service” or “maintenance” emails indicating that their email accounts will be deactivated unless account password information is “confirmed.” We do not require this information to “improve the features of our web service” or to prevent email accounts from being deleted.  Please be assured that any email asking for your uky.edu, email.uky.edu, or link blue password is a phishing scam. Do not reply to any email asking for passwords. 

Some types of phishing emails ask you to click on a link to open a web page for “validating” your information. These links can be disguised to appear to be sent from a uky.edu domain website, but they actually open a site from a non-UK-affiliated website. Clicking on these links may inflict a “drive-by” infection on your computer, causing your personal information to be compromised and requiring a rebuild of your PC. 

What to do if you have replied to a phishing email: 

• Change your password immediately via the UK Account Manager ( http://password.uky.edu/). 
• Video instructions for changing your password are available at 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX6z8Czek6w. 

• Call UKIT Customer Service at 859-218-HELP (4357) if you need additional assistance changing your password. 

How to detect a potential scam: 

• Poor English syntax and/or grammar within the message 
• An unspecified sender 
• Links that ask you to click onto non-uky.edu addresses for “secure verification” 
• A fake reply address e.g., chancellor@uky.edu (UK does not have a chancellor) 

If you are in doubt about the validity of an email message, please contact UKIT Customer Service at 859-218-HELP (4357).

Remote Access

UKIT and UK Training and Development have created a Remote Access workshop for staff and faculty. Additional information is available on the UK T&D website at http://hr.uky.edu/TandD/classes/TT066.html

SSTARS Statistical Software

UKIT has renegotiated licenses to allow distribution to more academic users, with total costs of licensing increasing less than 10 percent. The new licensing replaces the previous system of individually authorized purchases and downloads. Funding for the licenses will now be collected at the Provost level. Software offered includes* SAS, SPSS, JMP, SigmaPlot, Matlab, and Qualtrics. All software will be licensed to the user on a yearly basis, and each license requires a brief registration form. During the coming year, UKIT will use this registration information to monitor usage of the software across the colleges, looking especially at teaching/classroom vs. research usage. Statistical software packages are now available for download from https://download.uky.edu.

*Noted exceptions:

• Administrative users are generally not covered under these licenses. Such users should contact Dan O'Brien at danobrien@uky.edu or 859-257-2641 for more information.
• The Matlab license cannot be installed on student-owned computers.
• STATA is still available for individual purchase.

UK Faculty, Staff Adobe Download Available

All University of Kentucky faculty and staff members are authorized to use selected Adobe software products, thanks to a recent agreement that was recently signed by UK administrators and the software company.
Since the cost for these licenses has been pre-paid by the university, these software items should not be ordered through any other outlets. All departments can download the products to their UK computers by logging into https://iweb.uky.edu/MSDownload/.

An Adobe FAQ document is available to review at
http://wiki.uky.edu/software/Wiki%20Pages/Adobe%20FAQ.aspx
Acrobat X Upgrade FAQ:
http://wiki.uky.edu/software/Wiki%20Pages/Acrobat%20X%20FAQ.aspx

PowerPoint Slides from the November 15, 2010 Presentation:
http://wiki.uky.edu/software/SupportingDocuments/Adobe-UK%20Higher%20Education%20Agreement%20Presentation% 2011_15_2010.pptx

The following software products are included in the agreement:

• Acrobat 9 Pro WIN/Mac
• CS5 Design Premium WIN/MAC
• CS5 Web Premium Win/MAC
• Captivate
• Presenter
• Photoshop Elements
• Adobe Flex Builder 3
• Adobe AIR
• Adobe ColdFusion 8 (free to educators and students)
• Curriculum and Certification Resources

The agreement benefits the UK community by reducing the costs of acquiring, upgrading, maintaining and managing campus software. It authorizes faculty and staff to use the software on any departmental computer or a home computer for work-related purposes. Proof of the campus's license is maintained centrally to ensure compliance with copyright infringement laws.

Faculty and staff members who need more information or help downloading the software should contact the UKIT Customer Service Center.

Windows 7 for Students

Students: Windows 7 is now available for purchase at a deeply discounted rate! For more information go to this page.

UK Information Technology Announces: '218-HELP'

University of Kentucky’s Information Technology (UKIT) Customer Service announces 218-HELP as UK's telephone source for answers to a variety of computing and networking questions. 

This single number for Information Technology customer service eliminates the need to call multiple numbers.  Students, faculty, staff and other customers can now receive assistance from UKIT Customer Service by dialing one number. 

UKIT Customer Service envisions the single number support as a more customer-friendly approach.  Additional self-service tools will be added soon, including a means to verify the status of customer requests or questions.  For IT questions or assistance, contact UKIT Customer Service at 859-218-HELP (4357).

Cutter Consortium

Need help leveraging technology? UKIT is pleased to offer you access to Cutter Consortium. Cutter Consortium provides a comprehensive range of consulting, training and content by the leading expert practitioners in business and IT. Click here to sign up (use your UK e-mail address and subscription code: ryaRm)

Backup Services

Are you backed up? Click here to read about services available for desktops and servers.