OIT News
Monthly news briefs, information and announcements
Office of Information Technology, NC State University
Issue 94, August 2015
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Follow OIT on Twitter @NCStateOIT
For up-to-the-minute reports on OIT systems, see SysNews
For help with computing problems, contact the NC State Help Desk
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01: Download your free copy of Office 365!
02: Central IT extended maintenance scheduled for Sept. 19-20
03: OIT publishes 2014-15 Annual Report: One IT, One WolfPack Family
04: Apple to discontinue iTunes U Private Sites on Sept. 1
05: Help Desk and Walk-in Center offer student IT support during move-in weekend
06: Computing @ NC State and Student Services Calendar are now available
07: Disable “download, print and copy” features for Google files
08: Enroll in a Google Apps workshop this fall!
09: SAR training scheduled for Sept. 15
10: Secure your mobile device for international travel
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01: Download your free copy of Office 365!
OIT is pleased to announce that Office 365 is now available for students, faculty and staff to download to their personal devices. Office 365 is Microsoft’s latest version of its Office suite of software, including Word, Excel and Powerpoint.
Personal Use
You can install a free copy of Office 365 on five desktops or laptops and five smartphones or tablets. Office 365 also comes with 1TB of cloud file space, called OneDrive.
To get Office 365:
- Download the full version at go.ncsu.edu/getoffice365.
- Use your Unity ID and password to sign in to Office 365 at http://office365.ncsu.edu.
Professional Use
University employees who want to download any of the MS Office products to their work computers should check first with their IT support staff; software licenses should be accessed via Software @ NC State.
Although Office 365 is now available, Google Apps @ NC State is the university’s primary collaborative application suite. OIT recommends that you use Google Apps for collaboration rather than Office 365.
Direct all questions about Office 365 to the NC State Help Desk at help@ncsu.edu or 919.515.HELP (4357).
02: Central IT extended maintenance scheduled for Sept. 19-20
On Saturday, Sept. 19 through Sunday, Sept. 20, OIT will perform extensive system maintenance, such as data center improvements that require shutdown and movement of equipment, hardware replacement and infrastructure configuration. This extended maintenance window will run from 6 a.m. Saturday to 6 p.m. Sunday.
OIT services may be degraded or unavailable for extended periods during this maintenance window. These services include, but are not limited to:
- MyPack Portal
- Human Resources, Financial and Student systems
- DELTA Wolfware (Moodle, Mediasite, Collaborate, and WolfWare Classic)
- Virtual Computing Lab (VCL)
- WolfPrint services
- Hosted systems
- Networked Attached Storage (NAS) shares and exports
- Backup services
- RedHat Network / Satellite service
Other proposed extended maintenance windows that can possibly impact IT services include:
- Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015, through Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015
- Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016, through Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016
- Saturday, April 9, 2016, through Sunday, April 10, 2016
For scheduled system changes and updates, see the Change Management Calendar or visit SysNews. If you have any questions, contact the NC State Help Desk at help@ncsu.edu or 919.515.HELP (4357).
03: OIT publishes 2014-15 Annual Report: One IT, One WolfPack Family
Like every member of the WolfPack community, campus IT staff play a vital role in the university’s operations. No one, or entity, does IT alone; it’s a collaborative effort. In our annual report, One IT, One WolfPack Family, there are many stories illustrating our partnerships with the campus IT community and others to provide an array of IT services that support campus business functions, education and research activities. We all do IT with a single focus in mind — a satisfied Wolfpack community!
One IT, One WolfPack Family aligns our projects and services completed during the 2014-15 fiscal year with the goals and strategies of Partners in Innovation: A Strategic Plan for IT at NC State, 2014-2020 and with The Pathway to the Future: NC State’s 2011-2020 Strategic Plan. It also recognizes the accomplishments of our staff and provides a collection of statistics on many of our services. Read One IT, One WolfPack Family to learn more about how we are working collaboratively to improve the campus IT infrastructure and university business operations.
04: Apple to discontinue iTunes U Private Sites on Sept. 1
On Tuesday, Sept. 1, Apple Inc. will discontinue its iTunes U Private Sites service.
As a result, if you have content on NC State’s iTunes U Private Sites, it will no longer be available, as of Sept. 1. OIT will not back up this content. Here are some steps to take now.
- Download your content to an alternate location.
- Verify at iTunes if you have a Public Site Manager account.
- Move, if you prefer, your content to the Public Site Manager if it hasn’t been moved already. All content stored in the Public Site Manager cannot be restricted and is available to the public. Content creators or facilitators can migrate content or request a channel for the Public Site Manager. To do so:
- Send an email to help@ncsu.edu.
- Put iTunes Feed Request in the subject line.
- Include in the body of the email:
- Title of the channel
- Apple IDs that will be associated with the account
- To create an Apple ID, see My Apple ID.
Additional resources
- Accessing and archiving content from iTunes U private sites
- iTunes U services, including distributing content in public and private iTunes U courses
- Alternatives to iTunes U – DELTA’s Moodle or Mediasite services
OIT has notified individuals who have content on NC State’s iTune U Private Sites that the service will be discontinued on Sept. 1. For additional information and updates, see SysNews.
05: Help Desk and Walk-in Center offer student IT support during move-in weekend
During move-in weekend, Saturday Aug. 15 to Sunday, Aug. 16, the NC State Help Desk and the OIT Walk-In Center will be open from noon to 5 p.m. to assist incoming and returning students with their basic move-in needs, such as account access, ResNet and cable TV setup.
Students can contact the NC State Help Desk at help@ncsu.edu or 919.515.HELP (4357), or visit the Walk-In Center in Room 101 of the West Dunn Building, on the corner of Dan Allen Drive and Thurman Drive.
The Help Desk and the Walk-in Center will both resume normal operating hours on Monday, Aug. 17. The Help Desk will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Walk-in Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
06: Computing @ NC State and Student Services Calendar are now available
OIT recently published Computing @ NC State 2015 and the Student Services Calendar 2015-2016, annual publications that orient new students — and their parents — as well as faculty and staff to information technology resources and campus activities.
Inside these publications, you’ll find numerous IT-related topics, including Unity accounts, the MyPack Portal, mobile device security, antivirus, Google Apps @ NC State, copyright infringement, social networking, phishing, computer recommendations, printing, accessible IT, phone service, cable TV, labs/workstations, iTunes U, and networking connections.
As a faculty or staff member, you may have an opportunity in your class or office to direct students who have IT-related questions to these informative publications. Grab your online copy of the Student Services Calendar 2015-2016. Printed copies of the calendar and Computing @ NC State 2015 are available at the Avent Ferry Technology Center, the NC State Bookstores, the West Dunn Building and the Hillsborough Building. You can also direct students to the IT Services for Students Web page.
07: Disable “download, print and copy” features for Google files
As a Google Apps @ NC State user, you now have more control over who can download, print and copy your Google Apps files including documents, presentations, spreadsheets, or other files in Drive.
To enable this feature:
- Open your Google Apps file.
- Click the blue Share button at the top right corner.
- Click the Advanced link in the lower right hand corner.
- Check the box, Disable options to download, print, and copy for commenters and viewers.
- Click the Save changes box.
Please note that once this setting is enabled:
- All entry points for downloading, printing and copying will be removed from Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides on all platforms. Individuals with edit permissions will still be able to download, print and copy your file or folder, even if this setting is enabled. This setting can only be enabled via the Web.
- Google documents, spreadsheets and presentations will show a notification at the top of the File and Edit menus.
For more details on Google’s new enhancements, check out the July edition of Google Apps What’s New. You can also follow the Google Service Team on:
- Twitter @ncsu_oit or @ncsu_google
- Google+
08: Enroll in a Google Apps workshop this fall!
Upcoming workshops include:
- Google Calendar will be offered on Tuesday, Aug. 18 from 9 a.m. to noon in Room 110 of the Avent Ferry Technology Center. If you’re comfortable with the basics of Google Calendar and are ready to use more of its features, this hands-on workshop is for you. This workshop will focus on appointment slots, event attachments, maps and directions, sharing and embedding calendars, labs, quick add, search options, mobile notifications, scheduling online meetings, and more. For prerequisite information and to register, visit Classmate.
- Gmail Top 10 will be offered on Thursday, Aug. 20 from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 110 of the Avent Ferry Technology Center. Learn OIT trainers’ favorite Gmail tips, features and best practices. If you don’t have time to attend a full-length training session this summer or you’re just interested in learning new ways to utilize Gmail, then register for this action-packed workshop via Classmate.
- Create and Collaborate with Google Drive will be offered on Tuesday, Aug. 25 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 110 of the Avent Ferry Technology Center. In this hands-on workshop, you will learn everything you need to know to get started using Google Docs/Drive at NC State. You will learn how to use Drive in a collaborative environment, including editing a file simultaneously with other people, securing a document through file sharing permissions, and creating files for use by a group of colleagues or friends. For this workshop, you will need to have an active NC State University Unity account with access to Google Apps at NC State. If you would prefer using your own laptop or other mobile device, feel free to bring it. To register, visit Classmate.
- Introduction to Google Services will be offered on Wednesday, Aug. 26 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Room 110 of the Avent Ferry Technology Center. This workshop is intended to be the foundation for all other Google Apps workshops. This session will provide an overview of Google Services at NC State. Topics will include a review of currently available Google Apps on campus, accessibility, recommended settings, security tips, support, Web Registry tools (e.g., generic accounts, calendar resources), and much more! To register visit Classmate.
- Gmail: Advanced – Plus Tools, Tips & Tricks will be offered on Thursday, Aug. 27 from 9 a.m. to noon in Room 110 of the Avent Ferry Technology Center. If you’re comfortable with the basics of Gmail and are ready to take it to the next level, this more advanced hands-on workshop is for you. You will learn more about creating labels, filters and canned responses, scheduling Google Calendar Events, and using Google Drive through Gmail, along with any planned or newly released Google features. To register, visit Classmate.
For other available training sessions, visit Classmate Scheduled Workshops. If you are interested in custom software training, complete the Custom Training Form. Email all training questions to classreg@ncsu.edu.
09: SAR training scheduled for Sept. 15
Security Access Request (SAR) training for campus requestors and approvers of access to secured university data will be held Tuesday, Sept. 15 from 9:30 a.m. to noon in Room 108 of the Avent Ferry Technology Center. Visit Classmate to register for training.
10: Secure your mobile device for international travel
If you travel internationally with a laptop, tablet or smartphone, you risk loss or theft of your device and the data stored on it.
Malicious individuals who set out to compromise mobile devices may find not only your business information of interest, but also your university username and password, which could then be used to access and exploit university systems and information resources. In addition, if someone installs malware on your mobile device while you are travelling, the malware could compromise university systems and data when you reconnect your device to the university network.
It is impossible to protect mobile devices against every form of system or information breach. The safest assumption, then, is that if you choose to take your mobile device with you, especially to high-risk countries, it will be compromised in some potentially undetectable way. See the U.S. State Department’s warnings and alerts about high-risk countries.
The only truly secure choice is not to take your mobile device with you when traveling internationally. If you don’t need it, don’t take it with you.
For practical advice about what to do before, during and after your trip, visit OIT’s Technology for Travel Web page.
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