Wired In: ICS offers improved services and facilities

By Melissa Mitchell

Students and faculty and staff members who frequent any of the nine campus computing sites operated by the Office of Computing and Communications Services may have noticed some changes and improvements at the facilities.

Topping the list is a name change.

"For many years CCSO has maintained a strong commitment to providing quality instructional computing facilities," wrote Randy Cetin, one of the office's associate directors, in a recent memo to UI faculty and staff members. "To emphasize that point and to more appropriately identify our facilities, we have changed our name from CCSO 'Sites' to CCSO 'Instructional Computing Sites,' or ICS."

Along with the new name, comes a new manager. Catherine Somers began her duties as the ICS manager last summer. Cetin said users with questions or ideas for improvements at the sites are encouraged to contact Somers at 244-7113 or by e-mail at c-somers@illinois.edu.

Among the more visible changes that greeted users upon their return to campus this fall:

• Replacement of all Macintosh II si, ci and cx computers ­ and many Intel 486 systems -­ with Macintosh Power PCs and Dell 200 MHz PCs. Many of the retired systems remain available at the sites, but are designated as "e-mail only" systems.
• Network upgrades to 10 Mbps switched ethernet. The new networks promise to improve network performance and security.
• Software upgrades, including the installation of Mac OS 8 Macintosh machines and Microsoft Office 97 on all PC Windows-based systems.
• A new mailing list for faculty and staff members who wish to be informed of news relating to ICS. That may include anything from clarifications of operating procedures to notifications about hardware and software upgrades. Additionally, the list will provide a mechanism for users to inform CCSO staff of potential problems, as well as solutions. To subscribe to the list, send an e-mail request to csosites@illinois.edu.

Also, CCSO recently began requiring authenticated logins on all CCSO instructional computers. The logins are based on Network IDs and Network ID passwords.

"We are implementing this system to provide better network and communication security for our clients and to generate more complete utilization statistics for future planning," Cetin said. He added that all students, faculty and staff members should already have network IDs and passwords, but for those who don't, or for those who need to make changes, assistance is available in 1420 Digital Computer Lab, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For phone information, the number is 333-6760.

"To minimize confusion and allow patrons to become familiar with the new system, a temporary guest account will be available until Oct. 15," he said. "If you do not have a Network ID or do not know your Network ID password, you may still use the CCSO facilities by typing the word 'guest' at the Network ID prompt and press return at the Network ID password prompt. After Oct. 15, university staff members may request guest access to a CCSO computer site for a university guest (for up to seven days) by completing a guest application." Forms will be available on the ICS Web page, located at http://www.uiuc.edu/ccso/sites/.

Cetin said faculty members and teaching assistants who wish to reserve one of ICS' facilities for their classes, or who wish to install software on the sites' servers, may submit requests via the ICS Web page as well. Software-install requests should be submitted at least two weeks before needed, and classroom reservation requests should be made as soon as possible to ensure availability.

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