University Computing Standards Committee Meeting Minutes
                                                                        D.H. Hill Library
                                                        9 a.m. Wednesday, January 20, 1999

Members in Attendance:
Sam Averitt
Mardecia Bell
Hugh Devine
Pete Evans
Mike Freeman
Gwen Hazlehurst
Gloria Hyatt (substitute for Betsy Mebane)
Steve Keto
Charles Kneifel
Ron Melbourne
Harriet Mermes
Tom Miller
Mike O'Kane
Robin Pasquarello
Larry Robinson
Shirley Rogers
Dan Steen
Jennifer Van Horn

1. Welcome and Opening Remarks:
Charles Kneifel called the meeting to order at 9 a.m.

2. Approval of Minutes: November 18, 1998
Charles Kneifel called for a motion to approve the November 18, 1998 minutes. A second motion was given, and the minutes were unanimously approved.

3. Special Topics:
A. Administrative Desktop Subcommittee: Mike O'Kane
Distributed a copy of the Executive Report to Steve Keto and Charlie Kneifel and gave highlights of the report. Reported that the Executive Report had not been changed since the presentation given in the September University Standards Committee meeting; however, a summary had been added at the beginning of the report. Stated that the report merges together two different kinds of standards -- the underlying general standards and the universitywide standards -- as well as specific implementation of those standards. What the committee would like to see is a separation of the two standards, O'Kane said. The report can be assessed via the Web at: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/computing/adm_stds/.

Mike O'Kane asked about the procedures to bring the report to the attention of Chancellor Fox. He asked if the appropriate mechanism would be for the Committee to endorse the standards and then agree to regulate standards to ensure on-going standards meet universitywide computing standards.

Pete Evans said there is a question of the availability of human and financial resources that would be required for testing and housing configurations. Ron Melbourne commented that major support areas on campus could not progress if they utilize technology that was more than three years old. Evans said it seems as though the Committee is guaranteeing that people will be able to use technology three years later. Mike O'Kane said people want to see more predictability in this environment -- where they are, and where they are heading. Tom Miller commented that the reality is that the money is not there to do three-year rollover technology. If we are making that assumption in the standards document, it has to be bought into by the Deans, Miller said.

Charles Kneifel said he and Steve will take the document before the deans and vice chancellor and will report to the Committee at the next University Standards Committee meeting.

Pete Evans commented that the advantage of the subcommittee is that it can take a look at rollouts and adapt them before a demand is placed on campus units.

Charles Kneifel asked for volunteers to draft a one-to-two page paper on major changes of operating systems in the last three years. No response was given.

Steve Keto suggested that the Committee members meet with the Deans before he and Charlie visit them. Robin Pasquerello remarked that all of the Deans should be aware at this point about where the committee is heading. Subcommittees have contacted Deans and have received either a verbal or written report from the Deans.

Mike O'Kane said the primary point is to establish a default regulation that will include the standards and a mechanism to review standards and to share that information. How to roll them out is secondary to creating standards and creating a mechanism to review them, he said.

Charlie Kneifel said the Committee will need buy-in from the Deans and upper administration before the Committee endorses the standards. He commented again that Steve and he should met with the Deans.

B. Network Security Subcommittee: Pete Evans

Charles Kneifel reported that after two years of discussion, NC State University Board of Trustees and the Chancellor have endorsed a new computer user policy. As it relates to computing network security, there are requirements for monitoring and expectations of sanctions. The policy was distributed as a 3D memo from Chancellor Fox.

Pete Evans reported that the subcommittee has been looking at firewall issues and seeking input into providing a set of guidelines or a working paper. Because of the busy schedules of those providing the input, a meeting has not been scheduled. Evans said within 10 days he will submit a draft to the subcommittee members so that they can discuss where they are at with the issue.

Charles Kneifel reported that a systems programmer II position is being created. This position will serve as a security coordinator for Information Technology.

Steve Keto reported that the University Internal Audit Division has created an EDP auditor position. Once this person is hired, the Committee may ask this person to come in and give an overview of his or her job responsibilities.

C. Single User ID Structure and Timetable: Ron Melbourne
Reported that two years ago Bill Willis and Steve Keto charged a group to look at single user IDs and passwords for the campus community. This study was completed in the fall of 1996. This subject came up again with PeopleSoft and with NDS. Reported that there is information available on the Web about establishing a single-user ID. The naming structure will be used to assign IDs in the NDS and PeopleSoft environment, Melbourne said. If this is done, the ID will remain with the person until he or she leaves the university. The naming convention is the first initial, middle initial and the first six letters of a person's last name. Melbourne said a Web facility should be ready by the end of the first quarter.

Charles Kneifel reported that in the short run the university could fold data into the Unity account database. As PeopleSoft is implemented, there will be a unique identification and a place where data is kept. The goal is to use PeopleSoft as the filter of all related information.

Ron Melbourne will be the contact person for all comments and questions.

4. Data and Data Access Standards: Mardecia Bell
Reported that ACS is working with the College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to give them access to the PeopleSoft environment so they can take a look at the structuring and look at fields to their departmental system. Also reported that the committee is in the process of scheduling a meeting to discuss PeopleSoft User IDs. The subcommittee is also planning to meet with Larry Robinson to discuss the interface of PeopleSoft into Remedy.

5. User Authentication: Mardecia Bell
No report was given.

6. Communication: Sam Averitt/Jennifer Van Horn
Sam Averitt reported that he and Ed Rogers attended the General Administration Phase I funding meeting yesterday. General Administration is setting up an organization to approve and distribute funds for network infrastructure improvements. Some of the things we had hoped to pay for out of those monies will not be allowed, he said. The funds can not be used for operating and maintenance. The funds can only be used for hardware and physical infrastructure.

Charles Kneifel said the University was informed that it could spend between $2.1 and $2.2 million in reversion monies in addition to new money to complete the conversion to switched ethernet and for some of this year's network wiring debt.

Sam Averitt also reported that a preferred provider, Interpath, has been selected to address computing and network needs for corporations on Centennial Campus.

Also reported that the computer network manager position is now being advertised as of Sunday. He will wait two weeks to start a campus interview process that will include members of the University Standards Committee. He will identify members and will call on them to serve in the interviewing process.

Also reported that network bills will be sent out at the end of the month. Bills were derived from a list of desktops by closets and by a list of counts by closets based on machine addresses.

Charles Kneifel reported that Information Technology along with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University and MCNC are in the process of purchasing six strains of fiber optic cable from Interpath. The total purchase cost was $1.1 million. The purchase should be made by the end of the month.

Jennifer Van Horn reported that the Office of Telecommunications' new administrative bills would be coming out this week. The Office of Telecommunications held five information sessions on the new administrative bills within the last two weeks.

Also reported that Ed Rogers sent out RFI for Category 6 of the University Wiring Project, and nine companies responded. Three will be invited to campus. Reported that there is no Category 6 wiring yet. Passed out examples of different types of wiring for review by Committee members.

7. Electronic Mail/Delivery Services: Gwen Hazlehurst
Reported that she met with the NDS technical committee. Reported that more progress will be made within the next few weeks.

Network and Client Services (NCS) also received requests for delivery of GroupWise calendaring from two colleges. Announced that NCS's GroupWise 5 migration has picked up.

Charles reported that Tom Karches is working on LDAP.

8. PeopleSoft Implementation: Ron Melbourne
Reported the implementation schedules of PeopleSoft Human Resources Payroll and Accounts Payable. Both are Year 2000 implementations. Announced that Payroll will be in production by the end of March. A one-day training course is being held through February 5. Accounts Payable will go live on July 1. Training will be begin on February 8 and end in June. Campus users will be notified by memo.

Steve Keto said those employees in training should be urged to use the bus system when taking courses because of limited parking space at the Avent Ferry Complex.

Ron Melbourne reported that Human Resources training has been extremely well received.

Help Desk:
Melbourne also reported that Administrative Computing Services (ACS) is pushing to have a virtual Help Desk. There are three major support areas in the university. Melbourne said ACS will eventually be using Remedy to document all calls. The process will be two-tiered. Help Desk personnel will try to answer calls at Level 1 immediately and those calls that can not be answered at Level 1 will be referred to Level 2. There will be a review status of problems via a Web utility. The only downer to this process is that users may not have instantaneous help, Melbourne said. Our attempt is to be as responsive as possible, he said. At the startup of Human Resources, more people will be available.

Mike O'Kane asked about the status of Remedy. Ron Melbourne reported that CustomerQ will be utilized until Remedy is online. Larry Robinson said Remedy is currently in the development stage. One of the things we're waiting for is access to the PeopleSoft database, he said.

Tom Miller asked if there will be training sessions for Remedy. Larry Robinson said there would be. Robinson also said Remedy's operations are being made to function more like CustomerQ's for easier use.

Larry Robinson said Quickcall will be implemented in the Remedy environment. It is not available in CustomerQ. Quickcall will address frequent calls with standard information to call closes.

Mardecia Bell reported that ACS is in the process of working on a demonstration for Local Area Network Administrators to give a general overview of how users will access the PeopleSoft environment. The presentation will be given in February.

Pete Evans asked about the level of support LAN administrators will be expected to provide. Bell responded that ACS is working on answers and troubleshooting techniques that LAN administrators can help ACS with. Bell said ACS hopes to have this information available when the demonstration is given and will make information available via the Web. There will be procedures on how to put the PeopleSoft client on the desktops, she said.

Gwen Hazlehurst remarked that there will be a practice database available so people will not lose the information they have learned in training.

Harriet Mermes asked who was the representative from the College of Veterinary Medicine on the Data and Data Access Standards Subcommittee. Mardecia Bell responded that there was no one on the subcommittee from the College of Veterinary Medicine, but would be glad to add a person's name to the group. Harriet asked to be included on the Data and Data Access Standards subcommittee.


9. Other Items/Issues: Committee Members

Charles Kneifel discussed the possibility of a Year 2000 update, given by Larry Robinson or Sid Holmes at the next University Standards Committee meeting. Also reported receiving a memo from the General Administration about its top four priorities for the use of information technology. This information can be found at: http://www.ga.unc.edu/its/netstudy/PHASE_ II/MISC_DOCS/ITS2_MISC.html. Will send e-mail to Committee members on this issue later this week.