Novell File and Print Services Upgrade
ITS is in the process of upgrading to the current version of
Novell (version 6). This affects you if you get a Novell login
screen when you start your computer. Novell provides access to
shared departmental file space, as well as individual file space,
on a file server that is backed up regularly. It also provides
control for printing to shared departmental printers.
Over the past year, we have been doing a complete overhaul of
the Novell infrastructure on campus to prepare for the upgrade.
This has been a very involved process technically and has required
a number of vendor negotiations, detailed planning and testing, as
well as working directly with Novell engineers. We are now ready to
migrate users to the upgraded system.
Some of the benefits that you can expect to see from this
upgrade and migration include:
- More prompt support: Because we have reorganized the
technical management framework for Novell services, we will be
able to more quickly identify server problems and resolve
them.
- New management tools: The upgrade will make it possible for
us to leverage new management tools which we will use to install
new computers, provide security upgrades, manage the distribution
of software and provide better support.
- Lower cost to our customers: ITS is now paying for all Novell
licensing costs. This means departments will not be charged
licensing fees for new software or for the upgrade. There may
continue to be charges to individual departments that require
extra storage.
ITS has put together an implementation plan to migrate users to
the new system. Our deployment plan is composed of the following
stages:
- New servers and server software have been installed and
configured.
- Migration of ITS staff to the new file and print services was
completed during October, 2003. This allowed ITS staff to test
the system and identify and resolve unexpected problems.
- ITS is working with several departments to complete "pilot"
migrations to the new file and print services. This will allow
ITS to further refine the migration process.
- ITS is gathering information from departments that will help
schedule migrations. The information being gathered includes:
- The number of computers and staff that are impacted by
this change.
- Departmental files that are shared with other
departments.
- Migration for the rest of campus is scheduled to begin in
early 2004. Departments will be contacted to set up a schedule
for migrating to the new file and print services. See the plan
for migrating departments below.
Part of the implementation plan includes a model for working
with individual departments that use Novell file and print
services. Not all departments on campus use these services. If you
do not get a Novell login screen when you start your computer, you
are not using Novell.
- ITS will contact each
affected department approximately two weeks before we are ready
to begin the migration process for the
department.
- A migration schedule will be worked
out
- If a department
desires, a question and answer session for the entire
department can be scheduled
- Computers that need
Novell file and print services will be
identified
- Several days before the
migration, ITS technicians will visit the department to obtain
printer information and do preliminary work on departmental computers that will be
using the new file and print services. This will help ensure a
smoother migration.
- All Novell users in the
department will be asked to log out at 5:00 PM (or the time
agreed upon) for file migration to take place. Because the
migration of files will take several hours, it will be done
overnight.
- The morning after files
are moved, ITS technicians will install new Novell client
software and ZENworks, a desktop management tool. Technicians
will also resolve any
problems.
ITS is very excited about this project. The better design and
newer technology will greatly benefit the campus. Our customers
will enjoy greater reliability and better performance. In the
future, expect to see even more benefits as ITS staff use new tools
to streamline hardware and software installation and upgrades,
proactively detect and repair problems, and more.
Last updated: January 22, 2004