SOLS Information Technology Support Policies(For Comment; Subject to Change)These are the policies that govern computer use and computer support in SOLS. The computer use polices are a subset of the University Policy on allowable use ASU Policy ACD 125: Computer, Internet and Electronic Communications which governs the use of ASU computing and communications resources. Arizona Law restricts viewing sexually explicit images on state-owned computers; ASU's memo is here. Other policies regarding computer use at ASU are listed here. Activating your ASURITE ID signifies understanding and acceptance of these policies. Please be familiar with them.1. General Services Provided by UTO SOLS support group 1. General Services Provided by UTO SOLS support group
2. Desktop SupportUTO has assigned three support staff to SOLS. They are part of a larger UTO-CLAS support group. They handle all of the day-to-day calls from the Helpdesk queue dealing with desktop support. For support, enter a request at http://helpdesk.la.asu.edu.3. SOLS IT CoordinatorThe SOLS IT Coordinator is the liaison to UTO SOLS support and is responsible for overseeing the computer-equipped teaching labs and LRC undergraduate facility.
4. Suggested standardsFaculty are entrepreneurs in many senses, and the role of SOLS IT in computer purchases is advisory. The standards below are what we recommend and what we are best able to support. Faculty may of course purchase outside these recommendations, with the understanding that support may be at a lower level. Support contracts are very strongly encouraged, and computers purchased without support contracts will not have failed hardware (disks, memory, motherboards, etc) replaced by SOLS UTO or SOLS.
SOLS IT equally supports Windows and Macintosh computers. We do not have the resources to support Linux or other operating systems.
Apple pricing is available at the Computing Store web site, be sure to choose departmental or individual as appropriate. We recommend going to the Computer Store and having them prepare the Apple Proposal as they can sell and install additional RAM much more economically than Apple. Apple operates an on-site service center in the Computing Commons building.
You can get an estimate of Dell pricing from the publicly available sites, but we have access to their Premiere site that provides additional discounts for departmental purchases. Please allow us to prepare your Dell quote to go to the SOLS business department.
5. Electrical Protection.At a minimum, all computing devices should be connected to wall power through a surge protector. Use of an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is highly recommended. SOLS UTO neither supplies nor services power strips nor UPS devices but can consult with you on the correct capacity to order. 6. Standard Software loadedPC - Stock
PC - Available:
Mac
See the software page for information about available software. 7. Donated equipmentA letter from the ASU Foundation must document equipment donated to ASU for use in SOLS. See Gift-In-Kind or Contributed Service form. This protects everyone by providing a clear ownership trail. The computer must be able to run a currently supported operating system, either Windows XP and above or Mac OS X and above.Exceptions are computers dedicated to running a specific laboratory instrument that does not have drivers that can be updated to a current operating system. These are allowed, but not connected to the network due to security risks. SOLS Computer support will install Office and other utility programs as requested and provide support on an as-available basis for donated computers that meet the above criteria. When the hardware malfunctions, we will facilitate transfer to ASU Surplus, as we do not have the parts, resources, nor time to work on hardware that is not part of our current inventory. This policy is not designed to discourage anyone from donating equipment to SOLS—rather, it is to protect the networked environment and maximize the scarce resources of the SOLS support team. 8. Vendor Supplied Computers for Laboratory EquipmentThese are specialized systems and we have limited ability to provide support. We can provide IP addresses, anti-virus software, operating system updates, and general consultation but must leave support for the vendor supplied software and hardware to the vendor.9. "Red Tag" equipmentWhen you have computers that you are no longer using, please put in a Helpdesk queue call to have them evaluated. They will either be “red tagged” for continued use or sent to ASU Surplus. 10. Off-Campus Use of EquipmentUse of equipment off-campus is governed by ASU Property Control Policy PCS 505: Off-Campus Use of Equipment. In particular, any laptop taken off campus should have a completed Temporary Off-Campus Loan of Equipment form on file with the SOLS Facilities Office. Other equipment fitting the definition of PCS 505 should also have this form completed and on file. 11. Purchasing computer suppliesSOLS Faculty allotment. Beginning 1 July 2008, each faculty member will be credited up to $200/year to use for computer consumables (including toner) and other office supplies through SOLS business office. 12. Personal EquipmentWe can only offer limited consultation on a time-available basis for equipment not owned by ASU. Due to liability issues, we cannot perform any hardware services. The Technology Studio in the Computing Commons 105, 965-2483, just past the computer store, offers direct support for Student/Faculty/Staff personally owned computers. 13. Polices on Graduate Students and ComputersThe SOLS administration believes graduate students should have their own computer, either desktop or laptop. This may be supplied by the student or by their mentor.
14. Network Services and E-MailUniversity Technology Office handles all network installations and upgrades. No one else is permitted to install wiring or any network device, including wireless access points. All SOLS buildings have wireless access from UTO; please contact the Helpdesk if you cannot get a connection. E-mail is provided by UTO. UTO SOLS staff will install and configure Outlook for PC or Entourage for Mac. Other e-mail clients are the responsibility of the user. ASU Gmail is available by self-subscription. Questions about e-mail quotas, recovering e-mail, establishing distribution lists, etc. are all handled by the UTO Helpdesk. UTO SOLS will consult with you on your needs but has no ability to modify the central e-mail servers. ASU also provides ASU-branded Gmail. If you are faculty or staff and use Outlook on the Exchange Server, please consult with us before adding ASU Gmail to your services. It can confuse your addressing. Students may use ASU Gmail without any problems. 15. File Sharing and BackupTo ensure security, we do not support peer-peer networking. Shared file storage is available on the UTO CIFS server. Labs may buy space from UTO and UTO SOLS can assist with mounting the shared drives. Faculty members receive a small amount of central backup space for their individual use only; it may not be shared with their lab. Other than the CIFS server above, no central backup is provided for groups and or labs; SOLS IT does not backup data. Each member of SOLS is responsible for backing up their own files. 16. PrintersWe strongly recommend that all printers be connected to the network and shared. For individual and small lab use, we are recommending Dell laser printers.
For larger-volume, ASU has a contract with Canon which supplies multi-function network-connected devices that copy, scan to PDF and e-mail, and serve as network printers.
17. OutagesUTO maintains several locations to check for the status of the central computing systems: http://syshealth.asu.edu and at the banner at the top of http://www.asu.edu/interactive. SOLS IT |SCHOOL OF LIFE SCIENCES | ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY SOLS IT Policies. | IT Support Personnel. | Finding software. | Mission | Frequently-Asked Questions. | System Status.
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