University of Bradford >> LSS >> IT Services >> Risk >> IT 'at risk' dates
Recommended IT 'at risk' dates
The University has an agreed 'at risk' period for IT service
upgrades, updates and maintenance activity. On the one hand, it is important
that we maintain up to date services, and on the other hand, to take account
of business priorities around teaching, assessment and clearing.
| 2011 |
January |
3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| April |
27, 28, 29 |
| June |
10,11 |
| July |
25, 26, 27, 28, 29 |
| December |
19, 20, 21, 22, 23 |
| 2012 |
January |
2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| April |
Dates to follow |
| July |
Dates to follow |
| December |
Dates to follow |
July / August 2010
This Summer the period begins from 17:00 on Friday 23 July through Monday 2 August 07:00. The affected working week is therefore July 26 through July 30 inclusive.
The key services affected are as follows:
- There are updates to Blackboard taking place during this period. All Blackboard users have been consulted and informed. Please make sure you have downloaded any material you need from Blackboard before 5pm Friday 23 July.
- The SAINT system will be upgraded, starting 07:00 on Monday 26 July. During this time the system will be unavailable. Please log out of the system by 07:00 on Monday 26 July, otherwise you may lose some work. SAINT users will receive an email when the system is available again. We expect this to be during the afternoon of Tuesday 27 July.
- There will be potential minor disruption to a number of our services for routine maintenance and upgrade work. These services include:
- Making the eFile service accessible off campus.
- Physical moves of server racks holding mostly 'virtual machines' in Richmond Building.
- Move of the Directory Service onto a different platform.
- Test of the generator backup - probably some time on the 26th July ahead of the campus electrical interruption in late August.
- Some re-cabling of servers to improve resilience.
- Some network equipment will be affected including.
- Dual links put in place for remaining buildings on campus to reduce impact of network equipment moves within the J B Priestley Library.
- Upgrade network switch software on key equipment to enable new features and apply bug fixes.
We reserve the right to interrupt other services if this is necessary during the 'at risk' period. However, we will endeavour to communicate this with any affected users in advance and we will minimise impact.
April 2010
This Spring Vacation the period begins from 07:00 on Wednesday April 7th through Monday April 12th 07:00 - the affected working week is therefore April 7th through April 9th inclusive.
The key services affected during this 'at risk' period are as follows:
- SAINT Student Administration will be upgraded on Wednesday 7th April and Thursday 8th April. During this time SAINT Live will be unavailable.
- Blackboard virtual learning environment – will be undergoing scheduled maintenance Wednesday April 7th through Friday April 9th. We anticipate some slow running of the service out of hours due to load testing (overnight only) and one short service interruption of half an hour on the morning of April 7th.
- Staff Data Storage (G and H Drive) limited service interruption morning April 7th.
- Access to email server limited service interruption morning April 7th.
IT Services reserves the right to interrupt services if this is necessary during the 'at risk' period. However, we will endeavour to communicate this with any affected users in advance and we will minimise impact.
December 2009 - January 2010
This Christmas / New
Year the period begins from 18:00 on Friday 18th December through Friday January
8th. The key services affected during this 'at risk' period are
as follows:
- Diaries - Meeting Maker and the related software for
'smartphones' NotifyLink (18:00 on Friday 18 Dec back
for Monday morning 21 Dec)
- Staff
printing - replacing some print servers (requiring printers to
be powered off on Fri 18 Dec and restarted on Monday morning 21 Dec)
- Data
- Staff Data Storage (G and H Drive) - (Sunday 20
Dec)
- F42 PC cluster
room, the Hub and Sun Global Desktop (SGD)
virtual desktops (Sunday 20 Dec) - there are alternative PC Clusters
which are available for students.
- Document Scanning Operations - E-Pository document management
system (Monday 21 Dec)
- Student PC access - replacing server which will affect
student PC cluster login service (Monday 21 Dec) (limited service interruption)
- Learning
Environment – Blackboard (service unavailable Mon
21 and Tue 22 Dec)
- Data - Student Data Storage Facility (M Drive)
(Monday 4 Jan)
- Access
to email via the web - Webmail upgrade (Tuesday 5 Jan)
(limited service interruption)
- Streaming
media service (Thurs 7 Jan)
- Service interruption on the student pre-enrolment
portal (Thurs 7 Jan) (limited service interruption)
We reserve the right to
interrupt other services if this is necessary during the 'at risk' period,
however, we will endeavour to communicate this with any affected users
in advance and we will minimise impact.
Please send any feedback to ictservicedesk@bradford.ac.uk, ext
3333.
July 2009
This Summer the period begins from
16:00 on Friday 17 July through Monday 27 July 07:00 - the affected working
week is therefore July 20 through July 24 inclusive.
The key services affected are as follows:
- There is a fresh installation
of Blackboard taking place during this period. All Blackboard users have
been consulted and informed. Blackboard will not be available from 16:00,
Friday 17 July. It is anticipated that the upgrade will take no longer than
one working week and that Blackboard will be available by Monday, 27th July.
Please be aware that possible technical issues may mean that the upgrade
may take longer. Please make sure you have downloaded any material you need
from Blackboard before Friday 17 July 2009.
- The SAINT system will be upgraded, starting
07:00 on Thursday 23rd July. During this time the system will be unavailable.
Please log out of the system by 07:00 on Thursday 23rd July, otherwise you
may lose some work. SAINT users will receive an email when the system is
available again. We expect this to be during the afternoon of Friday 24th
July.
- There
will be potential minor disruption to the email service. This may delay email
to individual mailboxes but will not interrupt the service at your desktop
or lead to any loss of mail.
- Launch of new directory servers which
may cause some brief connectivity issues with some services. We do not expect
significant impact.
- Some computer equipment will be relocated between
physical computer rooms located in JBP Building. The services will be moved
in the early morning. Affected services include:
- All Sunray desktops – F42,
the Hub, atrium etc.
- Document Management System (Epository)
- Estates
Management System (FACTS)
- The RMS Helpdesk systems (IT Services, The
Hub, Disabilities)
- Question Mark Perception
- A number of other
systems with relatively few users who will be affected e.g. experts directory,
car park admin database, Publications Tracker, SLED databases, job shop
and post room recharging (Neotrack)
We reserve the right to interrupt other services if this is necessary during
the 'at risk' period, however, we will endeavour to communcate this with any
affected users in advance and we will minimise impact.
Finally, there will be preparation activity for the launch
of BRADfinder the new Library Management System (launch date July 28th)
