Software and Hardware Change Management Policy for CDes Computer Labs

Transcription

1 Sftware and Hardware Change Management Plicy fr CDes Cmputer Labs Overview The cmputer labs in the Cllege f Design are clsely integrated with the academic needs f faculty and students. Cmputer lab resurces are shared between all f the cllege s academic departments t maximize their value and utilizatin. This mdel has been successful but depends heavily n careful change management. The cmputer labs are like a small bi system where small changes in hardware r sftware can have a rippling effect thrughut. Therefre, change is handled thrugh careful planning making it pssible fr academic departments t develp curriculum and training with assurance that the cmputer labs will be ready t supprt them. This plicy describes the way changes in the cmputer labs are managed fr the benefit f faculty and students. Sftware Changes One f the majr functins f the cmputer labs is t make advanced sftware applicatins available t students. In Rapsn Hall, a recent inventry included thirteen majr titles nt including subtitles fr cllectins such as Adbe s Creative Suite. These applicatins are ften very cmplicated and require detailed cnfiguratin t run prperly. They represent a substantial investment by the cllege nt nly in financial terms but als effrt: faculty training t be able t teach the use f the applicatins and lab technical staff t be able t install and maintain them. Fr the purpses f the CDes labs, there are tw different classificatins f sftware: cre and supplemental. The cre applicatins include the perating system and ther system sftware (anti virus, print drivers, etc.) and standard tls such as Micrsft Office and Adbe s Creative Suite. The cre applicatins rarely change and becme the base installatin fr every lab cmputer. Supplemental sftware cnsists f everything that is nt in the base set. These applicatins are regularly reviewed fr need/relevance and frequently change depending n curriculum needs, etc. The list f cre and supplemental applicatins is fund n the cllege IT department s web site and is updated as needed. All cre applicatins are installed n every cmputer in CDes labs. Supplemental applicatins are installed n every cmputer in Rapsn r McNeal Hall (althugh nt necessarily n every cmputer in bth buildings). This plicy insures that lab clients will have access t cre and supplemental sftware at all times rather than nly in a specific rm where a class is taught. With the cllege s academic departments split between tw campuses and buildings, it des nt make sense t require supplemental applicatins be available universally if they are specific t ne academic department. This plicy will have t be recnsidered nce the cllege is physically lcated n ne campus.

2 Sftware and Hardware Change Management Plicy fr CDes Cmputer Labs Types f Changes There are three different kinds f change assciated with sftware: Upgrades Additins Remvals Each f these pses unique challenges fr lab technical and supprt staff and clients. Upgrades fall int tw different categries: patches and versin changes. A patch is an update t a sftware title that des nt change the versin (r results in nly a minr versin change). Usually a patch cntains a fix fr functinal r perfrmance prblem r security vulnerability. Patches are released fr perating systems (a special kind f applicatin sftware) as well as fr applicatins. A versin change cmpletely replaces an applicatin with a new release f the sftware. Versin updates may include functinal as well as user interface changes and may require re training r substantial hands n time t regain prficiency. In mst cases, patches are installed as sn as pssible. Versin changes are nly made between academic years and nly with the apprval f the stakehlder(s). Sftware additins are new titles added t the existing installed cre r supplemental grup. They are typically intrduced as supplemental but can becme a part f the cre grup. Additins require funding supprt frm the cllege, an academic department, the IT department r sme cmbinatin. The stakehlder requesting the additin is respnsible fr securing funding which must include: Enugh licensed seats t cver at least the number f cmputers in the largest teaching lab in a building. The sftware licensing type must be a netwrk r flating license if it des nt include enugh seats fr all f the cmputers in the labs in a given building. Enugh additinal licenses must be included t cver the ffice cmputers f faculty wh will be teaching the sftware as well. A supprt agreement with the sftware vendr that includes upgrades (bth patches and new versins) n an n ging basis. If funding fr the supprt agreement is nt available the sftware will be remved frm the labs. Ideally, lab sftware applicatins shuld be available fr purchase by students fr installatin n their persnal cmputers. These arrangements shuld be handled thrugh the university bkstre. Remval changes are made when a sftware applicatin is n lnger needed t supprt an academic curriculum r when funding is n lnger available t insure updates are available. The schedule fr making these decisins is cvered belw.

3 Sftware and Hardware Change Management Plicy fr CDes Cmputer Labs Change Cycle Regardless f the type f change (upgrade, additin, remval), each requires advance ntice and planning t implement. In particular, each change needs t be tested befre it can be implemented. Testing may fail meaning mre wrk will be required. In sme cases, issue(s) arising frm testing may nt be technically slvable s a decisin will have t be made n whether t cntinue with the change. The IT technical staff will wrk with stakehlders t reslve these issues as they arise. New applicatins require special treatment and additinal lead time. In rder t actually d testing and, ultimately, implement the change itself, technical staff will need sftware installatin media and license cdes. The rdering prcess in many cases may take up t tw weeks t cmplete (purchase request, rder prcessed, media and keys shipped). Sftware licensing agreements need t be reviewed by the university s legal cunsel befre they can be signed. The prcess f legal review takes a minimum f fur weeks if there are changes required. With the abve in mind, the fllwing cycle has been develped t facilitate sftware additins in the cmputer labs: As sn as a decisin is made t cnsider a new sftware title, cntact the CDes IT staff and let us help yu evaluate the sftware. Part f ur service t the cllege is t assist faculty (and their departments) with sftware needs fr the cmputer labs. Things that we can help evaluate include: Hardware cmpatibility Operating system cmpatibility Dependencies n ther sftware r services (e.g. database services, etc.) License management ptins An additin fr the fall semester may be requested at any time frm the beginning f the spring semester up until 10 weeks befre the start f fall semester. An additin fr spring semester may be requested at any time frm the beginning f the fall semester until 8 weeks prir t the end f the fall semester. This time is needed t have the sftware licensing agreement reviewed, t make sure that the sftware will run reliably in ur lab envirnment and, if nt, t wrk with the department and/r faculty t develp an alternative plan. Cntacting the IT staff earlier bviusly is advantageus fr everyne. A request fr a new sftware applicatin must be accmpanied by apprpriate funding surce(s) as described abve. Depending n the publisher s licensing terms, this may require n ging funding t insure the ability t upgrade t current versins, etc. Fr existing (already installed) applicatins, the fllwing cycle will apply:

4 Sftware and Hardware Change Management Plicy fr CDes Cmputer Labs Change requests will be accepted up t the furth week befre the end f the semester; the IT staff will review the requests fr cmpatibility with ur existing envirnment. Cre applicatins: will be upgraded t the current versin as f 4 weeks prir t the start f the new academic year (fall semester). E mail lists fr interested parties will be ntified abut any majr versin changes and given an pprtunity t cmment. Cntact the CDes Lab Manager t get n a list. will be reviewed by the cllegiate faculty technlgy advisry cmmittee in the spring semester and make recmmendatins n any changes fr the next academic year. May be changed utside f the nrmal change cycle; see the sectin n exceptins belw fr details. Supplemental applicatins: will be upgraded t the current versin as f 4 weeks prir t the start f the new academic year unless the deparment(s) request therwise. Supplemental applicatins can als be upgraded (at the department s request) during the winter break. will be reviewed by stakehlders and asked t cnfirm that it is still necessary and that funding t cntinue its supprt will be available fr the next academic year. Sftware changes fr summer sessin(s) shuld be requested in the fall as a part f the spring semester cycle. Critical upgrades (patches) t cre r supplemental sftware will be installed as sn as pssible rather than waiting fr the semester cycle. Hardware Anther majr functin f the cllege labs is t prvide access t high quality input and utput devices including scanners, printers, pltters, and prjectrs. These pieces f equipment interact with cre sftware applicatins (perating systems, drivers) making changes even mre cmplicated than sftware. Beynd the peripheral devices are the actual cmputers themselves which are als included in the hardware change plicy. Because the change cycle is slwer (annual) and because there is much less variety than sftware, the change plicy is much simpler. In sme cases, hardware may have sftware assciated with it (drivers, firmware, etc.). These changes will be handled accrding the sftware change plicy.

5 Sftware and Hardware Change Management Plicy fr CDes Cmputer Labs The cllege intends t replace lab hardware n a three year cycle. New equipment will be installed during the summer break (unless it is t replace a failed cmpnent). Stakehlders will be cnsulted via the cllege s academic technlgy advisry cmmittee n whether a given piece f equipment shuld be replaced (r remved) and, if s, what specificatins shuld be used in identifying a replacment. If it all pssible, new equipment will be tested fr cmpatibility with ther existing hardware and cre and supplemental sftware. Since equipment in the labs is shared, it will be budgeted fr by the cllege (IT department). Requests fr hardware additins t the cmputer labs may be made by academic department heads at any time during the academic year up until the cllege s fiscal year budget is finalized in the spring semester. The IT directr will include lab hardware additin funding requests in the department s annual budget prpsal. These requests will be priritized in cnsultatin with the academic department heads. Implementatin Sftware and hardware changes made under this plicy will require cmputer labs t be clsed fr five wrking days tw weeks befre the start f each semester. Exceptins This plicy fr the CDes cmputer labs is designed t accmmdate the needs f academic departments, faculty, and students based n the nrmal cycle f the academic year. In sme cases, circumstances may require changes utside f this cycle. This plicy prvides fr that eventuality by incrprating an exceptin change cycle which can happen at any time during the academic year. An exceptin may be requested at any time by an academic department head. The prcess and requirements earlier in this plicy will still apply. The difference will be that the implementatin will start immediately upn the receipt f the request. In additin, the requesting department must als prvide funding fr staff time required t implement the sftware r hardware change. In the case f sftware change requests, staff time is estimated t be a minimum f ne vertime hur per cmputer affected. The minimum number f cmputers will be ne entire lab rm and, in mst cases, all f the lab cmputers in the building where the request is being made shuld have the sftware installed as students have requested. Cntact the lab manager fr a specific cst estimate fr each request. Fr hardware, since the time invlved can vary greatly depending n the type f equipment, whether drivers r ther sftware is required, and the scpe f use, IT staff will prvide the department with an estimate within five wrking days f when the request is made.

6 Sftware and Hardware Change Management Plicy fr CDes Cmputer Labs If the exceptin request invlves a cre applicatin, the lab manager will send an t all faculty indicating that a change request has been made and which sftware title will be affected. Other faculty will be given a chance t raise bjectins t the prpsed change. If there is n bjectin, then the change will prceed as requested. If there is an bjectin, the requestr must wrk with the bjectr t reslve the dispute; alternatively, bth parties may attend a technlgy advisry cmmittee meeting t determine a curse f actin. Ultimately the cllegiate faculty technlgy advisry cmmittee will review and recmmend apprval f the request t insure that all stakehlders agree t the change. If the requested change can be made in accrdance with the winter break change cycle, there will be n additinal fees fr the installatin beynd the csts f sftware licensing, training, r ther csts assciated with the acquisitin f the sftware. Hwever, if the change is urgent enugh that it cannt wait fr the winter break change cycle, then funding fr the IT staff time fr installatin f the sftware must be prvided, as detailed abve. If the exceptin results in the installatin f sftware r hardware that will be used beynd the current semester, IT staff will incrprate it int the nrmal change cycle starting with the next semester and there will nt be any staff time charges assciated with that. The funding fr maintenance/supprt will still need t be addressed as part f the cllege s fiscal planning prcess.