Statement of General Policies and Procedures & Service Level Agreement for Computing Services Helpdesk

Transcription

1 Overview Statement of General Policies and Procedures & Service Level Agreement for Computing Services Helpdesk This document contains a detailed agreement between "Computing Services" (hereafter CS) and Faculty, Staff, and Students (hereafter FSS) about the variety and quality of services provided by CS at The University of Michigan Business School. History For any organization to operate effectively, both the providers and users of the concerned services have to come to a clear understanding and agreement about the expected level and quality of services. Such an agreement should also, to the extent possible, articulate the responsibilities of each group of service providers and users. The Task Force on Information Resources and Technology ( ) prepared this working document, and every attempt has been made to incorporate the needs and responsibilities of all constituencies of the Business School. The task force also incorporated the suggestions made by Gartner Consulting, an organization hired to assess our HelpDesk operation and recommend changes. This document became effective November 1, 1998, to be fully operational by April Computing Services, the Information Resources Committee (IRC), and the Dean(s) responsible for Information Technology will adapt this document as need arises. The responsibilities and expectations of the various groups of the Business School community are first articulated in this document. Computing Services Computing Services agrees to provide a reliable computing environment that meets the continuing needs of the University of Michigan Business School community. The goal of CS is to meet or exceed the teaching and research needs of the faculty and students. The purpose of this document is to establish a flexible framework by which CS and the Business School community agree to operate in regards to computing and support. The key element of this the policies laid out in this document is that by agreeing on a range of supported hardware, supported software, and basic support services, CS will be able to provide better service because of deeper knowledge and experience. This, in turn, will translate into an outage-free environment, faster installations, fewer installation errors, and quick response to computer-related problems, and better advice from a better-trained CS staff. The service goal of CS is to commence an informed diagnosis of any computer-related problem within 15 minutes. The goal of CS is also to have the concerned individual

2 effectively operational as soon as possible, that is, the individual s equipment will either to be restored to its original working condition or replaced by a comparable unit. The body of this document contains definitions of the type of problems and their priorities, and the time limits within which CS will have the problem effectively addressed. For example, for urgent and high priority problems related to all supported hardware and software, CS will have the concerned individual effectively operational within 60 minutes of reporting the problem. On the other hand, severe and/or unusual problems will be assigned to a designated service representative who will then be responsible for administering the service and for keeping the concerned party informed about the progress on a daily basis. It is possible that individual FSS may require custom hardware and/or software for the work that they perform. In this case, CS will again initiate an informed diagnosis of any problem within 15 minutes. Given the nature of the hardware/software involved, however, immediate service may not be available. CS will provide service, but on a "best efforts" basis, without any time or cost guarantees. In such cases, CS may find it necessary to call in outside support, in which case any related costs will be billed directly to the individual/department involved. Faculty, Staff, and Students (FSS) To enable CS to achieve its goal of providing excellent service in a prompt and courteous fashion, as a members of the Business School community we agree to: Report all computer-related problems promptly Be available to identify the problem to the CS representative and work with her/him Contact CS before making any changes to the system hardware or software Keep yourself informed about the schedule of all planned network, hardware, and software changes and all major CS activities. Take responsibility for educating yourself on a continuing basis about basic computer-related skills. CS and ITD (the Information Technology Division of the University) do, and will continue to, provide ample opportunities for all individuals to become and remain appropriately trained Maintain an updated version of virus protection software on your system by following the guidelines provided by CS Communicate any computer-related concerns to members of the IRC Information Resources Committee (IRC) The IRC helps to develop the use of information technology in the Business School. In this role, the committee will be responsible for ongoing assessment of current and emerging issues related to computing services in the School. The responsibilities of the IRC will include the following tasks.

3 Provide proactive leadership for considering needs and trends concerning all information technology issues, including CS issues Provide proactive leadership for identifying current CS issues that the School needs to address Act as a key voice of FSS to the Deans office concerning all information technology issues, including CS issues Provide guidance and support to CS department staff, and to monitor the quality of services provided by CS to FSS Provide guidance and support to FSS to help them play an informed and responsible role in the use of computing services Meet at least once a semester to review and approve current plans of the CS department, the Research Computing unit, the Kresge Business Administration Library, and all other departments that fall under the purview of the IRC. This task will include reviewing and approving updated CS department lists of supported hardware and software and any substantive network-related changes Help the Associate Dean responsible for Information Technology to assess the ongoing performance of the departments of the School that have information technology responsibilities The membership of the IRC will include FSS with the following composition: Faculty members from at least five of the School s area groups. A faculty member will chair the IRC One representative from the Global MBA program Staff representatives from all administrative units of the Business School that have substantial information technology needs, like the CS Department, the Kresge Library, the Research Computing Unit, Office of Admissions and Career Development, Document Processing, and Facilities Two staff representatives selected by the Chair in consultation with the Associate Dean of Information Technology Three student representatives from the Ph.D., MBA, and BBA programs The Associate Dean responsible for Information Technology will serve as a member of the committee to provide a close linkage between the IRC and the School s budgeting and planning processes A subcommittee of the IRC will be responsible for issues concerning research computing. The subcommittee will include faculty, a Ph.D. student, and appropriate staff members. Hardware CS will provide full support for a supported system, that is, a hardware system: (a) purchased with the help of CS, (b) completely configured and setup by the vendor including all components, and (c) purchased from one of several supported manufacturers (Dell, Gateway, etc.). Hardware includes desktops and laptops, and all peripherals (such as printers).

4 For supported computer hardware, CS will: Recommend and handle the purchase of new equipment, peripherals and components. The cost(s) of acquiring such equipment are the responsibility of the person or department making the request To the extent possible, keep the user informed of the vendor s delivery schedule Deliver and connect all hardware to the network within three business days of its arrival Provide telephone support via the HelpDesk during scheduled hours Diagnose any malfunctioning equipment Install new or replaced components. Since adding new components to your original equipment may alter its classification from supported to custom hardware, CS will help you determine the implications of any alterations to your system For custom computer hardware, CS will: Recommend and handle the purchase of new equipment, peripherals and components. The cost(s) of acquiring such equipment are the responsibility of the person or department making the request To the extent possible, keep the user informed of the vendor s delivery schedule and any changes therein Install supported software, if the hardware and operating system environments are compatible with our standard environment Provide prompt service on a "best efforts" basis Provide assistance in obtaining service or replacement parts from the manufacturer or through local vendors. Repair and other costs are the responsibility of the individual Please note that all purchase orders have to be processed through Central Campus, which can add 2 weeks to the process. In addition, all orders over $2000 must go through a University bid process. CS will help expedite orders that are an outcome of an unexpected and urgent need. Macintosh use Since a significant majority of computers owned by the Business School are PC-based running Windows, a commensurate number of our service technicians and HelpDesk staff will be trained on the PC platform. However, consistent with the University s policy CS will support Macintosh equipment. Home Computers For home computers that are the property of the University, CS will perform any services only if the equipment is brought to the school by the concerned FSS. CS will not make any house calls.

5 Due to liability and software license issues, CS cannot service any non-university owned computers. Computer Upgrades The Business School will upgrade hardware on an ongoing basis on a 3-5 year cycle. The computing labs and classrooms will be upgraded on a shorter cycle as needed. As computers are upgraded, and opportunities and circumstances allow, senior PhDs who have attained candidacy will be given preference for computers. The upgrade recommendation will be made by CS and assessed by the IRC, and will depend on several parameters, including the rate of technological innovation, the cost effectiveness of the upgrade, etc. Upgrades to the supported hardware will be posted in a timely fashion. All budgetary decisions concerning upgrades to the supported environment will be made by the Deans of the Business School, in consultation with the IRC. All new faculty and staff will be provided the current supported hardware. Any additions to the basic configuration may cause it to become custom hardware. CS will help the new faculty and staff in determining the implications of adding components to their system. Software CS will provide general assistance and training for a list of supported software, applications and operating systems. All supported software should be installed either by the vendor or a representative of CS. This is necessary to enforce site licenses, lower our support costs, and provide a standard computing environment. Although most software is available via the network, each faculty and staff desktop is also loaded with the latest version of the Microsoft Office suite of products (Word, Excel and PowerPoint). For supported application software, CS will: Provide telephone support for software via the HelpDesk during scheduled hours Provide limited telephone or personal support via lab consultants during off-hours (and during scheduled lab hours) Provide regular classes on the basics of new software and on extended features in others Provide one-on-one training by appointment. Present bimonthly support forums on computing topics of general interest Participate in orientation sessions for all new employees (held twice a year) Provide informational and instructional material Maintain a list of approved/scheduled changes, as well as proposed and planned changes, to the supported software environment Inform users as the School makes new versions available on the network, and provide for an adequate training period (at least 90 days) before a previous version is completely upgraded

6 The supported software environment is selected or modified by CS senior staff, working directly with interested FSS, and periodically approved by the IRC. Software products and related services are added to the support list based on demand, general applicability, and budgetary considerations. Changes to the supported environment will be communicated to the school at least 30 days prior to the event. With the large number of software products that CS will support, and with the everchanging nature of technology, it is not possible for CS to maintain support for products indefinitely. To help FSS with planning, a schedule will be published each September that identifies software that will be removed from the supported list and/or removed from the network, along with the date when support will no longer be available. Removal of software from the supported list will be approved by the IRC and, whenever possible, the phase-out date will be at least 6 months from the date of notification, and will never be within the Fall/Winter academic year. For custom (course-related and other) software: CS will assign an analyst to the faculty for software selection and implementation CS will provide prompt service on a "best efforts" basis To maintain a robust production environment in the lab and classrooms, the software environment will be changed prior to every 7-week, half-semester, cycle. Faculty are responsible for providing a lead-time of at least two months for the necessary changes to be made to the lab/classroom environments for their respective courses. CS will accommodate only minor changes (such as add-ons) to the environment during a 7-week course cycle The software must be compatible with existing, supported operating systems, software and the lab environment in general The software must not conflict with the network. If a conflict is found, different access solutions must be mutually negotiated Purchase costs and support are the responsibility of the individual faculty member or department Custom environments will only be available during the academic term in which they were originally installed, unless alternative arrangements are made in advance The software must be licensed. Software whose license cannot be verified will not be installed on a local computer or on the network HelpDesk Hours and Procedures Service Philosophy Please expect the highest level of service and courtesy from service representatives of CS. As stated at the outset of this document, the service goal of CS is to commence an informed diagnosis of any computer-related problem within 15 minutes. Moreover, for supported hardware and software, the goal is to have the concerned individual effectively operational as soon as possible (within 60 minutes for high priority calls see below). CS

7 staff should be expected to have a thorough working knowledge of all supported hardware and software. HelpDesk Hours The HelpDesk can answer technical questions, report systemic problems, and handle service or purchase requests. The HelpDesk will be staffed from: Monday - Thursday 7:00 am to 11:00 p.m Friday 7:00 am to 6:00 p.m Saturday 10:00 am to 7:00 p.m Sunday 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m FSS are encouraged to call the HelpDesk to report a problem or to request computerrelated support. In order to serve the increasing number of individuals, who need their services, the HelpDesk will attempt to solve a majority of problems, not including special circumstances such as classroom outages and teaching-related problems, via the telephone. Having a centralized telephone-based HelpDesk allows the service technicians better access to expertise in the form of supporting technology and other technicians. Technically competent staff who are expected to solve many problems over the phone will staff the HelpDesk. If they are not able to quickly resolve your problem, then an "escalation procedure" will specify that more specialized and technically proficient people will work with you to resolve it, first via the telephone and then, if necessary, in person. Please call , or the HelpDesk. Network services are monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using an on-call schedule. If a network problem should occur after scheduled hours, the on-call person will be notified automatically, and will stay involved until the problem is resolved. For other weekend or after-hour support, we can provide service if notified in advance. If you need extended support, or on-site training, please contact the HelpDesk to make training or consulting arrangements. Extensive training or personal consultation may require service charges. Prioritized Services Urgent priority calls are ones that relate to systemic problems: the network, classroom computers, and lab computer setups for scheduled classes. These problems will be resolved as quickly as possible. The goal of CS is to resolve all high priority calls within 60 minutes, where the high-priority involves complete breakdown of a supported computer or a problem that prevents the completion of a time-sensitive job. All other

8 problems will be resolved on a "best efforts" basis and the concerned party will be updated on the progress of the service. HelpDesk will maintain a log of all complaints and their service-status. For all systemic problems, HelpDesk will provide prerecorded hourly updates on the telephone. HelpDesk Call Priority for Supported Hardware and Software URGENT: Immediate Resolution 1. Systemic network problems 2. Problems with classroom computers 3. Systemic problems with lab computer setup, when the problem would prevent a faculty member from using the lab for some scheduled activity HIGH: Resolution within 60 minutes Faculty/Faculty Secretaries/Administrative Staff with an important problem. An important problem is defined as a problem that (a) is preventing or hindering the accomplishment of a time-sensitive job, or (b) does not allow the concerned individual(s) to perform tasks on the computer. MEDIUM: Resolution on a "Best Efforts" basis 1. Faculty/Faculty Secretaries/Administrative Staff with problems or requests that do not need immediate resolution 2. Problems with individual lab computers INSTALLATION: 3 business days Installation of new hardware or software Special Area Needs Overview This section of the SLA describes the procedure that should be used to ensure that the special computing needs of specific areas are dealt with in a way that is satisfactory to the area concerned and Computing Services (CS). At the time of the first writing of this document, the Computing and Information Systems (hereafter CIS) area was the main area with special needs. With advances in technology, and with the rapid spread of the use of these advances across different areas, the needs currently viewed as special will become commonplace with a commensurate increase in the ability of CS to deal with these needs. However, there will always be new special needs that will replace the current ones. This document outlines a process by which all current and future special needs will

9 be serviced by CS. Specifically, it outlines the various stages that the requests for special service must go through, along with the expected deliverables at each stage. Stages The stages underlying a special request for service are: 1) Statement of need 2) Exploration of need 3) Commitment 4) Development 5) Installation 6) Support A description of each stage follows, together with the outcomes that will signal the successful completion of each stage. Statement of Need The CIS area has special computing needs that arise from its goal of keeping current with developments in business and the software industry. These need to be managed in a manner that allows CIS faculty to plan their teaching and to develop clear expectations of the level of support they will receive if they choose to use custom software, not ordinarily supported by CS. Any faculty member in CIS may state a request for custom support to CS. Typically, these requests will involve the use of custom software for degree teaching programs. Most often, CIS will suggest that a specific custom software package be made available for teaching. However, a CIS faculty may request that CS help it compare a specific software package with alternative software packages and make recommendations. Apart from custom software for teaching purposes, the CIS area may make other custom requests. The Director of CS (or a CS representative designated by him/her) should receive a written request prepared by the CIS faculty member that documents what is being requested. Requests for the installation of new software packages should be made at least two months prior to the beginning of a semester to be eligible for its installation in the lab. Exploration of Need During the exploration period, the feasibility of the special request will be determined. CS will consider the following issues at this stage: the compatibility of the requested service with the network environment and with other installed software; the resource commitments involved (people and money); the status of any competing requests; and the likely amount of effort required to satisfy the request.

10 CS will designate a representative to conduct this exploration, and the concerned CIS faculty may be requested to provide input or to comment on technical issues concerning the request or its intended use. These interactions may result in a refinement or restatement of the original need for service. Within two weeks of receipt of the initial statement of need, CS will determine its feasibility and will make a formal written commitment if the request is considered feasible. Some requests that are considered infeasible may be rejected. Commitment The commitment by CS to a special request will indicate the level of support the requesting faculty can expect, barring unforeseen circumstances. This may range from a degree of support comparable to that offered for School-wide supported packages (such as Excel or Word), to a commitment merely to install the software in the Lab environment (without ant guarantee of its successful use). The commitment by CS to a special request will spell out all actions expected of both CS and of the faculty member making the request. A set of agreed-upon milestones and deliverables will be established. The commitment offered at this stage should be sufficient for the concerned faculty to make teaching plans, confident that the level of service mutually agreed upon will be delivered. Development During this stage, CS will develop a solution that meets its commitment. Both CS and CIS faculty should fulfill their commitments according to the mutually agreed upon schedule. The concerned CIS faculty should be able to review the progress of his/her request by contacting the specific service representative designated by CS to fulfill the request. Installation CS will provide the requested special service on or before the installation date mutually agreed upon in the commitment. By the installation date, CS should have conducted all tests for performance or reliability. According to the agreement, the CIS faculty member may have responsibility for some aspects of testing as well. Any failure to provide the level of support stipulated in the commitment will be corrected in a timely fashion to minimize any costs imposed on the concerned faculty and students. Support

11 Following successful installation of the software, CS will continue to support the service. Specifically, any changes to the general network environment, to system software, or to other applications or databases, should not reduce the level of support that is expected for the service in question. Reporting The CIS faculty making a request for service will notify the Director of CS and the Chairperson of CIS of any significant failures by CS to meet its commitment, including the reason(s) for such failures. Every semester, the Director of CS and the Chairperson of CIS will review the performance of CS in satisfying the special needs of the CIS area, and they will jointly furnish a report to the Associate Dean of Information and Technology.