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Technology Advisory Council Meeting Minutes - February 6, 2004

Attendees: Jim Monaghan, Joe Scarcella, Steve Cuddigan, Ramiro, DiazGranados, Bill Takehara, Owen Owens, Javier Torner, Dick Botting, Fernando Gutierrez (guest), Tony Coulson, Lorraine Frost (guest)

The minutes for the January 9 and the January 23 meetings were passed out and approved.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Citrix Subcommittee final report – BATS original intent in trying out the Citrix solution was to slow the frequent update of lab computers on campus and to provide off campus access to the CSUSB system. 5 servers, 150 licenses were acquired for this pilot. It was discovered that graphical intensive applications were difficult to store and retrieve. However, there was one overall issue that could not be overcome: no campus centralize authentication. Windows and LDAP are not able to talk currently with Citrix. A NAS was bought to provide centralized to figure out if centralize storage was possible. It was discovered that NAS did not lend itself to be easily secured. The current situation requires too much administrative time. The real solution is too expensive. Recommendation: turn Citrix to over to a standardized environment such as the off campus access project which both ACM and CBPA are involved in with Novell servers but to include ACS’ needs. ACM will provide support for ACS’ applications.

Currently BATS pays for the Citrix licensing.

Anyone on campus who has a campus email address will have access to Citrix system. There was a request by Ramiro to meet with the people involved to address the feasibility of this recommendation. After approval a project paper will have to be submitted by ACM, DCS, and CBPA.

Telecomm Charges Subcommittee – has been modified to the “Phone Switch” Subcommittee because of the current budget situation. Any changes in phone charges will be on on-hold until the budget condition improves.

Phone Switch Subcommittee – History: Physical Science building houses a switch that needs to be either moved or rewired because of current construction.

Options:

1. Keep the status quo: To leave the switch in the PS building is risky: If it is damaged during construction half the phones on campus could be out of order.Plus a loose connection would take several months to recreate
2. Move switch to library along with the other switch.The 2 switches are not same version, requiring different licensing issues and many management nightmare issues
3. Combine switches to one big switch which would cost $800,000.
4. Change over to Voice over IP solution.The $2.4 million cost includes replacing handsets (required). The Pricing is in negotiation.

Advantages for Voice over IP

1. It brings the campus system into future.
2. No further expansion of the switch would be needed.
3. Currently future renovations and construction creates hidden costs that having a Voice over IP system would minimize.
4. Management issues are incredibly easier.
5. It overcomes the future issue of running out of DIDs. In the future extensions will be changed from 4 to 5 digits. Timeline is by January, 2005 because of completion of PS building. There is no budget for this unanticipated change.

NEW BUSINESS

Centralized Software Purchases:

Meeting Maker Report – The current software would continue until it disintegrates and there is no timeframe on this. It would take $7000 to continue this license. The last time DCS paid for the renewal. Currently an upgrade to Meeting Maker is needed. Changing over to another software could lose Meeting Maker's history. And saving the data separately is an unwieldy option. A conversion to iPlanet would require an extra purchase to accommodate Meeting Maker info. However, a pilot of iPlanet is needed to see feasibility of utilizing iPlanet. An advantage to iPlanet is that everyone who has campus email account will also have a scheduling account.

The broader issue is should BATS support software purchases and renewals? No answer. Suggested recommendation is to move over to iPlanet. General consensus was to do the iPlanet pilot and then come back with the recommendation. One of the reasons for supporting iPlanet and its scheduling module is that it is a centralized software for campus use.

Campus has about 3300 nodes on campus that is how the number of needed licenses was determined. This number does not include laptops. The original license was provided for home use of faculty and staff too. The general consensus is that this purchase has definite campus wide benefits and is worthy of BATS attention

BATS requested a couple of competitive quotes on other. Ramiro will obtain the additional quotes and this subject will be addressed at the next meeting.

BATS Funded Study? This request is for proposals studying whether or not any measurable benefits arise out of use and integration of computer technology.Can technology use improve the student GPA, increase graduation rate or make students more satisfied with their university experience?

Tony Coulson and Dr. Dru are doing a study on distance learning and would be willing to consider adding this aspect to their study.

Other expenditures: TNS has wireless tower it is interested in acquiring to enable greater wireless to the dorms across the street. Another solution called Wimax was suggested, however, it won’t be released for another year. But Wimax solution has wider range and is less expensive. No decision was made.

Meeting adjourned at 2:50pm. The next meeting will be on Friday, February 20, 2004 at 1:00 pm in PL-002d, ACM’s conference room.

Minutes compiled by Michelle Behne

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