Disruptions & Explanations

Outlook (Exchange) E-Mail
An air conditioning problem caused our server room to overheat. This caused the database that stores the users' mailboxes on Exchange to become corrupted.

Normally when backups are done correctly, you can restore the database back to what it was when the corruption took place. Unfortunately, we discovered that the backups had not been correctly done for over a week. We recovered as much as possible of the corrupted database (which ended up losing the attachments to messages), then recovered some of the mailboxes of persons who were requesting the attachments. We currently have a server with the Exchange database as it was at the end of September should someone still require a critical attachment from their mailbox.

Library Web Catalog
The motherboard on WNTWEB2 was failing causing the server to crash. The motherboard has been replaced and the server is working fine.

Nell
NELL is taken down the first Friday of each month in order to perform backups on the system disk. If you require access to the system on that night, please contact the Helpdesk and let them know as soon as possible so we can reschedule for another Friday.

Information Technology Resource Council
This Council is charged with "recommending administrative or academic goals, programs, policies, purchase considerations, plans or other action that will foster the integration and development of technology to assist all university components." If you'd like to provide input to this Council, e-mail one of the members or come address the Council. The Agenda for the 11/16 meeting includes a demo of Blackboard and a discussion of the Computer Infrastructure needed for Distance Education at SHSU.

New Programs
The Book Order program is up and running with its GUI interface for PC's. The GUI interface will not work on Macintoshes, but will run on WinNT, Win95, Win98, and Win2000. When the software for Macs becomes available, we will implement it. If you haven't yet tried it, click Faculty/Staff, and Admin Menu. You'll then see the set-up link.

The software is now in for the Web Course in a Box migration to Blackboard. We are still working with the migration software. It has not proven 100% successful yet! But the new server for BB is up and running. If you'd like assistance in copying your old WCB classes to the new Blackboard system, please send e-mail to the Helpdesk@shsu.edu.

Training
Jacob Spradlin and Matt Frazier are attending a Blackboard Users Conference this month. If you've already tried BB and have questions or concerns, please e-mail one of them and have them get clarification at the Conference. Jacob is ucs_jws@shsu.edu and Matt is ucs_maf@shsu.edu.

This is a short month---due to the Thanksgiving Holiday, so the number of classes is limited this month. The monthly training schedule is online at http://www.shsu.edu/administrative/training/ If you have requests for specific departmental training, please send e-mail to helpdesk@shsu.edu.

Bobby Compliance
Reminder: Departmental web pages must comply with the ADA requirements. This is a State of Texas regulation. It applies to state agency "key entry web pages."

Faculty: if you use Blackboard to create your courses, it is designed to prompt you for the necessary changes to provide compliance whenever possible.