The annual data center maintenance outage is scheduled for 6 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, with restoration scheduled to begin at 6 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013. It is expected that all affected services will be restored by noon Sunday.

The outage is required in order to perform necessary maintenance, testing and repairs to facility infrastructure, and involves a complete shutdown of the main data center, resulting in interruption to IT services during that time.

As planned and socialized during the 2011 annual maintenance shutdown, the first full weekend in January following the New Year's holiday was established as the regular maintenance shutdown weekend each year going forward. The work is being planned through coordinated efforts with the IT Change Approval Board.

A complete list of affected services is available online. Regular updates also will be shared as they become available. Updates also will be available on the Data Center Operations Services website, and on the University's system status page during the service interruption period.

The Office of Information Technology relies on talented staff to fulfill our core mission. You are encouraged to share this link with your networks (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc.) to help spread the word about this employment opportunity and others. This position has already been posted through the University's online employment system, the University's Google+ network and other sources. Please "+1" and share this post as appropriate

Tech Stop Coordinator

New Hires:
Tina Sommervold joined Application Development this week as the Senior Manager for Custom Solutions.

Rebecca Immerfall and Tom Kautz are new Desktop Support Professionals with Onsite Support.

Welcome to OIT, Tina, Rebecca, and Tom!

The effective use of knowledge and data enables smart and strategic decision making, an essential component to advancing the University of Minnesota's mission. A few years ago, the University recognized that to stay competitive with our peer institutions, we needed more robust data management and reporting. As a start, we purchased a new tool that held the promise of vast improvement in data management performance and reporting usability; we called that tool BI. Time and effort went into getting the tool's infrastructure in place and a pilot program was run. You may be wondering what has happened to BI since the pilot.

BI has evolved into Enterprise Data Management and Reporting (EDMR, pronounced ED MER). The transformation from BI to EDMR was driven by several forces, including:

• Confusion over the term "BI." Were we talking about a tool? A set of practices? A business unit? BI means everything and nothing.
• Varied guidelines, policies, and procedures. In trying to organize and present their data in a manner that was sharable and consumable across units, the BI pilot participants discovered varied guidelines, standards, and processes from unit to unit.
• Need for an enterprise strategy. Requests from the Enterprise System Upgrade Project (ESUP) for University policies and procedures on data and reporting brought to light the need for an enterprise strategy.

EDMR is a term that better reflects University goals: to address administrative and operational data management and reporting needs across all campuses, including issues of data quality and integrity. Its defining values are:

• Shared data platform that is a common home for institutional and unit data.
• Shared understanding of key metrics, data definitions, appropriate use, and awareness.
• Shared tools providing an enterprise platform for data analysis and reporting.
• Shared development environment enabling units to share knowledge, ideas, and reports.

The University has never had an enterprise-wide strategy for data and reporting. There is a confluence of activities and resources around data and reporting at the University, with ESUP being a high profile example. As the ESUP staff begin their work, they are looking to EDMR to provide processes, policies, and procedures. With its governance structure in place, the time to operationalize and socialize the EDMR strategy is now. If you have questions about EDMR, email edmr@umn.edu. Additional updates and information on how your unit can prepare will follow in the coming weeks.

The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) has scheduled an Application Security (AppSec) conference for 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, in the University of Minnesota St. Paul Student Center.

The day-long event will include a series of application security speakers, plus the opportunity meet others in the application security community or catch up with those you already know. Cost is $25 for OWASP members and $75 for non-members, and includes continental breakfast and a box lunch. Sign up to attend the conference

About OWASP

OWASP is an open community dedicated to enabling organizations to conceive, develop, acquire, operate, and maintain applications that can be trusted. All of the OWASP tools, documents, forums, and chapters are free and open to anyone interested in improving application security. We advocate approaching application security as a people, process, and technology problem because the most effective approaches to application security include improvements in all of these areas. Learn more.

The modules included in release 1 for the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), and Controlled Substance (CS), of eProtocol, the University of Minnesota's new web-based compliance solution, are now live, effective Nov. 12.

The eProtocol application provides a common tool for principal investigators, staff and committee members to prepare, submit, review and communicate about protocols.

The eProtocol application will be available to the user community beginning Monday, Nov. 19 and researchers will be asked to submit all new applications to IACUC, IBC, and CS through eProtocol effective Wednesday, Nov. 28. Users should log in at eprotocol.umn.edu by using your University Internet ID and password.

Here's what users can expect:

• Smart form technology that makes data collection and reporting more accurate and straightforward.
• Rapid resolution of commonly omitted fields through a check for completeness feature.
• Updates made entirely within the application, ensuring only one current, approved version of your protocol.
• Actions taken are in real-time and submissions in progress can be viewed by administration for assistance and guidance on the spot.
• Ability to link proposals and awards to projects through an interface with EFS.
• Applications that are entered into eProtocol can be used as models for new applications, reducing repetitive data entry.

Watch the "Getting Started" video for a helpful primer on eProtocol. Watch the "Introducing eProtocol" video for background on the goals of this joint OVPR-OIT initiative. Job aids and other materials are available on the eProtocol web page.

Conversion of existing approved protocols to eProtocol is expected within three to four months. More information will be available prior to the conversion.

If you have questions, feel free to contact Garfield Bowen or Sarah Patterson.

Technology Training Services invites University IT Training and Support Professionals to attend a Windows 8 Technical Briefing webinar. A Microsoft representative will present an overview on Windows 8. Topics will include Windows 8 Security & encryption, Windows 8 To Go, Group policy management with Windows 8, etc.

Two sessions are scheduled:

• Monday, November 19, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, January 23, 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Get more information and register on the Technology Training website.

Brandon McHugh is transitioning to the CRM team as a Salesforce.com Product Owner. Congratulations, Brandon!

Mary Crimi is leaving the University of Minnesota and her last day will be Friday, November 16. Please join us in thanking Mary for over 18 years of service to the University of Minnesota. We wish her the best!

New Hire:
April Wood rejoined OIT starting Monday, October 29 as a PeopleSoft Developer. Welcome back, April!