Created November 28, 2000
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Statement of Intent
This Document of Understanding (DOU) describes the responsibilities of Emory
School of Medicine Information Technology Services (SOM-ITS) and the Grady Office
(ITS-G) in providing services to Emory School of Medicine customers not located
on the main Emory campus.
The document is to establish mutual expectations by ensuring the proper understanding and commitments between both parties in order to provide effective support and services. A key concept in this document is the recognition that adherence to hardware and software standards is important throughout Emory School of Medicine in order to provide efficient, cost-effective support.
The main Emory School of Medicine Grady web site http://med.emory.edu/ITS/GRADY
1.2 Assumptions
This is a dynamic document which will reflect the changing needs of Emory
School of Medicine customers at the Grady campus.
This Document of Understanding will be the foundation from which more specific Service Level Agreements (SLA) will be negotiated with individual departments. As such, the SLA's will also be dynamic documents.
Mission of Emory School of Medicine Information Technology Services
SOM-ITS provides information technology solutions, innovation and leadership
to support the mission and strategic plans of the Emory School of Medicine.
1.3 Overall Responsibilities
SOM-ITS is the information technology organization for the Emory School
of Medicine.
This section describes the responsibilities of ITS-G and the departments or
groups seeking services from ITS-G.
Project planning, implementation, and support at Grady.
ITS-G will provide overall consultation and hardware/software implementation
or planning services per the SLA. This includes timelines, hardware and software
purchase consultation, and service level agreements where appropriate. ITS-G
will assist with project management, implementation, and ongoing support of
projects subsequent to approval of the Emory School of Medicine CIO and the
department SLA. ITS-G will provide resolution of issues, monitor and backup
systems, review the agreement and implementation, and administer software specific
to the project based on the final SLA.
The departments or groups working with ITS-G will provide information and resources
to support this process, assist with project management as appropriate, comply
with DOU and SLA, communicate changes and needs in advance.
1.4 General Support Responsibilities
ITS-G
Department Responsibilities
2. Standards
All hardware and software purchases should follow the standard purchasing
process. It is the preference of ITS-G not to support hardware or software not
on the approved list; support of these non-standard applications or hardware
may result in additional costs for support and service as defined in the departmental
SLA. The recommended SOM-ITS list can be found at http://med.emory.edu/ITS.
Any additional recommendations can be found on the main School of Medicine Grady
web page or in a Service Level Agreement between the SOM-ITS and the department.
2.1 Hardware
ITS-G will maintain published standards and recommendations for hardware in
the Emory School of Medicine Grady web environment. These recommendations follow
testing and evaluation of the hardware to ensure its compatibility with the
overall Emory infrastructure and are based on the ITD standards published at
http://www.emory.edu/ITD/DESKNET/Recs/. The minimum standard system defined
by ITS-G includes a pentium level processor, 64 MB RAM, 32-bit operating system,
3.25" floppy drive, cd-rom drive, nic (Ethernet), 15" color monitor,
mouse, and keyboard.
2.1.1 Desktops
The standard hardware/software and desktop configuration is found on the Emory
School of Medicine Grady web page. Individual SLA's may be used to modify this
recommendation as appropriate.
2.1.2 Server Infrastructure
Specific departmental or application servers must be maintained by the department.
Specific SLA's can be established for services from a SOM-ITS server or for
ITS-G to support existing software/hardware.
2.2 Software
2.2.1 Desktop Operating Systems
ITS-G supports Windows 98, NT 4.0, and 2000 desktop operating systems; variations
of this must be approved via a departmental SLA. Updates to this list of standard
OS will be published on the School of Medicine web site http://med.emory.edu/ITS.
Software packages noted on the web site are supported. However, occasionally
there will be a business need for a non-standard software package and those
must be approved as if complying with standards when noted in the SLA.
2.2.2 Server Operating Systems
Departmental servers must be defined in an SLA prior to any support as specified
in section 2.1.2. Novell NetWare v5.x and Microsoft NT 4.0/2000 are the current
network operating systems used by the SOM-ITS. All applicable service packs
and patches are tested, evaluated and applied to servers as available and necessary.
As new versions of server operating systems are released for BETA testing and/or
final sale, SOM-ITS will perform extensive testing and evaluation in an independent
test (i.e., non-production) environment. No department or individual should
load these operating systems on computers connected into the production network
environment without prior approval from NC, Grady IS, and/or ITS-G.
2.2.3 Networked Applications
Limited support will be provided for departmental networked applications on
SOM-ITS servers. Due to the number and nature of the various applications and
data that share the same network infrastructure, it is imperative that all applications
go through analysis prior to installation on the network.
Any networked application that causes negative impact to the network may be removed immediately and without warning by NC or Grady IS.
2.3 Network Infrastructure
NC or Grady IS is responsible for the proper installation, maintenance, and
operation of network equipment and services. ITS-G will act as facilitator between
the department and these entities as requested by the department.
3. Support and Service Requirements
"Standard" software and hardware will be supported by ITS-G (refer
to the School of Medicine Grady web page for the lists or recommendations for
software and hardware). "Non-standard" software and hardware as well
as extraordinary requests that fall outside established Service Level Agreements
will be "reasonably" attempted by ITS-G staff but will be undertaken
only after standard support calls are resolved. If ITS-G determines that service
beyond reasonable support is needed to resolve an issue arising from non-standard
software or hardware, then the department will have the option to have service
provided via an outside contractor of their choosing or one recommended by ITS-G.
If an outside contractor is engaged, all expenses will be charged to the department.
3.1 Hardware Support
All hardware issues should be reported to 7-7777. ITS-G may coordinate warranty
and non-warranty repair. All non-warranty costs are the responsibility of the
department (this includes equipment with expired warranties).
Desktop Computer Equipment Repair Policy
Desktop computer equipment includes a processor (PC), keyboard, monitor, printer, and peripheral items such as an external modem, mouse or zip drive. To protect the asset, the department should purchase and maintain at minimum a surge protector, and can include an Un-interruptible Power Source (UPS). The processor, keyboard, mouse, and monitor are purchased by the user department with a recommended on-site warranty that covers repairs and replacements on site for three years from the date of purchase. For "non-standard" desktop hardware the department is responsible for contracting with a vendor for problem resolution.Printers are purchased by the user department with a recommended on site 3 year warranty that covers repairs and replacements. ITS-G will triage printers but locating a vendor for all warranty and non-warranty repairs is the department's responsibility.
After the warranty expires, costs for repairs for all desktop equipment are the responsibility of the user department. ITS-G desktop support personnel will assist in facilitating required maintenance performed by recommended local repair businesses.All network hardware is supported by NC or Grady IS, and no faculty or staff member should attempt to resolve any problems with the network or add any unapproved servers, hubs, switches etc. to the network. Any unapproved equipment may be immediately removed from the network by NC or Grady IS without notification to the department. Damages to such equipment will not be considered to be the responsibility of NC, Grady IS, or ITS-G.
Response Times for Desktop Support:
Level 1 support is provided by the department if possible. This includes general application, operating system, and connectivity questions. Any Level 1 calls that cannot be solved by local support personnel should be forwarded to the ITD Help Desk (7-7777) for their assistance. If it is determined by the Help Desk that the call should be forwarded to ITS-G, it is considered a Level 2 call and will be assigned a priority rating by ITS-G.
3.2 Software Support
All faculty or staff must have adequate licenses to use software and must be
able to show proof. This does not include software for which Emory University
has site licenses. Software purchases go through Purchasing and/or Emory University's
Software Distribution Center located in Cox Hall on the Emory Campus. Requests
for software installations and upgrades may be directed to 7-7777. It is the
faculty or staff member's responsibility to attend training on software utilized
in their position and to backup data on department PCs (backup of data on SOM-ITS
servers is the responsibility of SOM-ITS). Where a desktop or departmental server
has "nonstandard" software that has caused a conflict, support personnel
will spend up to one hour trying to resolve the problem. If, at the end of that
hour the problem persists, support personnel will determine resolution with
the user and restore standard service and software. Nonstandard software will
not be reloaded by SOM-ITS personnel.
Desktops that use Windows 3.11 operating system or earlier will have a minimum of Windows 95/98 installed at the department's expense as needed to resolve the problem or, if the faculty or staff member does not or is not able to upgrade to a newer OS, support cannot be provided by ITS-G for that system unless clearly specified in a SLA.
3.3 Training
Training is offered by ITD to Emory University employees. All faculty and staff
should be trained on the applications used in fulfillment of job duties. If
it is determined that a faculty or staff member is taking up significant 7-7777
or other ITS-G resources due to lack of training, that department will be informed
and a recommendation will be made that the individual attend training before
any further assistance will be provided. A full schedule of classes is available
on the ITD web site.
3.4 Operations
3.4.1 Backups
Regular backups of data stored on equipment operated by SOM-ITS are performed
to guard against data integrity corruption and/or loss. This includes data recovery
as well as disaster recovery/business continuity planning. In addition, preventative
maintenance on this equipment is the responsibility of SOM-ITS. The frequency
of the back-ups and other specific information pertaining to operations will
be established in the individual SLAs. In the event of data loss on a supported
server, restoration of the data can be arranged by contacting 7-7777 or referring
to the SLA. Backup of information stored on individual desktops and/or servers
which are not maintained by SOM-ITS is the responsibility of the faculty or
staff member. Copying a local hard drive to a file server (e.g. the USER or
HOME directory or a departmental shared area) for redundancy will not be allowed.
Backing up local information can be accomplished through use of hardware solutions.
3.4.2 Planned Downtimes
Standard:
The standard downtime for SOM-ITS supported file/application servers will be
Wednesday night from 5:00 to 7:00p.m. This standard downtime allows patches
and/or upgrades that have been tested and approved to be applied or to replace/upgrade
equipment. Departments accessing data or applications on these servers will
be notified in advance.
Ad-hoc:
Maintenance and upgrades that cannot be accomplished within the standard 2-hour
downtime
will require ad-hoc downtimes. At least 2-weeks notice will be provided for
these extended downtimes.
Emergency:
There are times when a piece of equipment is not functioning properly and needs
to be repaired immediately. If possible, SOM-ITS will broadcast a message warning
users to exit their systems to minimize application problems. Any loss of data
resulting from this type of downtime is not the responsibility of SOM-ITS.
3.5 Application Integration
All new applications that will run on the network must meet certain criteria
for interoperability with existing applications and systems. A list of questions
that must be answered by vendors during the RFP process has been prepared and
is available by contacting the main SOM-ITS office at 404/712-9628.
3.6 E-MAIL
ITS-G does not require all faculty, staff, and students to use the same email
software, however this software must be SMTP-compliant. ITS-G supports Emory
University email system access via Netscape, Outlook Express, Learn Link or
telnet.
3.7 Hours of support:
Support hours are Monday - Friday, 8:00 - 5:00 p.m.
4. ITS-G Processes
4.1 Problem Management
4.1.1 Problem Process
ITS-G has a defined process for the recording, restoration of service, root
cause analysis and metrics for management reporting.
4.1.2 7-7777
Telephone support is available via the helpdesk at 404/727-7777 (internally,
simply dial "7-7777"). Desktop on-site support is provided from 8am
to 5pm Monday through Friday via 7-7777. ITS-G desktop support staff provide
the following forms of assistance: installations, limited equipment moves, upgrades,
and troubleshooting.
Calls that cannot be resolved over the phone will be assigned a call ticket
number and the faculty or staff member will be kept abreast of that call by
a ITD Help Desk representative. These representatives are knowledgeable about
a variety of hardware issues as well as software applications. However, there
are some department-specific applications which cannot be supported at the same
level as the more common applications and which will require additional assistance.
Departments having local support staff should contact those personnel first
for problem resolution. If a call is made by a faculty or staff member to 7-7777
without first contacting departmental support staff those calls will be directed
back to the department. If the departmental support staff is unable to resolve
the call that information should be communicated to the Help Desk attendant
when placing a call to 7-7777, or the departmental support person should place
the call. At that time the call will be forwarded to the ITS-G group.
4.2 Request for Service
Requests for ITS-G resources cover a large spectrum of work. Requests can range
from production support requests (such as moving a single PC) to projects (installation
of new servers). The type of request will determine which approval path the
request will follow.
Policies
4.2.1 New Requests-Hardware
4.2.1.1 Hardware (Installs, Moves, Adds, and Changes)
PC acquisition orders should include information on installation requirements.
This includes:
Other system moves or changes are coordinated via requests to 7-7777
4.2.1.2 Project Management, Tracking and Reporting
ITS-G has a process designed for managing projects. The ITS-G Office is available
to facilitate the project initiation and close out efforts.
Project tracking processes are used to collect actual time spent on each project. This information is used to monitor the allocation of resources. For projects that have an increase in scope or duration, resource allocation will need to be reassessed. If resource allocation needs to be increased, the appropriate individuals will be contacted for discussion.
4.2 Planning
Information Services uses data, application and technical architecture standards
to ensure that information technology solutions meet business requirements.
ITS-G staff is available to work with faculty or staff on a limited basis to
understand their business and determine data, application and technical requirements
necessary to perform their jobs. Large areas/sections/departments who are working
on strategic plans should work closely with the SOM-ITS main office.
5. Service Level Agreements
This document is a general support document. Service Level Agreements (SLA)
may be created between specific departments and SOM-ITS based upon the department's
un