- FAS IT Support Program
- IT support for research environments
Obtaining IT support for research environments
The current system of IT support provides assistance to all full-time teaching faculty in the arts and sciences under the auspices of the the Faculty of Arts & Sciences IT Support Program group . At present, there is central funding to cover full support for one machine per faculty member, which is considered the primary, or instructional, computer, as well as covering the ancillary costs of networking, email, and backup. The goal of the current support program, as outlined in the announcement from the Provost dated June 1999, is to maintain a fully functioning machine, with network connectivity, allowing for preparation of course materials and electronic interaction with students.
This strategy was developed in order to improve support for instructional uses of technology, but may not work well for everyone - especially those working in more research-intensive settings with multiple workstations. In order to provide better support for research computing ITS has formulated two additional support options for research environments. This document summarizes the basic options for ITS support available to researchers. An important first step in determining appropriate levels of support is to begin with a consultation with your local IT support contact.
1. Local Tier 1 / ITS Tier 2
One key to a successful support program is to have a local, on-site, support person. In this model, a researcher appoints a member of the research group, such as a graduate student or post-doctoral researcher, to serve as the local support, or Tier 1 support contact. The local Tier 1 contact assumes the role of initial troubleshooting for hardware, software, and network connection problems. Any problems that cannot be resolved by the local Tier 1 contact are referred to ITS professional staff (Tier 2). In this model, the budgetary considerations are relatively straight-forward, the researcher pays for the Tier 1 support staff and Tier 2 support is centrally funded. When determining Tier 1 support need, one general guideline is to multiply .5 hours per machine per week. This will provide an initial estimate of the average support time.
The duties of the local support person will vary depending on the skill sets. The local support person will have open access to partners in ITS and can call upon them at any time to ask questions, obtain referrals, or to seek on-site technical assistance. In addition, local support contacts are added to ITS support mailing lists and are invited to attend occasional training sessions. However, if it is determined that local support is not providing adequate coverage, the program can be revised or adjusted as needed. This strategy supports Macintosh, MS Windows, Linux, and several stripes of Unix operating systems.
In order to participate in this program there are two steps that must be followed: 1) a local Tier 1 person is nominated, and meets for an orientation session with Tier 2 staff; and 2) a complete inventory of computers and equipment is prepared. The inventory provides Tier 1 and 2 staff with a clear map of the IT environment and allows for initial planning and recommendations regarding ongoing support needs and infrastructure. The inventory is also used for budgetary planning purposes.
Tier 1 Roles
- Basic network configuration and troubleshooting
- Installation and maintenance of operating system
- Installation and maintenance of antivirus and security software
- Installation and maintenance of basic applications
- Discipline/language specific applications
- Application troubleshooting
- Installation and monitoring of backup software
- Data restoration from backup
- Hardware troubleshooting
Tier 2 Roles
- Advanced network troubleshooting
- Advanced operating system troubleshooting
- Virus/security recovery
- Advanced application support
- Advanced hardware troubleshooting and referral for service
2. Professional IT Support
In some research settings, especially those involving file servers or technical workstations, the preferred strategy is often to contract with ITS directly for professional on-site support. Support staff can be assigned to research facilities on an annua l basis, and will be available to maintain systems and resolve technical problems. Professional IT Support differs in one very fundamental way from the Tier 1/Tier 2 strategy, in that the skills and responsibilities of professional staff are oriented towards maintaining systems and not discipline specific applications or instruments. The primary advantage to hiring a local support person is that this person will be familiar with discipline specific and/or custom applications, and instruments. If a research lab opts for the Professional IT Support strategy, the scope of service will be to provide a stable computing environment at the network, hardware, operating system, and basic application level This strategy supports Macintosh, MS Windows, Linux, and several stripes of Unix operating systems.
Professional IT support is contracted on an annual basis. In order to obtain this level of support, each researcher must provide an inventory of all computers to be included in the contract, and pay an annual charge of between $700 and $1200 per machine. The level and type of support (on-site vs remote) can be evaluated and negotiated during the planning stages and will impact the total support cost. Cost of support also varies according to operating system and local environment. In addition, the researcher is responsible for associated network fees, email accounts, OS and applications, and backup.
Client Roles and Responsibilities
- Maintain and update inventory
- Installation and support of discipline/language specific applications
- Installation and support for custom applications
- Installation and support of non-standard instrumentation or peripherals
IT Professional Roles
- Network configuration and troubleshooting
- Installation and maintenance of operating system
- Installation and maintenance of antivirus software
- Installation and maintenance of basic applications
- Application troubleshooting
- Installation and monitoring of backup software
- Data restoration from backup
- Hardware troubleshooting
Summary/Notes
The two formal support plans provide a set of scalable and affordable strategies that promote a stable and supportable IT environment in most research settings. Several caveats and conditions apply to the support strategies outlined above. For the full text of the current service level agreement, please refer to wss.yale.edu/services/support_standard.html.
- ITS/AM&T does not provide support services for faculty or researchers on a per-incident basis. If a researcher or group decides to opt out of either of the above outlined support strategies, they are not eligible for support from central ITS/AM&T services or support groups.
- All computers covered under ITS/AM&T support plans must be operated in conformance with the Yale University Information Technology Appropriate Use Policy. View the complete text of the ITAUP here.
- Servers are covered under a separate agreement with a different cost and support structure. For more information of obtaining support for servers, please contact Paul Gluhosky at paul.gluhosky@yale.edu (432-1237) or Robert Chang at r.chang@yale.edu (432-2357).
- ITS/AM&T support plans do not cover machines located at off-campus locations. While we can attempt to provide support via email and/or phone, all machines that require an on-site visit by ITS staff must be located on campus.
- For information on developing supported computing clusters for student use in a department or research facility, contact Aimee Kanzler at aimee.kanzler@yale.edu (432-6636) of AM&T Academic Computing Services.
If you have any questions regarding the development of a support plan specific to your research environment please contact us, we would be happy to meet at your facility in order to discuss an appropriate support strategy. Custom solutions are available in most areas of support.
Chuck Powell
Director, Academic Media & Technology
charles.powell@yale.edu
432.7458
Jon Lizee
Director, Academic Systems Design & Support
jonathan.lizee@yale.edu
432-6523
Matrix of support options
| Pro | Con | |
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| Tier 1 / Tier 2 |
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| Tier 2 (professional) |
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