Scheduled Outage: Changing Shared Mailbox Permissions – August 22 

Date: August 13, 2024
To: ACE-IT, EITU, MTRC, InfoTech, Broader Channels
From: Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration
Re:  Scheduled Outage: Changing Shared Mailbox Permissions – August 22 

 

Dear colleagues,  

Please be advised that UTORGrouper will undergo a scheduled outage on Thursday, August 22, 2024, during which shared mailbox owners will not be able to add or remove users from shared mailboxes (generic U of T email addresses). However, sending and receiving messages in the shared mailbox will remain unaffected. 

Outage window – Thursday, August 22, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

After the outage is complete, there will be no change to the end-user experience. 

We will be sending out direct communications with detailed information to the shared mailbox owners(link) and the IT support specialists(link). 

Thank you for your understanding and support as we work to improve your UTORGrouper experience.  

Should you have any concerns or questions, please submit a ticket at uoft.me/m365help 

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.  

 

Kind regards,  

Ian Thomas 

Manager, Microsoft Cloud Architecture  

Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI)
Information Technology Services
University of Toronto

Reminder: U of T Microsoft Teams Chat Retention Protocol coming September 30 

Date: August 12, 2024
To: ACE-IT, EITU, MTRC, InfoTech, Broader Channels
From: Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration
Re:  Reminder: U of T 30-day Microsoft Teams Chat Retention Protocol coming September 30 

 

Dear colleagues,

Following on the May 29,2024 memo on Teams Chat Retention, the University of Toronto will be implementing a 30-day retention protocol for all individual Teams chat messages. These are messages that occur outside of Microsoft Teams Channel.

Please note: Based on community feedback, the new retention protocol will be postponed by 2 weeks and will take effect on September 30, 2024.

Based on questions from the community, we are providing additional guidance on preparing for the change.

    • First, note that once the retention protocol is implemented, all chats that take place outside of a Teams channel will be subject to the 30-day retention rule. These messages will have a 30-day lifespan and will then be automatically deleted. For those who have the 7-day retention rule already, this retention schedule will continue as before.
    • In preparation for the protocol’s implementation, please take the time to search your chat history and ensure that you copy and save those threads that are important to you. All messages older than 30 days will be affected.
    • Community members asked if there were bulk mechanisms available to save chat threads. At present, there are no such tools. There are some simple methods to save chats, for example:
    • To save a specific message from your Teams chat, hover over the message and click on the three-dot icon.
    • Then, select the “Share to Outlook” option to send an email to the individual you had the conversation with or to yourself, ensuring the message is saved as an email.
    • Any files or document links shared in one-on-one chats will remain accessible. To access these files, go to the specific Teams chat, then click on the Files tab next to the Chat tab.
    • As chats inside Teams channel are not affected by this protocol, community members have asked how to obtain a Team. Teams may be requested by sending an email to the support group at need.team@utoronto.ca with the desired Team name, and the Team owner(s). Teams are subject to an institutional naming convention. More details on Team creation are available in this knowledge base articleTeams & Channels: Request to set up a new Team.
    • We were asked what happens to chat threads that occur during a meeting.
      • If you intend to save chats from Teams meetings, it is best to create the meeting from inside a Team channel. These chats are not affected by the new retention protocol. Please refer to the knowledge base article, Creating a meeting from a Microsoft Teams Channel, to learn how to create a meeting from inside a Teams Channel.
      • If there is no intent to preserve the meeting chat, it is not necessary to create the meeting inside a Team.
As we transition to the 30-day Teams chat retention protocol, it is recommended that you avoid storing important information, e.g., system configuration details, decisions made following a conversation, To-Do lists, in Teams chats moving forward. This type of information should be stored in more permanent locations like SharePoint or OneDrive, or inside system documentation.

It is essential that you review your chat history and save your important conversations that need to be preserved.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We appreciate your understanding as we work to enhance security, promote efficient communication practices, and support good records management practices.

Kind regards,

Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI)
Information Technology Services
University of Toronto

 

Scheduled LISTSERV Upgrade Service Interruption – August 19

Date: August 12, 2024
To:   InfoTech Listserv, EITU, MTRC, AMS
From: Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration
Re: Scheduled LISTSERV Upgrade Service Interruption – August 19

Dear colleagues,  

As a follow up to the memo sent on July 31, 2024, we will be scheduling an upgrade to LISTSERV on Monday, August 19, 2024. 

Please be advised that the LISTSERV system will be unavailable during this scheduled upgrade in order to migrate the LISTSERV server to a supported operating system, as the current operating system has reached its end of life and is no longer supported. This change is necessary to ensure the reliable and secure operation of the LISTSERV service. 

Service outage window: Monday, August 19, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

During this outage window, all LISTSERV services will be unavailable. Please note that users will not be able to send or receive messages via the LISTSERV service nor will they be able to access LISTSERV administrative functions.  

Once the upgrade is completed, there will be no change to the end user experience or LISTSERV administrative functions. 

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding and support as we work to improve your LISTSERV experience.  

Should you have any concerns or questions, please contact help.desk@utoronto.ca 

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.  

 

Kind regards,  

Gary Raposo
Assistant Director, Enterprise Shared Services
Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI)
Information Technology Services
University of Toronto

Monthly SIS Training Resources & Support Session

Join us on the first Thursday of each month for an informative Connect+Learn session on SIS Training Resources & Support, tailored primarily for new ROSI users. The Student Information Systems (SIS) group manages enterprise student and curriculum applications, and processes for the University.
SIS provides reporting tools, enhancement and production request forms, and support for the SIS applications. In the session, we will discuss:
    • Student Information Systems – What we do and how to get help
    • ROSI and OASIS Training Materials & Resources
    •  What we support and what we do not (and where to go for those)
    •  When to use ESC and how to write a ticket and use ESC appropriately.

 

Resources

LISTSERV system now back up and running

Date: July 31, 2024
To:  EITU, MTAC, InfoTech Listserv
From: Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration
Re: LISTSERV now back up and running

Dear colleagues,  

The LISTSERV system is now back up and running. Unfortunately, today’s upgrade was not successful, and the server has been restored to the previous version.

We will attempt the upgrade again in the future and will provide detailed information in future communications.  

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.  

 

Kind regards,
Gary Raposo
Assistant Director, Enterprise Shared Services
Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI)
Information Technology Services
University of Toronto

Second SIS Ask Us Session

Join Connect+Learn for the second SIS Ask Us session. These sessions are for administrative staff and faculty users of applications and processes managed by SIS. The Ask Us sessions are designed to address ‘How To’ pre-submitted questions related to system usage and functionality.

In this session, we will discuss user-submitted questions as part of the recent Ask Us form solicitation.

Topics will include:

  • Managing Activity Approvals (course requests requiring divisional and/or professor approval) including:
      • Students with activity requests awaiting approval – REQ and/or INT (4ABA/D)
      • Refusing student requests in Degree Explorer based on prerequisites.
  • Enhancing Your Help Documentation Search Efficiency

Resources

Recording [Stream]
Slides [SharePoint]

VBScripts Deprecation – Timelines and Next Steps

Microsoft has announced the deprecation of VBScript, transitioning to more modern scripting languages like JavaScript and PowerShell. This change aims to provide more efficient and secure options for web development and task automation.

Key Timelines:

    • Phase 1 (Second Half of 2024): VBScript will be available as Features on Demand (FODs) in Windows 11, version 24H2 and later.
    • Future Phases: VBScript will be gradually phased out in subsequent Windows OS releases.

Next Steps:

    • Migration: Begin transitioning your applications and processes from VBScript to JavaScript or PowerShell.

For more information, please refer to the official Microsoft announcement.

Microsoft 365 cloud apps transitioning to the cloud.microsoft domain

Microsoft announced that their cloud applications are transitioning to the cloud.microsoft domain. This change aims to unify various Microsoft 365 apps and services under a single, cohesive domain, enhancing security, streamlining the user experience, and simplifying administrative tasks.

Key points include:

  • Unified Domain: All authenticated, user-facing Microsoft 365 apps and services will now be hosted on the cloud.microsoft domain.
  • Automatic Redirection: Users will be gradually and automatically redirected from previous domains to cloud.microsoft.
  • Enhanced Security: The exclusive .microsoft top-level domain provides additional security and protection against spoofing.
  • No Immediate Action Required: The transition is designed to be seamless; however, we will keep our U of T community updated with any additional information provided by Microsoft.

This move is designed to reduce fragmentation, improve cross-app experiences, and ensure a more secure and efficient environment for Microsoft 365 users.

You may find more information regarding this change by visiting Unified cloud.microsoft domain for Microsoft 365 apps page.

 

 

 

 

ROSI Database Quarterly Maintenance – Friday, August 16

Date:  July 24, 2024
To:  ROSI Users; Registrar’s Offices
From:  Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration
Re: ROSI Database Quarterly Maintenance – Friday, August 16

 

Dear ROSI users,

Please note that we will need to take ROSI and most associated student information systems offline on Friday, August 16 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. to perform quarterly maintenance on the database. We will return the systems to service sooner if the work is completed earlier than 9 p.m.

In addition, while ROSI-REPLICA on the Managed Instance (MI) will remain accessible during the maintenance, data will not be synced with ROSI starting at 5 p.m. It will be synced again at 9 p.m. when maintenance is complete.

The following systems will be affected:

  • Accommodated Testing Services (Student and Admin)
  • ACORN
  • Course Information System
  • Degree Explorer (Student and Admin)
  • EASI Institutional File Transfer
  • eMarks
  • Online Administrative Student Information System (OASIS) – including Absence Declaration, and the Timetable Builder and Transfer Equivalencies database administrative screens
  • ROSI
  • ROSI Express
  • ROSI Files
  • Safety Abroad Student Registry
  • Varsity Blues Registration System
  • Web services/APIs

Timetable Builder (Student) will remain available.

A notice will be posted on the ACORN launchpad and social media so that students will be aware of the outage.

Thank you for your patience as we make these improvements.

Sincerely,
Student Information Systems

Announcing Beginning of Employee Central Phase 2A

Date: July 24, 2024
To: AMS Listserv
From: Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration and the Division of People Strategy, Equity & Culture
Re: Announcing Beginning of Employee Central Phase 2A

 

Hi everyone,

As you may be aware, U of T is continuing its digital HR transformation with the move to SAP’s SuccessFactors Employee Central and Onboarding modules. This implementation will move the Human Resources Information System (HRIS) hire-to-retire cycle to a web-based integrated platform that will streamline the administrator experience, enhance data accuracy and improve the employee self-service experience.

Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI) and the Division of People Strategy, Equity & Culture are pleased to announce the beginning of Employee Central Phase 2A.

Throughout the summer and fall, we will be holding faculty and divisional stakeholder workshops and meetings that will inform our implementation vendor, SAP Services, of our current HR business and technical landscapes. Key focus areas for the workshops include technical strategy, concept designs for key business pain points, and confirming scope in preparation for full implementation to start in early 2025.

Please review this handout for further details about Phase 2A, and we will be in direct contact with workshop participants shortly.

We look forward to working with the U of T community to develop an optimal and transformational solution.

If you have any questions, please contact Farah Ally, Senior Program Manager with EASI at farah.ally@utoronto.ca

Sincerely,

Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration and
The Division of People Strategy, Equity & Culture