UC Davis solicited bids from qualified vendors for a Network Threat, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (TVRA) to identify existing and potential threats to the campus data network and critical Tier 1 administrative applications (from a network perspective). The assessment will include a detailed analysis of potential and existing vulnerabilities to the threats and identify methodologies (policies, procedures, hardware, firmware or software) to mitigate, minimize or eliminate the risk of those vulnerabilities.The campus received five responses to the TVRA Request for Quotation (RFQ) and is evaluating the quotations. The outcome of the TVRA will form the basis for the Campus Security, Disaster Recovery and Emergency Preparedness Plan(s).
IT-Communications Resources (CR) is currently balancing over 100 small and large-scale construction and renovation projects, the majority of which are carry-overs from the 1999-2000 fiscal year. In addition, CR has an on-going involvement in a sizable number of scoping and investigatory efforts that will very likely yield new projects.The pressure and pace of new expansions in the various campus development districts has caused an acceleration of efforts to roll out new voice technologies to replace the existing copper-based technology. Copper wire currently delivers the majority of campus voice services. The future vision for the delivery of voice services in highly dense development districts, such as Health Sciences, includes the use of new technology and existing fiber optic backbone cables.
UC Davis received Instructional Technology Funds (ITF) for various campus networking projects. The projects scheduled for Fall implementation include:
We plan to introduce DHCP to the campus in November, following consultations with the Technology Infrastructure Forum and the Academic Computing Coordinating Council. The overall purpose of DHCP is to provide a flexible environment for the increasing mobile computing population on campus, especially faculty, while reducing the work necessary to administer a large IP network.Phase I of the DHCP project is complete after successful conversion of the existing "join" services to the new DHCP product - Nortel Networks "NetID". The project is well into the second and third phases, (documentation, tools and training) and is expected to enter Phase IV (campus rollout) in mid November.
This project is intended to provide greater student convenience for computing access and to relieve some of the pressure on overcrowded general access computing labs. Installation of approximately 250 network ports in public and general access areas is almost complete. The selected access points are distributed through five buildings: Shields library, the Health Sciences library, the Physical Sciences library, 102 Wellman Hall and the Memorial Union King Lounge. Rollout of the access points is scheduled for October 2000.
The Wireless Access in Public Places Pilot is underway. The locations included are an Extended Hours Reading Room in Shields Library, the common area in the King Law School Library, and both the indoor and outdoor portions of the Memorial Union Griffin Lounge. Initial informal feedback regarding usability and performance is very positive. An evaluation of a wireless network architecture has revealed some security issues. Wireless technologies, without adequate security, can allow individuals to access the campus network without authorization. Once on the network, these individuals can eavesdrop on network traffic, trap ids and passwords, and gain access to secure information. These individuals can also become a nuisance and launch attacks on other networks from the campus network. One particularly onerous aspect of some wireless network cards is their ability to communicate in point-to-point mode. In this mode, their send and receive frequency can be reversed. In receiving mode, they can listen to all the traffic from computers communicating through the wireless base station. They can trap information allowing them later to infiltrate campus network and computing facilities effectively. Another onerous aspect of some wireless network cards is the ability for the user to alter its hardware (MAC) address. This allows a malicious user (hacker) to masquerade as a legitimate user and successfully hide their identity.Departments are accelerating the deployment of their own wireless systems. For instance, the Graduate School of Management (GSM) is moving ahead with a production wireless service. This interest points out the need for high-level (UCOP) policy development and centralized wireless network management. The benefits of merging the ITF wireless pilot with the GSM's wireless service are being explored.
As Fall quarter begins, the UC Davis campus continues to provide free remote access to faculty, staff and students via three separate modem pools. In the ongoing search for a long-term solution to the UC Davis campus's remote access needs, the University recently solicited and received bids from qualified service providers. After reviewing all bids and carefully considering the provisioning options, customer needs, service levels, negotiation points, pricing and contract terms, the Remote Access Negotiation Committee has reached the decision to proceed under the CALNET contract for Virtual Point-of-Presence (VPOP) services. UC Davis will conduct a pilot for 90 days to evaluate the Pacific Bell Internet Provider Service's potential for campuswide implementation.To ensure the proposed service and support meet or exceed the current campus commitment, the University intends to pilot two calling areas. The Sacramento regional and East Bay areas have been selected as pilot locations to test toll-free access to the campus network.
Call use, trouble reports and client feedback will be used to evaluate this new service. Client feedback reports will be gathered and reviewed periodically throughout the pilot period. The Project Group will then supply comparison reports evaluating the service level to the IT Management group (and other groups, as appropriate).
If the pilot is a success, the intent is to go ahead and replace the campus modem pool with the VPOP service. Decisions with regard to centralized, end-user funding (e.g. monthly costs) are to be discussed by executive and campus constituency groups.
The Sacramento Wide Area Networking Project consists of eight components:Originally, Charter Communications had agreed to provide dark fiber between UC Davis and Sacramento. However, the Charter agreement has reached an obstacle as Charter indicated they do not have authority to complete the promised run into Sacramento. Discussions are underway to develop an alternative method of linking West Sacramento to Sacramento; UCDMC has purchased conduit under the Sacramento River in order to facilitate this.
- Providing dark fiber between Davis and a carrier hotel in Sacramento;
- Provisioning dark fiber from the carrier hotel to UCDMC;
- Negotiating a lease for space within the carrier hotel;
- Building out the space in the carrier hotel to accommodate electronics, generator backup, hvac, etc.;
- Providing interconnections with multiple carriers: Qwest; Williams, etc.;
- Enabling the North/South Link and University of Nevada connection via Calren2 and 4Cnet2 to terminate at the carrier hotel;
- Building out the electronics for the UCDMC/UCD connections; and
- Negotiating contracts between UC, CSU and CENIC for the aforementioned work, site management, and cost sharing.
In order to expedite the work for the carrier hotel, now located at 1107 9th Street in Sacramento, title for the lease and construction contracts have been transferred to CENIC. UC Davis and UCDMC maintains a key local role in facilitating the activities and contracts and this is proceeding as planned. A construction contractor has been identified and an agreement for a design/build effort should be in place within the next month.
Arrangements for duct occupancy agreements, rights of way and joint use agreements for fiber paths within Sacramento are nearly complete. Schedules of remaining activities are being established to enable North/South interconnectivity and University of Nevada connections by the end of the year.
ACD service, as well as Call Center Management Information System (CCMIS) software, will be offered to campus departments starting September 2000. Approximately 40 "agents" (individual users) are scheduled to connect to the UC Davis ACD System.
Communications Resources is in the midst of establishing an official Project Management Office. We anticipate filling the remaining two of four key project manager positions. All members of this team will work on cross-unit projects. Two projects that are slated for immediate attention include a replacement for the Campus Operator Directory system and the implementation of the E911 function. Other projects may include various aspects of the SWAN/CENIC project and the implementation of a new project billing system.
Communications Resources has been collaborating with Student Housing to identify a way for students to order their phone service prior to coming to campus. As a result we have begun piloting a new Web-based application that allows a student in a residence hall to establish phone service for that room and to select service features (i.e., call waiting, voice mail, etc.) for that phone. Data collected through this Web site is then imported into the telemanagement system where the phone services are activated.
Communications Resources has spent part of the summer upgrading elements of the hardware and software systems that support the telemanagement function. New servers have been deployed and an upgrade to version 3.5 of the Pinnacle/Axis product has been completed. The upgrade from Oracle 7.3.4 to Oracle 8.1.6 is scheduled for the Veteran's Day holiday weekend. CR has also chosen to replace the Axiscomm collectors and servers with the new Data Link devices.
The Western Telecommunications Consulting (WTC) contract should be complete by mid-October. The contract will provide an analysis of the telecommunications industry marketplace and recommend rate and service packages that best fit the predicted environment over the next two years.A Network Funding Model Workgroup has been formed to investigate the feasibility of adapting the campus's data, voice and video infrastructure and funding models in response to major recent industry developments. The current funding model is not adequate to meet the following challenges:
The Network Funding Model Workgroup will report recommendations to the Vice Provost of Information and Educational Technology by November 30, 2000.
The UCDNet2 project, the expansion of the Network 21 infrastructure into the outlying areas of campus, continues as planned. The project planning guide and capital improvement budget have been approved. Bid documents for the outside plant, inside plant, building improvements, and electronics are being prepared.As part of the UCDNet2 project, a study is being conducted on a number of buildings to compare the use of fiber optics vs. copper wiring. This study will serve as a financial benchmark to be used in studying when fiber may become viable for horizontal wiring and in scheduling a major campus horizontal wiring upgrade project within the next 2-5 years.
Stanford University's Jay Kohn continues to lead the roll-out of the Voice over IP CalREN 2 Pilot. Cisco has finally released the long awaited version 3.0 of the Call Manager software, which requires a specialized Cisco platform on which to run. This comes as a somewhat unexpected expense to the pilot participants that are scheduled to host call managers. Another surprise is that the older versions of the Cisco IP telephones in which several campuses had already invested are not compatible with the version 3.0 software. This will constrain the scope of the pilot to two telephones per campus. As usual, Cisco has a trade-in program. The list of issues to be investigated is very long but centers on the primary issues of performance, reliability, resiliency, billing, call control, configuration management, security, and interoperability with legacy systems. On the UC Davis campus, Voice Over IP is already being considered as a utility infrastructure project for the Health Sciences District.
Mikom has completed the audit of in-building communications. A request for funding to augment the 800 Mhz trunked radio system includes existing facilities and those scheduled to be completed or commence construction near term. The in-building communications proposal outlines a combination of repeater, amplifier, fiber optic/coaxial connectivity, and performance monitoring of the radio system designed to support the performance of the existing radio system in fringe areas on campus. The goal is to eliminate or significantly reduce signal loss of transmitted and received critical communications by life safety personnel (Fire, Police and Emergency Services) in fringe areas subject to building interference.
In-building communication requirements/standards/specifications for new construction are in the process of being refined for inclusion in the campus Architects and Engineering construction documents. These specifications will assist design engineers, planners, estimators and construction vendors, tasked with providing in-building communication needs assessments, system design, and associated cost quotations for the new and planned construction.