Data Center Infrastructure Updates
On Thursday, July 3, 2008 the primary data center on the UI campus will be prepped for the installation of a permanent generator. This work will necessitate operating the data center on an uninterrupted power source (UPS) and generator power for the duration of the installation work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is happening on July 3?
A. On Thursday, July 3, ITS will prepare the primary data center on the UI campus to be outfitted with a permanent generator. This work will necessitate operating the data center on an uninterrupted power source (UPS) and generator power for the duration of the installation work.
Q. What impact will this have on me?
A. Most end users of our IT services won’t notice anything. We do not anticipate any downtime on our production services; however, we will be at increased risk due to our dependence on the UPS and generator power. So, to shed electrical load, we plan to shut down some test and development servers on that day. Anyone impacted by that decision has been notified.
We are asking the IT Community at the UI not to schedule major IT work on Thursday, July 3. We do not anticipate any trouble supplying power to the data center that day; however, we want to avoid any disruptions to major IT work that could happen because of an unexpected loss of power.
Q. Where can I find status updates on the work if I need it?
A. The ITS Help Desk website (http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu) will be updated regularly on July 3.
Q. What if the work takes longer than expected?
A. If the work takes longer than expected, we’ll notify the campus community via the ITS Help Desk website at http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu.
Q. What if the campus loses power on that day because of a storm or other circumstances?
A. ITS has contingency plans in place to deal with an unexpected loss of power. If an unexpected loss of power should occur, updates will be available by calling the Help Desk at 319-384-HELP (4357).
Q. My ITS contact asked me not to schedule major IT work on Thursday, July 3. What if I cannot delay that work?
A. Please make sure that your ITS contact is aware of your need, and work with that person to develop a plan that helps maintain the integrity of our data center for all campus users.
Q. Is more maintenance work scheduled?
A. Yes. We’re reserving the date of Saturday, Oct. 11, to complete any data center infrastructure work that may be needed at that time. More details will be available at the Help Desk website if that work occurs.
As work progresses on the planning and construction of the new campus data center, we anticipate needing to complete periodic infrastructure repairs, upgrades and preventive maintenance at the current data center. Because of the impact this can have on our campus IT users, we’re scheduling dates well in advance, so our customers know not to schedule major IT work on those days. A list of dates for 2009 will be developed later this year. Generally, we’ll reserve a date every four months or so, in January, June and October.
Last Updated: 06/25/2008