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Frequently Asked Questions
Contents:
- General Inquiries
- Migration and Accounts
General Inquiries
Active Directory is a system that allows Information Technology to easily manage a number of network resources, such as shared printers and documents. Through the implementation of Active Directory, Information Technology will be able to provide faculty and staff with a more stable, flexible, and secure environment to access these resources.
While Active Directory offers a number of benefits above the Novell Directory service previously employed by the university, it is important for all users to exercise a higher degree of responsibility. Primarily, it is critical that you log off the computer before you step away from it. Otherwise, this allows others to gain access to your documents and other shared resources.
What are the benefits of Active Directory?
- Secure Access
- You will have your own individual Active Directory account and network storage space, preventing unauthorized access to private information.
- Document Synchronization
- Your My Documents folder are backed up on the Active Directory server, allow an additional possibility for file recover, should data become lost or corrupted.
- Cached Login
- Even if your computer loses connection to the internet, you will still be able to log in to access and work on documents that are stored on the hard drive.
- User Mobility
- By logging into any computer that has been migrated to Active Directory, you will be able to gain access to documents that have been synchronized to the Active Directory server.
- Instant Account Generation
- If you are a new employee, you can apply for an Active Directory account on any computer that has been migrated to Active Directory and your account will be generated instantly.
- Work Order Integration
- In the future, we will be linking your Active Directory to our online Information Technology work order tracking system. This will allow you to directly place requests for technical assistance, review possible solutions you can implement yourself, review or update the status of your requests, and close requests that have already been resolved.
What other changes can I expect from Active Directory?
In Spring of 2009, an auditor from the University System of Georgia performed a security and infrastructure audit at Valdosta State University. Based on the policy changes that were required by the auditor, Information Technology will be implementing the following changes with the migration to active directory:
- Software Installation and Removal
- Based on the method Active Directory uses to manage accounts, users will no longer be able to install or uninstall software. If there is a software package that you need installed or removed from the computer, please contact the Information Technology Helpdesk at 229-245-4357 or send an e-mail to helpdesk@valdosta.edu. The Helpdesk will place a work order for a technician or administrator to install or remove the software for you.
- Password Policies
- All campus computers will need to be protected by secure passwords. To ensure they are secure, the following criteria will be enforced with Active Directory passwords:
- Passwords must be changed every fourty-two (42) days.
- Passwords must be at least eight (8) characters in length.
- Passwords must contain:
- At least one number
- At least one lower-case letter
- At least one upper case letter
- When changing passwords, you may not re-use one of your previous twenty-four (24) passwords.
- All campus computers will need to be protected by secure passwords. To ensure they are secure, the following criteria will be enforced with Active Directory passwords:
- Individual Accounts
- The university will no longer be using group accounts, for example a single account for all graduate assistants for a department. Instead, users will be eligile for their own Active Directory accounts.
- Employee versus Student Computers
- Students will not be able to log into employee (faculty / staff) computers. This includes student assistants working for that department. Instead, they will have separate computers set up to perform their work duties.
- Inactivity Timeout
- All computers on Active Directory will automatically lock after fifteen (15) minutes of inactivity. At this point, the computer cannot be accessed until the same user logs in with his or her Active Directory password. After a total of (30) minutes of inactivity, the user will be logged off of Active Directory altogether.
Why are we migrating to Active Directory?
In addition to the benefits you will experience as a user, the implementation of Active Directory will bring a number of improvements that will be transparent to users on their work computers. These changes will increase the stability of services by reducing the severity of service outages. In addition, they will increase the security of data stored on the shared drives. Through the implementation of Active Directory, Information Technology will be able to provide users with both these transparent benefits and the ones listed in the benefits section above.
When will Active Directory be implemented?
The Division of Information Technology will begin the implementation of Active Directory early in Spring semester of 2009 starting with a small test group. By Summer semester of 2009, we plan to have approximately 50% of all faculty and staff computers migrated. We hope to have all faculty and staff computers migrated by the end of the 2009 calendar year.
Migration and Accounts
When do I need to migrate to Active Directory?
Information Technology will schedule a number of migration phases for the campus. When your scheduled migration date arrives, Information Technology technicians will be deployed to your department to perform the migration of your work computer. You will then be able to follow the steps in our Active Directory Account Application Guide to create and account and get started using Active Directory.
What do I need in order to migrate my computer to Active Directory?
You will not need to take any steps, as Information Technology technicians will handle the migration of your work computer.
What information do I need to apply foran Active Directory account?
You will need to know the following information in order to apply for an Active Directory account:
- BlazeVIEW (e-mail) username
- BlazeVIEW (e-mail) password
Note: Please use our BlazeVIEW Password Reset Tool to determine the information listed above.
- The name of your division
- The name of your department
- Your office telephone number
- Your job title
Note: Please consult with your department head or department secretary to determine the information listed above.
How do I apply for an Active Directory account?
Once your work computer has been migrated, you will need to take the steps listed in our Active Directory Account Application Guide to create and account and get started using Active Directory.
What should I do if I forget my Active Directory password?
If you have forgotten your Active Directory password, please use our Self-Service Password Reset or contact the Helpdesk by phone at 229-245-4357 or by e-mail at helpdesk@valdosta.edu.
If you encounter technical issues when using a Valdosta State University Active Directory system, please contact the Information Technology Helpdesk at 229-245-4357 or send an e-mail to helpdesk@valdosta.edu.