Periodic update (2025 March)
News and other updates for spring 2025. The notes here update those from end 2024.
The Network Programme – Kelvin updates in 21st century §
The Network Programme is still asserted to be roughly on schedule....
...the latest estimate is that it will get to the Kelvin Building in mid-2026 (sigh).
IT Services are still aware we are in need of significant network upgrades, including Eduroam, but are non-committal about how or when they'll be provided.
Managed laptops – Jamf/‘MyMac’ §
As before: All Apple devices bought by the University are now automatically enrolled in the ‘MyMac’ programme.
New: You'll probably now be aware that all Apple devices bought in the last few years are now due to be enrolled in Jamf/MyMac when they next have an OS update. We have heard no reports of actual problems (beyond relatively minor irritations) caused by the University's installed Jamf profiles, nor of technical problems generated by this enrolment. If you encounter any, raise tickets, but please let local IT know of these, for information.
...and Windows ‘MyDevice’ §
The same sort of regime will eventually arrive for Windows devices, and the only thing delaying this is technical (un)readiness. It may be that new Windows installs will have this management in place.
Other §
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A bid is being assembled for a college-wide GPU compute service. Each RG should have had an opportunity to contribute P&A use-cases for this – shout if you think you might have been missed.
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The University now has a campus-wide GitHub Enterprise instance, including GitHub Classroom. This is being commissioned just now, and will be available to staff and students within weeks.
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Campus IT Security continue to be very vigilant, but most security issues now are of the type handled by IT staff.
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Ivanti (ie, the Helpdesk system) is the preferred route for requests (go to the campus helpdesk at https://www.gla.ac.uk/helpdesk and search for ‘COSE’). Requests will generally still be routed to people physically in the Kelvin Building, but the indirection helps keep track of requests, and gathers statistics which are used to inform future allocation of resources.
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JupyterLab: This service is still broadly planned to migrate to being a college service at some point (so no change here), but it will remain a P&A service at least for the remainder of this session, at least. There has been a modest increase in the number of staff available to help with routine problems. Students who have problems in labs should be encouraged to raise tickets, and not simply shrug.
Links §
Norman