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Service status

CURRENT ISSUES

Eduroam requires to be reinstalled - Wednesday 1st December 2021

  • We have had to apply a new security certificate to the Eduroam service.
  • This means that existing client devices will not be able to connect, as the certificates don’t match.
  • Can you please visit My Birkbeck and go to the My Software section and follow the instructions under Eduroam to reinstall the Eduroam service on your machine.
  • Please remember – when prompted, login using your UserID (e.g. ubasmi003@bbk.ac.uk) and your network password.
  • If you are having trouble, please contact the IT Service Desk.
  • We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

PLANNED DOWNTIME - BUSINESS WORLD - FROM 6PM ON THURSDAY 2ND DECEMBER 2021 UNTIL 9AM ON MONDAY 6TH DECEMBER 2021

  • Business World will be unavailable for essential maintenance
  • During this time we would require that nothing is transferred into Business World from SITS and Kinetics
  • These systems should be considered ‘at risk’ until the end of the working day following the scheduled completion of the work
  • While we do not foresee difficulties, it would be advisable not to plan business critical activity that depends on the affected systems in this ‘at risk’ period
  • Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause

PLANNED DOWNTIME - SITS AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS - FROM 9AM ON SATURDAY 4TH DECEMBER 2021 UNTIL 9PM ON SATURDAY 4TH DECEMBER 2021

  • SITS and associated systems, including the enrolment and applications processes will be unavailable for essential maintenance
  • These systems should be considered ‘at risk’ until the end of the working day following the scheduled completion of the work
  • While we do not foresee difficulties, it would be advisable not to plan business critical activity that depends on the affected systems in this ‘at risk’ period
  • Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause

Web print - UPDATE 4TH NOVEMBER 2021

  • Web print is not working for the Mono print queue - we are working with our suppliers, but whilst this is being investigated, the Mono web-print queue is unavailable.
  • The Colour queue is working and mono prints can be sent to the colour queue.
  • We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause.

Long-term issues

UPCOMING PLANNED MAINTENANCE

PLANNED MAINTENANCE - Weekly every TUESDAY Morning between 06.00 am and 10.00 am

  • Tuesday mornings between 6am and 10am is the ‘at risk’ period where we undertake general maintenance and updates.
  • During this period services are considered at risk and might be unavailable for short periods. Other scheduled maintenance will be noted below.
  • Please Note: if any maintenance is expected to have an impact on students or staff, it will be noted below.

Planned downtime - My Birkbeck, My Birkbeck for Staff and associated systems - from 9pm on Friday 10th December 2021 until 9am on Saturday 11th December 2021

  • My Birkbeck, My Birkbeck for Staff and associated systems will be unavailable for essential maintenance
  • Impacted systems include:
    • Ask
    • Event Booking and events on www.bbk.ac.uk
    • “Apply now” links, enrolment links, Prospectus requests and enquiry forms
    • Teaching Resource Manager (TRM) & Swiftfoot
    • Planning Tool
    • Staff Approval and Establishment Management Tool (EMT)
    • Events Management
    • Identity database
    • User Account Management (new account provisioning, password setting and resetting)
  • If, for any reason, this cannot be completed on this date, the work will be rescheduled to the following weekend, Friday 17th and Saturday 18th December
  • These systems should be considered ‘at risk’ until the end of the working day following the scheduled completion of the work
  • While we do not foresee difficulties, it would be advisable not to plan business critical activity that depends on the affected systems in this ‘at risk’ period
  • Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause

RESOLVED and COMPLETED

RESOLVED - UNPLANNED DOWNTIME - REPORTS, INCUDING THOSE ACCESSED FROM BSIS PORTAL - MONDAY 29TH NOVEMBER 2021

  • This has now been resolved and reports are now available.
  • We are aware that some Oracle reports accessed via BSIS portal and elsewhere are currently unavailable
  • This issue is being investigated as a priority
  • Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience

COMPLETED - PLANNED DOWNTIME - SITS AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS - FROM 9PM ON FRIDAY 26TH NOVEMBER 2021 UNTIL 9AM ON SATURDAY 27TH NOVEMBER 2021

  • SITS and associated systems, including the enrolment and applications processes will be unavailable for essential maintenance
  • These systems should be considered ‘at risk’ until the end of the working day following the scheduled completion of the work, Monday 29th November 2021.
  • While we do not foresee difficulties, it would be advisable not to plan business critical activity that depends on the affected systems in this ‘at risk’ period
  • Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause

PLANNED DOWNTIME - SITS AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS - FROM 9PM ON FRIDAY 19TH NOVEMBER 2021 UNTIL 9AM ON SATURDAY 20TH NOVEMBER 2021

  • SITS and associated systems, including the enrolment and applications processes will be unavailable for essential maintenance
  • These systems should be considered ‘at risk’ until the end of the working day following the scheduled completion of the work, Monday 22nd November 2021.
  • While we do not foresee difficulties, it would be advisable not to plan business critical activity that depends on the affected systems in this ‘at risk’ period
  • Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause

RESOLVED - UNPLANNED DOWNTIME - BUSINESS WORLD WEB INTERFACE - FRIDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2021 FROM 9AM ONWARDS

  • There is an unplanned problem with Business World in that it is not currently possible to log in via a web browser
  • We are working on a solution as a matter of urgency
  • Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause

RESOLVED - UNPLANNED DOWNTIME - TABLEAU - 10PM MONDAY 08 NOV 2021 ONWARDS

  • Tableau is currently unavailable, a support request has been raised with the supplier for assistance
  • Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

Resolved - LIBRARY PRINTING FROM LIBRARY PC'S - UPDATE 4TH NOVEMBER 2021

  • When using a library or workstation PC, both colour and mono printing are now working.
  • Printing to the Mono print queue is working
  • now working --> Printing to the colour print queue generates mono printed output - which is charged at colour rates. This is being investigated.

RESOLVED - UPDATE ON MOODLE EMAIL FORUM NOTIFICATIONS ISSUES - FORUM MAILING TASKS RE-ENABLED - WEDNESDAY 3 NOVEMBER 12 NOON

  • Testing shows that forum notifications are being delivered in time and without creating duplicate emails. 
  • We will continue to monitor the situation closely. 
  • UPDATE: 3 November - The scheduled upgrade has been completed successfully. Forum mailing tasks continue to be suspended until the fix is tested. 
  • As part of the ongoing challenge around forum mailing tasks, we will be upgrading the version of our MySQL database instance from version 5.6 to 5.7 on Wednesday 3 November starting at 05.30 am.
  • The upgrade process can take up to 30 minutes to complete. During this time Moodle will be unavailable to all users.
  • Moodle should be back online by just after 06.00 am at the latest.
  • Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. 
  • UPDATE: 29 October, 10.30 am - Forum posts email notifications continue to be suspended while a solution is being worked on.  
  • Forum posts email notifications have currently been suspended while a solution is being worked on. 
  • Class email lists can be downloaded from GURU for urgent communications (speak to your administrator and please ensure you use the 'bcc' feature if you do this) or you can use the Quickmail block available in your Moodle courses. 

Completed - PLANNED DOWNTIME - JISC ONLINE SURVEYS - 5PM ON FRIDAY 29 OCTOBER 2021 UNTIL 9AM ON MONDAY 01 NOVEMBER 2021

  • We have been informed of this essential downtime by Jisc
  • Users will not be able to log in to Online Surveys and respondents will not be able to access open surveys.
  • Respondents will see a page that advises them that maintenance is being undertaken by Jisc and that they should return later.
  • Jisc apologises for the inconvenience that this may cause.

resolved - PANOPTO PARTIAL SERVICE DISRUPTION - MONDAY 25 OCTOBER 

  • Panopto is currently investigating a partial viewing outage that impacts the Safari browser, causing video playback to fail. 
  • As a temporary workaround, we recommend using Chrome or Firefox. 
  • The Panopto engineering team is preparing a fix for this issue. 
  • Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. 

resolved - ISSUES WITH MOODLE - FRIDAY 22 OCTOBER

  • We were experiencing issues with undelivered and/or multiple forum email notifications in Moodle. 
  • This issue is now resolved.  

resolved - MOODLE UNAVAILABLE -  WEDNESDAY 20 OCTOBER 13.20 PM

  • Moodle is currently unavailable. We are working to resolve the issue. 
  • Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.  

COMPLETED - PLANNED DOWNTIME - VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN) - WEDNESDAY 20 OCTOBER

  • This is now live - but please see the Note below.
  • NOTE: Depending on how you have MFA configured, the Forticlient VPN might pause at 45% - you will need to look at your authentication method to validate the request that has been sent to you. Further details can be found on the ITS Connect site in SharePoint (look for "Multi-Factor Authentication").
  • This was due to go live on Tuesday 19th October - this has had to be postponed to Wednesday 20th October.
  • The Virtual Private Network (VPN) will be unavailable between 7am and 8am on Wednesday 20 October.
  • This is to enable the implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA) on the VPN to make it more secure.
  • During this period you will not be able to access services on the Birkbeck network. This includes RemoteLabs and Remote Desktop Connection to your desk PC

completed - MOODLE DOWNTIME - WEDNESDAY 19 OCTOBER 

  • We were experiencing an issue with delayed forum notifications in Moodle. 
  • We had allocated a 1 hour downtime window on Wednesday 19 October at 08.00 am to resolve this issue. 
  • This issue is now resolved.

resolved - BUSINESS WORLD CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE TUESDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2021

  • Business World is currently unavailable due to emergency maintenance work.
  • It is expected to be available for 10.30 am.
  • We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Complete - PLANNED MAINTENANCE - MOODLE DOWNTIME – NEW LOGIN METHOD IN BIRKBECK MOODLE - 7AM TO 11AM TUESDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 

  • Update 21/09/2021 12pm Moodle is now available with the new login method, however, there are a very small number of users for whom the process is not yet complete. If you encounter any error when logging in, please try again in half an hour.

  • Note that students can still log in to Moodle through My Birkbeck for Students.

  • Update 21/09/2021 11:00 Due to updates taking longer than planned for, it has not been possible to bring Moodle back online in the timeframe expected. The downtime has been extended until 12:00 and updates will continue to be provided here.
  • Moodle will be unavailable from 7am to 11am on Tuesday 21 September while we set up a new login method. During this period services are considered at risk and might be unavailable for short periods. Other scheduled maintenance will be noted below.
  • When Moodle comes back online you will find a redesigned login screen where you will no longer be required to enter your username and password but are instead re-routed to the Microsoft 365 sign on screen. You will then be prompted to login using your Birkbeck Microsoft Exchange Online @bbk.ac.uk or @student.bbk.ac.uk email address. All other users e.g. those who do not have a Birkbeck Microsoft Exchange Online email address or who login as guests will need to access the second login screen by selecting ‘All other users login here’ below the M365 login button and enter the appropriate credentials as indicated.
  • This change also means that Multi-Factor-Authentication (MFA) will now apply when logging in to Moodle.

resolved - SECURITY ISSUES WITH PRINTING (RAISED 2 AUGUST 2021 - resolved 17 September)

  • Resolved 17/9/2021 Testing has shown that these issues have now been resolved and printing services are active again. If you are still having issues, please restart your PC/Laptop in the first instance. If the problems persist, please contact IT Services.
  • Update 17/9/2021 Microsoft have releases patches. These have been applied to the print server and are being automatically deployed to centrally managed PCs. We are currently testing the print service.
  • Update 13/8/2021: Microsoft has just disclosed a further unpatched serious bug in the Windows Print Service (CVE-2021-36958). Network printing will remain unavailable until a patch has been released. Microsoft have indicated that this should be released at the next monthly patch date - 14th September.
    • Students - stand-alone printing is available in the Library at Malet Street
    • Staff - please refer to Inside Birkbeck 2 August for details of stand-alone print locations - a further location is available on the 4th floor of the BMA
    • We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause.
  • Update 11/8/2021: we are reviewing the latest patches from Microsoft with a view to deployment shortly.
    • Over the past month, Microsoft has reported a number of exploitable bugs in the Windows Print infrastructure affecting PCs, laptops and servers.
    • We have applied patches where those have been made available and turned off print services where they are not required.
    • Microsoft has reported further vulnerabilities for which there are currently no patches or fixes. These may be made available in the next "Patch Tuesday" release due 10 August - but there has been no commitment from Microsoft as at 2 August.
    • As a result, we have suspended network printing for staff and students across the College.
    • 2x Stand-alone PCs and printers have been set up in the library to enable students to print from a USB stick.
    • 2x stand-alone PCs and printers have been set up for staff (please see Inside Birkbeck 2 August 2021 for details).
    • If you believe you are affected by these issues, please contact the IT Service Desk using Ask.

RESOLVED - UNPLANNED DOWNTIME - EVENTS AND NEWS TAGS NOT APPEARING ON WWW.BBK.AC.UK - 1am to 9am ON THURSDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2021

  • Following the scheduled maintenance on My Birkbeck and My Birkbeck for Staff, Events are not currently appearing on www.bbk.ac.uk and tags are not appearing on news items.
  • This is a known issue and a fix will be implemented as soon as possible on Thursday 16 September 2021
  • Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

Complete - PLANNED DOWNTIME - MY BIRKBECK, MY BIRKBECK FOR STAFF AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS - 9PM ON WEDNESDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2021 UNTIL 1AM ON THURSDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2021

  • Starting at 9pm on Wednesday 15 September 2021 and running until 1am on Thursday 16 September 2021 the following systems will be unavailable due to essential maintenance and upgrade work:
    • My Birkbeck
    • My Birkbeck for Staff
    • Ask
    • Event Booking
    • Prospectus Requests and other Enquiry forms
    • Teaching Resource Manager (TRM) & Swiftfoot
    • Planning Tool
    • Staff Approval and Establishment Management Tool (EMT)
    • Events Management
    • Identity database
    • User Account Management (new account provisioning, password setting and resetting)
  • We will provide some static pages, which where possible will link to alternative services – e.g. Business World, Moodle etc.
  • Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

Resolved - BUSINESS WORLD CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE 5pm-7pm 7 SEPTEMBER 2021

  • Work completed on time - problems resolved.
  • Business World is currently unavailable due to emergency maintenance work.
  • It is expected to be available for 19:00 this evening.
  • We apologise for any inconvenience this might cause

completed - BUSINESS WORLD DOWNTIME - THURSDAY 26 AUGUST

  • Business World will be unavailable on Thursday 26 August between 12.30 pm and 01.00 pm due to urgent maintenance. 
  • Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.  

VMWARE HORIZON VIRTUAL DESKTOP RETIRED

  • As at 24 March 2021 there was an irrecoverable issue with the Virtual Desktop platform that has been used by some staff to access college services.
  • This system has been flagged for retirement as there are other methods for accessing college services such as email, file shares and systems (e.g. use the VPN or M365 directly).
  • Staff should be able to access the necessary services via the VPN - view the various methods for remote access.
  • If you cannot use the VPN or the VPN does not provide access to the services you require, please contact the Service Desk.