Getting Started, connecting with CIS
Greetings! My name is Pat Kinghorn and I'm the liaison from Computing and Information Services to Department Computing Coordinators. My job is to make sure that you get all the information that you need from CIS. If you need to contact me for anything related to computer support, you can reach me by phone at 863-7217or by email (DCC_Liaison@brown.edu).
The "DCC group" is an informal way to describe the distributed collection of people who provide technical support for departments, programs, centers, and other groups at Brown. We try to keep ourselves connected, because there is a great store of information among the community. I host a meeting on the second Wednesday of each month at noon in the Sharpe Refectory (AKA "The Ratty") rooms 8&9 to discuss current issues with the group, and to bring out the latest news from the Computing and Information Services department (CIS).
Getting Involved
There is an email list for the DCC group called DCC-L@listserv.brown.edu. All known members of the DCC group are subscribed, as well as quite a few CIS staff members. Discussion and questions are encouraged on all topics related to computing support. You can also post requests to borrow equipment, offer surplus equipment, poll the group about vendors, compare software, etc... You can subscribe yourself at the
listserv web interface, or just send me email asking to be added.
Getting Help
The CIS Help Desk is the frontline resource and the first stop for the majority of problems, questions, and requests when it comes to computing at Brown. The phone number is 863-HELP. Email can be sent to Help@brown.edu. There is also a hotline to call in case of a service outage: 863-7510. This is an outgoing-only message that is updated any time we have a major outage, to report the down time, the cause, what is being done to fix the problem, and how soon service is expected to return to normal. In addition, please check the Help Desk Blog often, for news of problems as they arise.
CIS Service & Repair is our in-house repair shop, providing authorized warranty repairs for Apple, Dell, Gateway, and HP products. They will diagnose and repair failure of supported, University-owned computer equipment at no charge for basic service. This includes data recovery, operating system upgrade and installation, and virus removal. You can find more information at:
http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/CIS/Service_Repair/
More Information
CIS also distributes university-licensed software. You can find most available software on our web download page at http://software.brown.edu/dist. Send email to Software_Services@brown.edu wtih any software inquiries or requests.
Other important resources for a DCC include the main CIS web page, the Documentation wiki, the DCC web page, and the IT Security page.
You will also need to sign up for an account in Remedy - our problem tracking system. The form (number R01) is available on the web at:
http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/CIS/Forms/CAA/FormsChart.html and should be sent to Computing Accounts (campus box 1824). More information about installing and using Remedy is available from the main DCC web page.
In order for us to maintain our support database of emergency contact information, we also need information about your role in the department, any servers you maintain, and how to reach you. The database is stored securely in Remedy, and you can edit your own information as soon as you have your own account. For now, please email DCC_Liaison at brown.edu with your contact information.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Pat
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