Page Comparison

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• Strikethoughs are descriptions we believe are not longer valid
• Orange highlights are are possible wording changes by Susan that are up for discussion 
• Red highlights are Jordan/David wording changes 
• Italics - DE to discuss

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DS Services Web Description 

Our desktop support team provides end user hardware and software support.  We provide remote support through chat, phone, and email, scheduled office visits and in-person support at one of our walk-up service desks. We work with customers to resolve issues with University-owned computer hardware and software, assisting with software set up, end user configuration, and assistance with configuring University resources such as cloud storage, backup, email and calendaring systems.

LAITS newsletter sign up

Desktop Support Services

Our desktop support team provides customers with on campus and remote hardware and software support.

Support Hours

• LAITS supports basic computing functions for University faculty and staff

• Delivers support during standard University business hours 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday

• Supports our customers using a "reasonable effort"* (see full definition below)

  • Emeritus Faculty, Students, GAs and TAs are provided with basic support if they have UT-owned devices

  •  Graduate Assistant or Research Assistants using  UT-owned devices (GRA / GA / TA) 

LAITS

...

does not:

• Deliver support in the evenings, on the weekends, or during University holidays or skeleton crew days

• Provide staff for special events, or for events taking place during business hours

  **

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Support Options

Support options include:

• 'Walk up' Service Desks:

  • PAR 106 - 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

  • RLP 4.224 - 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

  • NUR 2.104P - 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

• Chat based remote support

• Phone based remote support -512-471-5000

• Email based remote support - LAITS-Help@utexas.edu

• ServiceNow ticketing support

LAITS

...

does not:

• Deliver support in the evenings, on the weekends, or during University holidays or skeleton crew days

• Provide staff for special events, even during business hours**

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• Remotely troubleshoot faculty /staff computers (internet required)
• Troubleshoot VPN issues - DUO required (Every active EID has VPN access by default)
• Assist users with remote connections to networked UT devices using RDP or other methods (VPN & DUO required)
  • NOTE: connecting to macOS requires VPN, even on-campus
  • If remote support is not possible, the customer must ship the device to LAITS at their own expense
• Configure separate, local administrative accounts for each user (eid-admin)
• Configure and ship computers off-campus to faculty / staff working remotely (customer expense)
• Add staff to specific VPN groups

LAITS

...

does not:

• Troubleshoot issues with a user's home network configuration or off-site building network configuration**

  • refer to customer's ISP

• Troubleshoot home printer problems

• Prevent off-campus use of UT-owned devices**

• Allow VNC (Mac Firewall)

• Travel to off-site locations for support (except building specified in next section)

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Offsite UT Locations - (Non-Main Campus)

• Troubleshoot via remote connection no matter where the device is located (internet required)

• Schedule

  Staff schedule visits to UT buildings located in Austin, TX, but not part of the UT Main Campus

  • Generally limited to things that are accessible via public transit or Campus Shuttle
  • Unless there is an emergency, technician visits to these locations will be scheduled for service within 5 business days
  • We will attempt to bundle visits and resolve multiple problems during a single trip.

• Configure and ship computers to off-campus faculty or staff (customer's expense)

Laits

...

does not:

• Coordinate Internet Service Provider (ISP) contracts on behalf of building occupants

• Travel onsite to non-Austin locations

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Customers should bring their computers to LAITS to be evaluated for repair. If a hardware repair is required, LAITS typically relies on third-party to complete the repair. Exceptions may be made for simple repairs that do not require special tools and will reduce a customer's down-time.

Desktop support: 

Repair UT-owned Dell and Apple computers

• • Under warranty:

    • Apple: we drop off on behalf of customers at Campus Computer Store
    • Dell: Coordinate directly with Dell (Dell will dispatch or ship to LAITS or faculty offices)

  • Out of warranty:

    • Reasonable effort (free), refer to other services (not free)
    • We will recommend replacement parts, if possible
  • Non-Dell or non-Apple hardware: Apply reasonable effort

• Verify data has been backed up on computers before repair

• If available, provide a temporary loaner with standard software

   (within reason)
  • Note that some departments have their own loaner pool

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• Campus Computer Store 

  • Apple products are sent to the Campus Computer Store for repair since the store is recognized by Apple as a certified service provider. CCS is open normal hours at this time (Monday through Friday). 

• Dell Support 
  • Dell machines can be repaired on-campus or at a users home by a Dell service technician.
  • Dell Pro Support chat is usually the best contact method since there is often a wait for their phone support.
    • Dell Warranty Support: 1-866-901-8629

LAITS Staff do not:

• Repair non-UT-owned devices (such as personally-owned computers)

• Repair mobile devices

• Cover repair costs (department is responsible)

  • Contact frontdesk@la.utexas.edu for LAITS-owned computers or Rapaport Scholar computers

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Refer to Loaner & Reassigned Devices 

Desktop Support may loan computers to faculty or staff when:

• • a user  customer is temporarily without a computer due to troubleshooting or repairs.
    OR

  • a deployment for a new employee is requested with less than 5 business days' notice.

  • Loan power supplies, cables, dongles, & drives for a single day only.

LAITS

...

does not:

• Loan computers or accessories to customers indefinitely (requires an end date)

• Loan computers or accessories without an end date

• Loan computers or accessories to students

• Loan a departmentally-owned

  computes

  computer to users not appointed to its department

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(Move or link to lifecycle)

See /wiki/spaces/LAITS/pages/77240676 (Link)

Configure these services at the DOC using "reasonable effort" - see bottom section

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If you are uncomfortable, JUST SAY NO!

iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV) and Android devices:

• Configure Duo app for UT
• Log into UTBox app
• UT Wifi ("utexas")
• UT email (Austin only) - exchange
  • iOS - Outlook app only
  • Android - Outlook app only

• • • Computers

      :

      • UT email account (Austin only) - exchange

        • Outlook app only (apple mail officially doesn't work)

      • UT WiFi ("utexas")
      • UT VPN
      • Direct to resources for downloading and installing the following software, where licensing permits
      • • ESRI ArcGIS Online/ ArcGIS Pro
        • MATLAB - Software Download Links
        • Microsoft Office

LAITS staff do not:

• Support personally-owned:

  • printers

  • scanners

  • external hard drives

  • other devices not listed in the "we do" column

• Update or upgrade the OS on any personally-owned devices

• Provide support other than in-person at a DOC

• Recycle, surplus, or dispose of personally-owned devices

• Accept donated personal devices for use in UT operations

• Disassemble, modify, or repair personal devices

  • They can borrow our tools, if they stay at an open DOC window

• Take possession of personal devices - owners must stay with the device at all times

• Recover Data

• Backup personal data

• Connect personal devices to LAITS-managed campus printers

  • (PrintNightmare is an ongoing risk if client machines are unpatched)

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See Desktop Engineering /wiki/spaces/LAITS/pages/77234708

• Install and configure departmental network printers and Multifunction Printers (MFPs)*

• Install and configure desktop (single-user) USB connected printers

• Troubleshoot printing issues

• Recommend printer models (Bad link)

• By default, connect computers to printers using shared print server

• Provide workarounds when primary printer is not working

  • connect to closest printer in same department

• By default, configure for black-and-white printing

• Configure for color printing, if provided with the appropriate code

LAITS staff do not:

• Troubleshoot printing issues from mobile devices

• configure wireless printers (UT network will not work)

• Perform printer maintenance or repairs

• Replace toner

• Fiery - refer to Vendor

• Install maintenance kits

• Engage/escalate to vendors

• Fix paper jams

• Run printer usage/accounting reports**

• Maintain printer address books**

• Issue or escrow color printing codes**

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LAITS Staff installs and supports a standard list of software on university owned computers

• Install standard software on each computer

• Patch and update a limited set of software (more details here)

• Assist with UTBackup installation

• Install non-standard software as requested

  • Apply "reasonable effort" to non-standard software*

LAITS staff do not:

• Support software and applications, even Microsoft Office, beyond a "reasonable effort"

• Install software outside of the terms of service:

  • no unlimited re-installation of trial software

  • no terminal servers for circumventing licensing agreements

  • no other methods to circumvent licensing agreements

• Escalate support issues to external software vendors

• Offer software training

Maintain software licenses, installation media, or keys 

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more details here

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• Adobe Creative Cloud is the exception (see Desktop Engineering - Service Definition)

• iCloud

• Time Machine Backup - UTBackup is free and supported
• App Store
• Manage requests for software in Student Computer Labs (Student Labs) or Classrooms- refer to DE
• Support

  LAITS does not support non-LAITS (CNS/NASC, PHAR, ENGR) computers - if it's not our image, we can't help

Internal staff Notes
*For example, we'll work to figure out why your Outlook calendar isn't syncing, but we will spend a limited time on Thunderbird calendars Refer to the Desktop Engineering Service Definition for more details on software, including updates and patching.

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• Install and support macOS*

• Install and support Windows*

• Provide a Windows .iso file for self-installation of a local virtual machine**

  • Parallels

  • Virtualbox

  • VMWare fusion

• Upgrade UT-owned computers to the recommended operating system upon request

LAITS staff do not:

• Install old versions of the OS*

• Install or support Linux on desktop computers (servers only, not free)***

• Install other non-standard operating systems

• Support dual boot on individual user machines

• Support local virtual machines

  • Troubleshoot, even for quarantined VMs
    • NOTE: Quarantined VM also quarantines the host. If this happens, we will instruct the user to stop using the VM. We will provide no further support.
  • Install or configure the Windows .iso file

• Clone devices

  • requested when licenses or installers are missing

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• Reconnect computing equipment when a faculty member moves offices*

• Carry or transport equipment between close locations on behalf of faculty*

• update CLAIM when we have helped facilitate an office move

• create tickets for office moves

• Move Template.xlsx

LAITS staff do not:

• Relocate 3 or more people at a time (a fee may be charged)

• If many people need to move

  and

  , it can be staggered

  , they can request

  over a few days/weeks

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• ARCHIVE - Deployment Procedure (OLD)

LAITS staff do not: 

• Purchase new equipment for staff (see Purchasing New Computers section of this page)

• Grant permission to: (during deployment)*

  • Mainframe (we install application only)

  • departmental UTBox shares

  • shared calendars

  • mailing lists

• Connect to personal

  stuff:

  folders

  • Dropbox
  • email
  • cozi family calendar

• Transfer data from a non-UT-owned computer

• Deploy large orders (5+) immediately upon receipt. The Generations program should be used for bulk orders
• Create @austin.utexas.edu email address (this happens automatically on the first day)
  • vanity domain addresses such as @nursing are self-service

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• Upon request, remove access to LAITS-managed systems

• Wipe and prepare computers for reassignment*

  • Equipment will be returned to the department until it is assigned to a new person

• Coordinate EML entitlement extensions via ITS.

• Retirees will have access to mail 30 days after their last day at UT.

  • LAITS can coordinate an extension through ITS, if needed. ITS request form is here

LAITS staff do not:

• Disable EIDs (we will contact ISO to do so if necessary)

• Proactively track departing employees (departments must notify us)

• Permanently grant or extend access to mailboxes for retirees/terminated employees

• Set out of office reply for departed employees - Contact ISO

• Recover UTBox files from personal UTBox accounts - contact ISO

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