Editor-in-Chief
From the early hours of the day to the late hours of the night, phone and computer screens are illuminated by professors checking emails and students browsing the web. Clubs update their event calendars and students turn homework in on Moodle. Western portal tabs are opened again and again, all with little regard to the inner workings of our network.
Yet, the moment Wi-Fi cuts out, students are quick to complain and point fingers. But do they know who they are pointing at?
It’s time to call attention to a behind-the-scenes department working around the clock to support academic and administrative life.
University Computing Services (UCS) is responsible for network maintenance and other campus IT services.
But they are not who you should be pointing at. They are who you should be applauding.
On Wednesday, students, staff and faculty found themselves unable to access the internet. Although this was probably frustrating, it was nothing in comparison to what UCS went through.
A core router was overwhelmed with 99 percent usage causing the network to shut down. On top of that, a host server happened to be attacked at the same time. The IP was traced to China. 430,000 attempts to break into Western’s system occurred within two minutes.
Talk about a bad day at work.
After phone calls to multiple Cisco engineers, they were able to get the network back up. By 9 p.m., they were finally able to go home and get some shut-eye. But that is only the beginning. They now continue to work to diagnose exactly what went wrong with the router and how to fix it.
What seems like a long day without internet for us was much longer for those working to fix the problem.
And it wouldn’t be the first time.
Let us not forget Dec. 2, 2013 when one of the transformers blew in the main uninterruptible power supply (UPS) located in the administration building causing the entire Western network to shut down. UCS arrived at 5 a.m. to find the basement filled with smoke.
Physical Plant removed doors and built ramps in order to haul the 1800-pound UPS device out of the building to be replaced with a brand new one that Bill Kernan, director of UCS, had, (lucky for us) ordered a week before.
The rest of their day was spent skipping meals, connecting and testing the new UPS which they had up and running by 9:30 p.m. — less than 24 hours.
When the network is down, let us not assume it’s as easy as flipping a switch. Assessing, diagnosing, testing and securing the problem all need to happen, not to mention finding time to inform the campus and brief the University president.
Homework due dates can be extended, emails will wait in your inbox and other activities can replace Netflix.
It is easy for those who use the network to take it for granted. Let us not forget those who maintain it.
The ongoing, timely dialogue presented through Kernan’s blog, faculty senate updates and all student/all faculty emails keeps everyone in the loop.
The Journal would like to commend UCS, Bill Kernan, Paul Lambert, Dave McEvilly, Michael Ellis, Megan Eichler and all others involved, for working long hours to get the network back up and running Wednesday.
We appreciate you going above and beyond in your jobs, so the rest of us can do ours successfully.
