ITCS Production Freezes

What Is a Freeze? | Freezes Are Tied to Academic Calendar | Fall Freezes | Winter Freezes | Spring/Summer Freezes

What Is a Freeze?

During a freeze, no major changes are made to ITCS services and systems.

Security patches and critical updates can be applied and emergency maintenance can be done during a freeze; manager approval should be obtained if at all possible.

Other changes can occur only with ITCS manager approval. Some exceptions require customer approval. Exceptions can be made for units with special/different needs. (For example, Campus Computing Sites sets freeze dates for sites on the Medical Campus in concert with the Medical School's different term dates.)

When Sites is in a freeze and the rest of ITCS is not, the rest of ITCS is aware of the need to minimize changes that could impact Sites.

Freezes Are Tied to Academic Calendar

Freeze dates are calculated based on the academic calendar published by the Office of the Registrar. Some U-M schools follow different calendars, and ITCS staff members are encouraged to use caution in scheduling major work during critical times for those schools. To see the academic calendars for those schools, view the U-M Academic Calendar, then select a class term. Scroll to the bottom of the page and look under the Notice heading.

Fall Term Freeze Schedule

A freeze begins the first day of classes (at 12:01 a.m.) and ends on the Friday of the second week of classes. Actual duration of the freeze is less than two weeks given that the first week of classes typically starts on a Tuesday.

One month before the end of Fall Term, Sites enters a freeze.

The rest of ITCS enters a freeze the Saturday (at 12:01 a.m.) before exams begin.

The freeze ends at midnight at the end of the last day of exams.

Winter Term Freeze Schedule

A freeze begins the first day of classes and continues through the first five class days of Winter Term.

One month before the end of Winter Term, Sites enters a freeze.

The rest of ITCS enters a freeze the Saturday (at 12:01 a.m.) before exams begin.

The freeze ends at midnight at the end of the last day of exams.

Spring and Summer Terms Freeze Schedule

There is no freeze at the beginning of the term.