Date: October 10, 2008 9:20:41 AM EDT
To: mcommunity.updates@umich.edu, fln@umich.edu, acsf@umich.edu, macsig@umich.edu, win2000@umich.edu, unix.admins@umich.edu, novell.admins@umich.edu, www-sig@umich.edu
Subject: MCommunity Update: Sponsor System Pilot Release Imminent
Hello,
Within the next few weeks, the ITCS Accounts Office will begin using the new MCommunity Sponsor System to create uniqnames for new sponsored affiliates.
What does this mean for the University? It means
New Sponsorship Options
When requesting uniqnames for sponsored affiliates from the Accounts Office, departments will be able to select from some new categories. Departments will be able to sponsor wireless users, for example. New online forms for requesting sponsorships that include the new categories will be available on the Accounts Office web page when the Sponsor System is released.
New Temporary Uniqnames
Short-term guests, such as wireless users and conference attendees, will no longer receive regular uniqnames. They will receive temporary uniqnames consisting of the letters "um" followed by a number. For more details, see
http://www.itcs.umich.edu/itcsdocs/r1458/#uniqname.
Sponsorship End Dates
All sponsorships created in MCommunity will have a start date and an end date. There is a recommended duration for each sponsorship category, but departments can specify any duration up to one year. Sponsorships can be renewed if needed.
Documentation Preview
We encourage you to read the Sponsor System documentation (links provided below) to learn more about the upcoming changes regarding creation of uniqnames for sponsored affiliates.
MCommunity Sponsor System Overview (R1458)
This document provides an overview of the system, including details about uniqname types, identity types, sponsorship lengths, minimum data requirements, notifications sent by the system, what happens when a sponsorship expires, who can reset passwords for sponsored individuals under what circumstances, and more.
Using the MCommunity Sponsor System Via the Web (S4356)
This document provides step-by-step instructions for using the MCommunity Sponsor System via the web. These are the steps that Accounts Office staff members -- and, later, departmental sponsorship administrators -- will follow to create and manage sponsorships.
What Will Happen When
ITCS Accounts Office staff members are testing the Sponsor System now (using non-production data) and learning to use it in the process; MCommunity Team members are resolving problems as they are identified. Release of the system requires connections with and modifications to ITCS systems such as the uniqname server, IFS, the U-M Online Directory, and others. We are scheduling these various release components now so that they occur during regular maintenance windows. We will let you know when the Sponsor System is released to the ITCS Accounts Office.
Regards,
-- M-Community Project Leads
(MCommunity.leads@umich.edu)
