Physics IT Support News

A/V Updates and modifications carried out to Lecture Theatres and Meeting Rooms

Plans

Planning for Jack Patton and Freeman room upgrades.

December/January 24

Install new ceiling microphone in the Robert Hooke meeting room.
Swap the TV screen in the back of the Robert Hooke meeting room with one capable of being controlled by the Extron system.
Install Extron control system. Rear Cisco camera will be replaced with an IP camera.
DWB Seminar room will have a new Extron control panel installed.
Mulvey Room V/C system to be updated.

October/November 2023

Martin Wood Lecture Theatre Two new wireless microphones are now available to help with Q&A sessions at big meetings. Total number of wireless microphone is now 6 (2 lapel 4 handheld)
General All podium PC's and Panopto recording PC's upgraded to Windows 11
AOPP Failed Signage Screen in the entrance replaced.
DWB Bipac Meeting Room Replace older V/C system with Cisco SX80.
Beecroft Building The majority of the HDMI Convertors were replaced due to intermittent faults with the other models. Faulty projector replaced in the Simpkins Lee room.

September 2023

DWB Seminar Room (501) Installed new ceiling microphone, new projection screen & mounted PC monitor on wall.

Week beginning 10th July

Jack Patton Replace older V/C system with Cisco SX80.

Week beginning 3rd July

Dobson Room Swap Extron A/V controller for higher end model.

Week beginning 26th June

Robert Hooke Meeting Room Move whiteboards and Blackboards, install two large TV screens.

Week beginning 5th June

DWB Conference Room Move whiteboard, Install large TV
Audrey Wood Start of major refurbishment. Electrical installation work by Building Services.

Week beginning 15thMay

Freeman room HDMI extenders replaced to cure intermittent fault.
Martin Wood Lecture Theatre New Hearing Loop system being commissioned.

Week begining 8th May

Replaced the broken Beecroft Foyer screen.

Week beginning April 24th 2023

DWB – Conference room
Complete wiring for new TV screen.

Week beginning April 17th 2023

DWB – Seminar room
Projector to be replaced with new high resolution, laser projector.
Cisco SX80 Video conferencig system to be installed.
Martin Wood Lecture Theatre
Additional monitor for speaker to see the slide view added to the podium.

Week beginning April 10th 2023

DWB – Fisher Room
Building Services to carry out woodwork to provide smooth surface to mount mist microphone array in Fisher room. This will improve Q & A sessions during Video Conferences and seminars. Mist array microphone/ speakers installed.

Week beginning April 3rd 2023

Martin Wood Lecture Theatre
• Replace Extron CrossPoint unit with newer model. To provide better performance and improved switching speed.
• Investigate microphone issue to fix a ‘volume drop’ problem some users have experienced.
• The new Juniper Mist Wi-FI access points will be mounted further up the walls to provide better coverage.

Week beginning 27th March 2023

DWB – Conference Room
• Installation of cable containment, power and network cabling for Video conferencing equipment and new TV screen.
DWB – Fisher Room
• Extron HDMI to network cable converters replaced by ProSignal devices as we have seen occasional dropouts when using the Extron devices.
• Camera shelf and camera installed at the front for VC use.

Week beginning 20th March 2023

DWB – Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre
• An Extron Digital Matrix Processor (DMP) was added to the control system to give more options.
(This allows the audio to be sent over the network to any other room)

Week beginning 13th March 2023

DWB – Seminar Room (501)
• Installed digital wireless Sennheiser lapel and handheld microphones.
• New lectern installed
• Projector converted from direct VGA/VNC to HDMI over network cables.
• Extron switcher installed to allow laptop/PC to present.
• Power and Network cables installed ready for new Panopto camera to be installed.
• Small network switch installed in the podium.
• Network cables run from the room to MSU to allow for remote installation of the Panopto PC

Week beginning 6th March 2023

DWB - Fisher Room
• Replaced the Extron controller with the full Extron Crosspoint controller.
(This provides more video feeds and audio control.)
• Panopto Camera re positioned in the centre of the back of the room.
• Panopto recording PC moved from the back to MSU
• Network Cables run for new additional camera near the podium to provide an audience view for Video Conferencing.
• The Analogue audio mixer was replaced with an Extron Digital Matrix Processor (DMP)
(This enables echo cancellation and tools to improve sound quality and allows the audio to be sent over the network to any other room)
• Installed Cisco SX80 Video conferencing system and integrated it into the control system for zoom meetings
DWB – Bipac Meeting Room
• Installed HDMI switcher to allow laptop or PC to drive the projector
• Installed new A/V cabinet
Martin Wood Lecture Theatre
• Eight network cables that run from the podium to the projection room have been terminated. (This gives improved flexibility for driving the projectors from different sources)
• The visualizer is now working again (thanks to the new cables) (although the lift is still not usable)
• The wireless microphone charging station is now on the network so MSU can see if the microphones are not charging correctly.

Beecroft Building – Simpkins Lee meeting Room
• A hole has been cut in the floor of the podium to allow easier access to cables and the floor box.

Networking Updates

Summer/Autumn 2023

  • Install Juniper Mist Wi-Fi APs on AOPP top floor. Building service install cabling to fit out second floor of AOPP.

Old Physics VPN Service to be decommissioned - End of April 2023

We will shortly be removing the old VPN service (vpn.physics.ox.ac.uk) at the end of April 2023.
The faster new Physics FortiGate VPN is available to use. More information can be found on our website: Physics VPN help

Autumn 2022 & Spring 2023

  • Redistribute Aerohive Wi-Fi access points freed up from the Beecroft Wi-Fi upgrade. 16 new installations and 7 old obsolete cisco units replaced. Install further Juniper Mist APs in the Martin Wood Complex.

Summer 2022 Wi-Fi

  • Installation of Juniper Mist Wi-Fi Access points in all 7 floors of the Beecroft to improve performance and coverage.

Infrastructure Updates

Autumn 2022

  • DWB Level 1 Infrastructure Computer Room A/C upgrade. The two (~50KW rated) units were replaced with three new (~45KW rated) Airdale units. Both the internal and external units were replaced. The PUE improved from ~1.49 to 1.19, as a result of the new units taking ~14kW less electricity that the old units.

Summer 2022

  • Begbroke IAT Computer Room. 6 RACU's replaced with more powerfull fully controllable Airdale Units. Once the fan speeds were tuned the power taken by the six new units was ~50% of that used previously.

University Wide Updates

  • University Network backbone, 4 core routers upgraded to 100Gbps August 2023
  • Change to IT Regulations to prevent blanket email forwarding

    Change to IT Regulations

    The University Council has approved a change to the IT Regulations (Gazette, 4 May 2023) which means that, from 1 August 2023, the blanket forwarding, or routing, of email from a University email account to an external, non-University account will be prohibited, except in exceptional circumstances.

    IT Services is making the following changes to the automatic email forwarding function in line with the new regulation:
    • We are amending the email forwarding self-service function to prevent automatic forwarding to an external email address
    • We will be providing support documentation to help people manage multiple email accounts: for example, writing rules for forwarding a subset of emails, in compliance with IT regulations
    • We are developing a process to manage exception requests. In line with the regulation. Such requests will be granted in exceptional circumstances only and will require the approval of the Chief Information Officer. We will provide the detail of this when it is available
    Why have the Regulations changed? 
    We recognise that this change to email forwarding may present an inconvenience for a number of people across the University, but the key driver is to ensure that the University maintains appropriate control over personal data for which it is legally responsible and to enable it to better respond to Freedom of Information or Subject Access requests.
    Further details about the project and why automatic forwarding presents a risk can be found on the project webpage.

  • University VPN Service upgrade

    University VPN Service upgrade - April 23rd 2023

    University central VPN (virtual private network) service upgrading on 26 April 2023
    The University’s central VPN service will be upgraded on 26 April. If you use this service to access systems when away from the University (e.g. working from home) the login process will change. You will only be able to access the VPN using Cisco software and will log in using your SSO username and password, instead of your Remote Access login. From 14 March you might be prompted to update your Cisco AnyConnect Client in preparation. Please see the VPN project webpage or contact your local IT support if you are unsure how you access the VPN.

  • On premis SharePoint site closing on April 11th 2023 SharePoint Overview

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