Oracle Corporation has announced the end-of-life for their software product, Oracle Calendar. As a result, the University is in the process of migrating the data from Oracle to another system called the University Collaboration Suite (UCS). UCS allows users to access both their calendar and email by using the same interface. At Behrend, Microsoft Outlook 2010 is the interface which will be used for both email and calendaring. In addition, there is also a UCS web interface which can be used to access your email and calendar. The migration for Behrend is scheduled for January 2012.
Please read all of the information below which provides information about the migration date, the migration of faculty and staff, how to prepare for the migration and after migration, training opportunities, and other resources.
Migration Date
Migration will take place between Monday, January 23, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. and Tuesday, January 24 at 8:00 a.m.
* * * IMPORTANT: DO NOT USE YOUR EMAIL OR ORACLE DURING THE MIGRATION PERIOD. * * *
This means do not check email with any client (WebMail, Thunderbird, etc.) and do not use your mobile device to check your email during this time frame. In addition, do not use Oracle.
Migration of Faculty and Staff
- Outlook 2010 will be offered as a new replacement for both email and the calendar. Those who currently use an older version of Outlook will be upgraded to Outlook 2010. Please note that while Thunderbird will still be available upon request, it does lack several important features such as the calendar.
- The web-based UCS client will replace PSU WebMail.
- For Mac users, the UCS web client will be used for email and the calendar. You will be contacted by Computer Center staff; we will help assist you with the migration to the UCS web client.
- Those who use non-standard or non-IT-staff-configured email clients: On Tuesday, January 24 after 8:00 a.m., follow the instructions at: http://kb.its.psu.edu/ucs or refer to Behrend's FAQ site.
Prepare for the Migration
A migration to a new system usually means there may be some glitches, so it is highly recommended that you keep the morning free on Tuesday, January 24. This will provide you with time to get acclimated to the new interface and allow the Computer Center staff to assist you with any issues that might arise.
If you use a cell phone to access your email and calendar, your phone will need to be reconfigured on Tuesday, January 24. This assistance can be offered after the primary systems have been successfully migrated. To configure your cell phone, refer to the links below or complete a work order to request assistance with the configuration.
Prior to Monday, January 23, 5:30 p.m., please take these actions with:
- Close your current email client prior to the migration.
Oracle
- Create a back-up your Oracle Calendar. To do so, open Oracle and from the menu select: File / Download to Local File.
- Print a copy of your Oracle Calendar from at least November until the end of the year. (Or, you may wish to print your calendar for the entire year.) Tip: At the Print dialog box, you can click the Preview button to see how the calendar will print. If you wish to change the format, exit the Preview screen and then click on the Options button to make adjustments. Refer to the printed calendar as needed during the migration period.
- Close Oracle prior to the migration.
In addition, please view the recording below to acquaint yourself with the UCS web client.
- Overview of the University Collaboration Suite (UCS) (This is also the pre-requisite for the hands-on training that ITS Training Services will provide.)
After Migration
After the migration takes place, you can access your email via:
- Outlook using your on-campus PC or laptop
- UCS web client using a web browser from home, on a non-PSU laptop, or from an off campus location (To do so, go to: https://ucs.psu.edu.)
- Mobile phone (iPhone or Android):
iPhone - See the instructions at: http://kb.its.psu.edu/article/1641
- Android - See the instructions at: http://kb.its.psu.edu/article/1642
Notes:
- Existing configured email clients will no longer access new email after Monday, January 23.
- Email filters will need to be re-created. Email contacts will be migrated, but they may require some manual manipulation.
- Calendar shared permissions will need to be re-created.
Training
ITS Training Services (U.P.) will provide hands-on training. One session will cover Outlook's email and calendar features. The other session will cover the UCS web client's email and calendar features. The training is scheduled for Wednesday, January 25. More details about the hands-on training (including prerequisites) are available at Training for UCS.
ITS Training Services will also be offering lecture-based training for UCS via Meeting@PennState (i.e. Adobe Connect) during the first week of January.
Resources
Various instructional guides are available from ITS Training Services. (Scroll down to the section, University Collaboration Suite, to see a list of guides.) In particular, you may be interested in the following:
- Calendar Quick Start Guide
- UCS Web Client (email and calendar)
- Using Outlook 2010 with UCS
- Outlook (online lynda.com tutorial)
Other resources:
Questions
Please contact the Computer Center for any questions or concerns you might have regarding the migration.