Campus Computing Sites places a "freeze" on our software environment during the last month of each term. This ensures that our loadsets are in a stable condition during the high-usage period surrounding exams. If you require new or additional software to be installed during the last month of each term, please be sure to request it at least 3 weeks prior to the first day of the last month of each term. Security patches and antivirus software will continue to be deployed during this freeze as necessary.
Sites spends a significant portion of each year installing course-related software packages. Our annual schedule requires for the core operating system and software infrastructure environment to be installed and tested by June, so that Sites can have the rest of the summer to upgrade, configure, test, and distribute software packages. Consequently, we need to know which software will be required for the upcoming semester with plenty of lead-time. Early notice is especially important for new packages or updates of existing applications.
Each platform that we support (PC and Macintosh) presents different challenges, some not directly associated with the application itself, but rather with related infrastructure such as license servers or software distribution systems. Installing a package on a single machine is often not an adequate predictor of problems that may occur when setting it up to be pushed out to hundreds of stations. It is also not uncommon for Sites to have to install various service packs and other related software modules in order to support a given application package. When system-level files are updated for one application, Sites staff must also retest previously installed software to make sure they all still work with the updated modules. Hence, we must allow ourselves as much time as possible for preparing for each semester. We need this time not only for our own work, but in order to provide as much time as possible for testing by faculty and GSIs before the semester starts. Sites is unable to exhaustively test each application.
Testing is important because one application may update or replace files and data that are used by other installed applications. When these common files are modified, other applications may need to be retested in addition to the newly installed application.
For the above reasons, Sites has established the following deadlines for course software requests:
| For courses to be offered: | Deadline: |
| Fall | May 1 |
| Winter | October 15 |
| Spring/Summer | March 1 |
Even if the version of software you would like to run in a given semester is not available by these dates, you should still advise us of your requirements. In some cases, an earlier version of software may be installed as a fall back.
Software can be deployed in two different ways. You can request to have software on specific machines in a classroom or computer lab. When selecting this option, you should be able to see all available physical locations.
Windows software can also be deployed to users associated to a University of Michigan Online Directory group or an Active Directory group. Software will be available to members of these groups regardless of what Campus Computing Sites computer they are using.
Concurrent Installation with Limited Use
Concurrent licensing is the preferred licensing scheme for deploying licensed software
to Campus Computing Sites. Concurrent Licenses allow the software to be installed on
specific set of labs and/or classrooms (or in all labs across
campus) but usage is limited to the number of licenses purchased. Sites can limit the
number of concurrent launches/usages of a software application with our licensing
managment software called KeyServer (http://www.sassafras.com). Our KeyServer allows
concurrently licensed software to be deployed to many workstations at one time, but
limits the number of launches to the actual number of purchased licenses.
Multi-Seat Installation with 1 License Code
Sites can deploy software with a single license code or serial number to a limited
number of seats. If, for instance, you own 15 licenses for a particular software, and
the license code/serial number is the same for all 15 licenses, then Sites can deploy
the software to the first 15 stations in a classroom/site. This is not our preferred
method for deploying software, but we can make exceptions for this software to be used
in a particular classroom or lab.
Per-Seat/Station Individual Licenses
Sites is unable to deploy software that requires individual seat/station license
codes or serial numbers. If an application can not be packaged and deployed to several
stations using one license code or serial number, then we will not be able
to deploy that software to our loadsets. Because of the high number of software requests,
and the large number of workstations and labs we maintain on campus, we simply
can't take the time it requires to visit individual stations to authorize single-station
license codes or serial numbers. Software that requires a per-seat licensing scheme
is not intended to be deployed on a large scale basis such as in our lab environments,
and we can not support these software applications.
Sites requires proof of licensing before we will deploy course software in the computing sites. Sites will NOT deploy any course software without proof of appropriate licensing, and will require a copy of the license to be submitted with the software request. Sites will need to keep the copy of the license during the time in which the software is deployed. Without this proof of licensing, no software may be installed on Sites systems.
Why does Sites Software need this information?
Sites Software is responsible for the software on all Campus Computing Sites workstations. If an audit is requested of Sites by a software vendor then Sites Software must provide supporting documentation of compliance.
Faculty in need of locating the correct licensing information for software they plan to submit to Sites may need to contact the IT Department for their School or College. LS&A Faculty should visit the LSA SWL group's web page at http://www.lsa.umich.edu/lsait/swl/.
More information about the University's approach to software licensing can be found at the following locations:
Course Software requests need to be submitted by the above deadlines. Should deployment issues arise, they will be brought to the submitter's attention as soon as possible; at this point, Sites Software staff will work with instructional staff to determine if there are potential solutions or alternatives and to work out a timeline for deployment.
Software that is submitted after the semester deadline may take up to 3 weeks to be deployed. Turnaround time will depend upon the volume of requests and other work-load Sites must accommodate at any given time. Additionally, each piece of Course Software is different and may pose problems. Software that is submitted after the deadline for which immediate deployment is requested will be charged a fee. We incur additional expenses when handling requests received after our deadline. We must pass those expenses along to you in the form a fee.
Additional Policies:Note: Instructional staff are encouraged to test software packages in the Sites environment before purchasing a site license, in order to identify potential technical conflicts. Similarly, instructional staff writing their own software should contact Campus Computing Sites to avoid critical design flaws.
If manuals for the software are available, they should be sent via courier or dropped off at the address above. A license agreement and proof-of-purchase (when applicable) for the number of copies of the software to be deployed must be submitted either via courier/drop off or FAX to 764-5601, attn: Sites Software.
05/06/11