Guide to IT for Staff

Version 1.7, January 2011

The intention of this guide is to provide information to staff at Murdoch on how to use and
get the most from the available IT facilities and services. It is an ideal document for new
starters at Murdoch.

The latest version of this guide is located at

http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/services/newstaff.pdf

Feedback is always welcome - please send it to itservicedesk@murdoch.edu.au

Compiled by:

Office of IT Services – Directorate

\\groupdata.ad.murdoch.edu.au\files\DoCorpSvcs\OITS\Common\Staff\Training\Guide to IT for Staff at Murdoch v1.7.doc
 Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Foreword ..........................................................................................................................................3
Contacting IT Services .....................................................................................................................3
Getting Started .................................................................................................................................4
Your Credentials ..............................................................................................................................5
Forms ................................................................................................................................................6
Changing Your Password ...............................................................................................................6
Accesses and Permissions ...............................................................................................................7
MyMurdoch .....................................................................................................................................8
IT Training Resources ......................................................................................................................9
Hardware and Phones .....................................................................................................................9
How to Set Up Your Computer .................................................................................................... 10
Apple Macintosh Computers: ....................................................................................................... 10
Apple Macintosh Computers: ....................................................................................................... 11
Purchasing/Leasing IT Equipment and Software for University Use only ............................... 11
Purchasing IT Products for Home Use only ................................................................................ 13
Wireless Access .............................................................................................................................. 13
Getting Access to Resources Away from the Office or Travelling ............................................. 13
Using Private Computers on Campus.......................................................................................... 14
Using Equipment in Lecture Theatres and Meeting Rooms ....................................................... 14
Loaning IT and AV Equipment .................................................................................................... 15
IT Policy .......................................................................................................................................... 15
Self Help ......................................................................................................................................... 15
 Guide to IT for Staff

Foreword

The intention of this guide is to provide information to staff at Murdoch on how to use and
get the most from the available IT facilities and services. The guide is specifically intended
for new staff but can equally be useful for existing staff wishing to know more about IT at
Murdoch.

The guide contains information and links to other material stored on the Murdoch Web Site
http://www.murdoch.edu.au/. The web links can be “clicked-on” if you are using the
electronic version of this guide, but are also shown in full to allow you to type them in to a
web browser if you are using the printed version.

Contacting IT Services

Whenever contacting the IT Service Desk via phone, email, or in person you should have the
following information on hand when possible:

Full name of the person with the problem or request. (This may not always be you!)
Murdoch ID number (Staff Number, Murdoch Affiliate/Other or Student Number).
Location i.e. on campus office location, room, lecture theatre, off-campus, etc.
Contact telephone number where you can be normally reached i.e. Murdoch
extension number, mobile or any other telephone number.
A description of the problem or request, i.e. you are not receiving e-mail, not able to
log-in, would like a new PC; and how long you have been experiencing the problem.
Impact and urgency factors i.e. are you currently giving a lecture? Will a large
number of staff or students be affected by the outage you are reporting? Is there a
specific date that resolution of an issue or request is required?

The above is especially important when leaving a voice message or email.

Whenever you contact the IT Service Desk the service desk staff will raise a call for you. Even
if the issue is resolved over the phone for example there will still be a record of the
discussion in our system. This helps us identify any on-going issues or problems a staff
member may have and take action to prevent incidents reoccurring in future.

If we cannot solve your issue immediately we will log an open call to be followed up,
correlated with other activities around the university, and stored for future reference. This
call will have a number associated with it which service desk staff will supply you so you
can review the ongoing progress of the call.

You can query the status of your call by logging onto our Incident Management system at
https://itservicedesk.murdoch.edu.au/aexhd/winuser/ or by ringing the IT Service Desk on
ext 2000 and quoting the call number you received. If you have lost your call number you

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 Guide to IT for Staff

may be able to retrieve it by calling ext 2000 with your full details. If you have more than one
staff or student number it is best to provide both when trying to locate a call number. You
will also receive emails from our system indicating progress on any open calls you have in
the system.

All users are encouraged to report all IT service interruptions to the service desk (ext. 2000 or
itservicedesk@murdoch.edu.au); this includes network faults and disruptions to web pages.
This enables us to analyse these outages so we can prevent them happening in the future,
and also monitor the impact of these disruptions. It may also provide valuable information
for analysis which we wouldn’t otherwise receive.

A minor exception in this policy is in the advent of spam emails. In the event that you receive
spam or unwanted mail it should be reported via the spam report system. Information on this
system can be found here: http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/procedures/spam/

By reporting these mails you will be contributing to Murdoch’s ability to defend users on our
networks from unwanted and contaminated emails. Universities are a prime target for
phishing and spam emails, and we would request all users to use this system when possible.

Getting Started

The Office of IT Services has overall responsibility for planning, developing, and operating
Murdoch’s central information and communications infrastructure. We are here to facilitate
and support your needs as an employee within the University. To this end we try to provide
simple, straight forward support for your needs.

IT Services provides single points of contact for all your IT needs and requirements. This
ensures consistent single location support across all our services.
Phone: (08) 9360 2000 or Internal 2000
Working Hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm on normal University working days
e-mail: itservicedesk@murdoch.edu.au
Web Site: http://www.murdoch.edu.au/itservicedesk/
FAX: 9360 7588

Direct face to face support is also available at the South Street Campus. You can find the IT
Service Counter located on level 2 of the north wing of the library. Opening hours are:

Monday-Friday Weekends
8.00am - 11.00pm 8.00am - 5.00pm

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The IT Service Counter is closed on public holidays which are recognised by the University.
Full support is offered between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm weekdays. After hours,
services such as purchasing and machine deployment will cease. Users can still lodge
support requests that will be followed up during the day, and we will always try to resolve
any calls as they arise.

A more in depth break down of IT Services role in the university is available here:
http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/

Your Credentials
Your staff number is also your Murdoch username for the purpose of logging into resources.
You may also hear your password and username referred to as your MAIS credentials. When
taking employment at Murdoch University you may find that you end up with more than
one staff and/or student number.

It is important to ensure that your staff credentials remain separate from your student and/or
affiliate credentials. The following table describes the different type of accounts available at
the university:

Account Type Purpose

Murdoch University staff members have a casual, part-time or full time
contract with the university.
Murdoch University Staff
Member
Murdoch staff members are provided with an eight digit staff number
from Human Resources which is also their username.
Affiliate users have other valid business with the University that has
been authorised by a MAIS agent staff member.

Affiliate users are provided with a six digit staff number/username from
Affiliate User the IT Service Counter after completing a Murdoch Username and
Password Form.

It is not very common to be both an affiliate user and a Murdoch

University staff member.
Students are users who are enrolled in a course of study, and are
provided with an eight digit number/username.

This number is supplied upon the student enrolling in a course of study

Student
with the university.

It is common for staff members to be both students and staff at the

university.

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Forms

IT Services provides a number of forms to apply for various accesses and systems. All of IT
Services forms can be found here: http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/forms/ All forms are also
available at the IT Service Counter at the South Street campus also.

All forms can be handed in person to the IT Service Counter. If you are not able to hand the
form in person you may either elect a delegate to do this for you, or supply the form via FAX
or email with a handwritten signature. Some forms will be easier to process in person, and
will require a signed delegate MAIS agent if you are unable to hand it in personally. A list of
authorised agents can be found here:
https://www.murdoch.edu.au/wwwforms/mais/help/agents.html

The first forms you will likely require as a staff member are the Murdoch Password Request
form and Request for Microsoft Exchange Personal Email Address and Mailbox form. Your
password must be collected by yourself or by an authorised delegate. Unfortunately there
are no other methods of delivery to staff members at this time. Please contact the IT Service
desk if you cannot attend personally and cannot identify your appropriate delegate. Note for
Rockingham and Peel campus users; these users can have a password generated in their
appropriate library. Email forms must be sent to the South Street campus for processing.

ID cards will also be available from your campus library, or from the Human Resources
reception on level 3 o the Chancellery building on South Street. Your ID card will not only
identify you on campus but give you access to library resources and swipe access doors. You
will be able to retrieve your password and ID card at the same time in most instances. Please
feel free to call ahead if you have recently signed a contract to check if your ID Card and
password are currently in our system before attending the desk.

Changing Your Password

There is a comprehensive guide on the web on how

to change your password at
http://www.murdoch.edu.au/help/login/password/
staff.html. Please remember that this is for your
Murdoch Username and Password only. Systems
such as Alesco and Finance 1 have separate
usernames/passwords that are in addition to this.
For security reasons it is recommended that you
change your password every 3 months. Your
password should not be given to anyone even IT
support staff.

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Accesses and Permissions

Your title and position in the Murdoch University structure will often provide accesses by
default. For example users who work for IT Services will often have access to certain
systems, printers, and doors based on their employment. In some cases, however, you will
need extra access that is otherwise not available.

Your direct supervisor should be able to provide information regarding the custodians of
printers and such like in your area. In the event you cannot locate a custodian please feel free
to contact the IT Service Desk.

For access to doors around campus you should contact your direct supervisor or security as
appropriate.

You may also need access to other Information Systems to carry out your role. Application
forms for these systems and others are available from:
http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/forms/.

The most commonly used systems are:

Finance One (Purchasing, General Ledger, Assets, A/P)

http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/forms/SSUAAFinance.pdf
Alesco (Human Resources)
http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/forms/SSUAAAlesco.pdf
Callista (Student Management System)
http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/forms/SSUAACallista.pdf
LMS (Learning Management System), instructions at http://online.murdoch.edu.au/
Lectopia (Automated Lecture Recording System), instructions at
http://our.murdoch.edu.au/Educational-Development/Educational-
technologies/Lectopia/

Instructions on the form or web site indicate what to do once you have filled it out.

If you require training in these systems, contact the IT Service Desk for assistance with this as
well as the IT Training Resource Centre at http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/training/.

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MyMurdoch

“MyMurdoch” provides centralised access to applications and information that is relevant to

staff. MyMurdoch can also be personalised to allow you to arrange information according to
your needs. To access MyMurdoch, click on ”Staff” from the Murdoch home page or use
http://our.murdoch.edu.au/Staff/. The following screen will appear.

Click on
MyMurdoch
and then
enter in your
Murdoch
Username &
password

You can also bookmark the URL https://my.murdoch.edu.au/staff/home to allow quick

access to the login screen.

These boxes are

called “Portlets”.
They display
information from a
known source.

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IT Training Resources

Information about how to access IT training resources is available from

http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/training/. The site contains a number of “Computer
Based Training” (CBT) that allow you to run through a series of self-paced training
courses that can be stopped and resumed at any point or time.

Hardware and Phones

Do you have access to a computer? If not, you can arrange to have one purchased through
your Supervisor. See the chapter Purchase IT Equipment and Software for details on how to
purchase or lease IT hardware or software.

You may also require a telephone number allocated to you and, if necessary, be given a
telephone hand-set. Often these will already be provided by your department.

You can search https://wwwcoms.murdoch.edu.au/directory/update to check whether your

name is on the University telephone directory. Instructions on the page will show you how
to add your details if they are not already included. If you require a telephone hand-set
contact the IT Service Desk.

Information about using and setting up voice mail is available from:

http://wwwcoms.murdoch.edu.au/voicemail/

A wealth of other information about the telephone system is available from:

http://wwwcoms.murdoch.edu.au/phone/telephon.html.

Video conferencing facilities have recently been established at South Street campus and will
soon be available at Rockingham and Peel. Details on this service are available at:
http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/services/avs/videoconferencing.html.

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How to Set Up Your Computer

All staff are automatically allocated an area for storage of Murdoch related documents called
a home drive (H: drive). There are many good reasons to use this rather than storing files
directly on your computer.
1. The H: drive is “backed-up” (a copy is made of the files in case there is a failure of the
system),
2. Files are stored server side rather than on your local computer
3. You can access the files from any computer, even from home

To access your home drive follow the instruction below:

Microsoft Windows Computers:

Your H: drive is mapped to “\\mydata.ad.murdoch.edu.au\Home\<Murdoch

Username>”. You can type this string into a browser window in windows explorer to
browse to this directory. This can also be done via VPN on a personal computer at home or
abroad.

Apple Macintosh Computers:

Your home drive can be mapped by going to the Go menu in the toolbar

1. Select Connect to server.

2. In the server address bar type smb://mydata.ad.murdoch.edu.au/home/<staff number>
3. Click on the connect button.
4. You will be requested to log in with your Murodch Username and Password.
5. Your home drive will now be available as a mounted volume.

Shared Area “groupdata”

Files that are shared amongst your work group are normally stored in an area called
“groupdata”. To map this groupdata area please follow the instructions below:

Microsoft Windows Computers:

1. Double click on the My Computer icon
2. Select the my network places link located on the left hand side of the window
3. Under network tasks select add a network place
4. Follow the directions and when asked type in the following address for your area
“\\groupdata.ad.murdoch.edu.au\files\<Your Division/Faculty>\<Your
Office>\<Function>\etc”.
Although it may be different for various areas and groups at the University, the intention is
to standardise on this method of locating files for all staff. Contact the iT Service Desk for
more information on how to use this area.

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Apple Macintosh Computers:

1. Select Connect to server.
2. In the server address bar type smb://groupdata.ad.murdoch.edu.au/files/<Your
Division/Faculty>
3. Click on the connect button.
4. You will requested to log in with your Murdoch Username and Password.
5. Your shared area will now be available as a mounted volume.

Purchasing/Leasing IT Equipment and Software for University Use only

There is a one-stop shop for purchasing IT equipment and software for University use
(only) at http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/services/purchasing/:

Click on the relevant coloured tab to provide information on how to purchase/lease

computer hardware, software or telephones. You will need a Murdoch Username and
Password to access this page. You can make a request directly from this web page or if
you're not sure what you need, or the item you are looking for is not on the page, then
contact the IT Service Desk on ext 2000. They will be happy to provide information and
process your request.
You are expected to provide computer equipment for your own staff as well as “specific”1
computer labs. This includes PCs, printers, photocopiers, facsimile, mobile phones and any
other equipment.

Our preferred suppliers for computer equipment are:

Dell for Intel based PCs and servers (sourced directly from Dell);
Apple Australia for Apple PCs (sourced directly from Apple);
Ricoh printers and MFD’s (multi-function devices);
Other equipment sourced from regular suppliers

1There a two types of Computer Labs, “Generic” and “Specific”. All “Generic” labs contain standard hardware and
software and will be fully provisioned by IT Services. “Specific” labs contain purpose-specific hardware and software, e.g.
Cisco, MCC & Engineering labs. All costs for these labs are to be borne by the relevant owner Division/Faculty on an
ongoing basis; IT Services can manage this on behalf of owner by arrangement.

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Equipment can be purchased or leased, with preference for leasing although it is generally
not economical to lease items that cost under $1,000. The IT Service Desk can help you with
pricing for leased items.

Servers required to host University administrative systems are budgeted by IT Services as

part of its annual capital planning. Please make the Office of IT Services aware of
requirements for new servers so they can be included in our capital budgeting and capacity
planning. You must however budget for servers required for teaching or research purposes.
Information on typical costs of this equipment to budget for is available on request.

If you are looking for a telephone, then information on the latest equipment is available from
https://wwwcoms.murdoch.edu.au/phone/telprice.html.

On a final note, please take note of section 5.5 of the Procurement Policy,
http://www.finance.murdoch.edu.au/admin/polproc/manual/purchas/1001.pdf,

“The University has instituted controls on procurement of certain items and services to ensure
compliance with University or Government policies, regulations or guidelines on their use. The
following goods, services or consultancy listed are supplied, or require approval prior to purchase, by
IT Services:

Phones & communications;

Software;
Computers;
Printers;
Multi function devices (i.e. photocopiers); and
Audio visual equipment.”

Please remember that you cannot buy software on a University Credit Card. The IT
Service Desk records information regarding software for license tracking purposes.

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Purchasing IT Products for Home Use only

There is a one-stop shop for purchasing IT products for home use (only) at
http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/services/homeuse/ . Special deals are added from time-
to-time as they become available from suppliers.

Wireless Access

Murdoch has wireless access available in many areas of the University as depicted in these
maps for South Street http://www.murdoch.edu.au/maps/murdoch/wireless/* and
Rockingham http://www.murdoch.edu.au/maps/rockingham/wireless/*. Wireless access is
available in all main areas at Peel.

There are two wireless networks available at the University; MuWLAN, and the Eduroam
network. Eduroam allows users to easily access the wireless network at both Murdoch and
other participating institutions. More detailed information on Eduroam can be found here:
http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/eduroam/. Eduroam is our preferred network.

Information on how to connect to the wireless services at Murdoch can be found here:
http://wwwcoms.murdoch.edu.au/wireless/.

IT Service Desk staff will also be able to assist in resolving any problems you may have in
connecting to the network. Wireless connections are available for both private machines, and
machines provided by the university.

For assistance in wireless set up it is best to either call the Service Desk for an appointment or
attend the IT Service Counter.

Getting Access to Resources Away from the Office or Travelling

Details on accessing computer resources while away from the office are detailed at the web
site http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/services/network/offcampus.html.

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Using Private Computers on Campus

Private and personal portable machines such as laptops and notebooks can be connected to
the Murdoch network via a VPN and wireless connection.

In some circumstances, users may be required to user a personal machine as a more

permanent asset within the university. In these rare cases, users can apply for an IP address
using the IT Form Service: http://www.its.murdoch.edu.au/forms/

Please note, due to liability reasons, IT Services staff cannot touch or service your personal or
private machine. Only basic support such as wireless connectivity can be provided on
machines not purchased directly by the university.

Using Equipment in Lecture Theatres and Meeting Rooms

Check what equipment is available in the Lecture Theatre you will be using, as it differs from
venue to venue. It is highly recommended that users visit lecture theatres of classrooms prior
to teaching to ensure the room meets the needs of the event or class.

If the Lecture Theatre has a data projector, you can use the VGA connection on your laptop
computer. Mac laptops without a VGA port may require a VGA convertor. As a general rule,
all Lecture Theatres are now equipped with a Windows based workstation that you can log-
on and University network resources and the Internet. Most theatres also have touch-screen
based audio/visual equipment that operates the lights, sound, screens and projection. A list
of equipment currently available is at
http://www.murdoch.edu.au/admin/timetables/teaching/rooms.html

Information is also available on how to locate Lecture Theatres and other buildings through
interactive maps of each campus. Two different levels of maps exist:

High Level → http://www.murdoch.edu.au/maps/

Detailed Level → http://www.murdoch.edu.au/ofm/floorplans/floorplans.html

Also be aware that it is not always possible to take a computer from one area of the campus
and connect it into another area’s fixed network port. Check with the IT Service Desk before
attempting to do so.

When leaving a lecture theatre or classroom it should be returned to the state it was
originally in prior to teaching. This will include powering off any presentation equipment,
and logging out of any computers. It is especially important to log out of presentation
machines you are using as leaving them logged in may give others access to your personal
data.

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Loaning IT and AV Equipment

Specific Audio visual equipment is available for loan from the IT Service Counter, Level 2,
Library, North Wing South Street Campus.

Data Projectors
Amplifiers
Radio lapel mics lectures theatres

IT Policy

Access to electronic resources at Murdoch is granted under acknowledgment of IT policy.

A list of IT policies can be found at http://www.murdoch.edu.au/index/policies/it. This web

page contains links to internal and external policy that is applicable to the University.

You should familiarise yourself with the policy documents prior to using the resources
supplied at Murdoch University.

Self Help

There are a number of web-based resources that enable you to search for help regarding a
particular problem. The main web site for the IT Service Desk is at
http://www.murdoch.edu.au/itservicedesk/. This site will also contain announcements of any
known outages, and large scale changes within the university.

Take a look around the main page and familiarise yourself with the various areas.

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Current Network and Services

Status

Chat with Staff from the

Contact
IT Service Desk
Information
Latest Topics
from the
Knowledgebase
Access
Knowledgebase
Top 10 Hot Links

Latest News Student

Password Reset

Ordering
Hardware &
Software

On the left hand side, are two sections, one on how to contact the IT Service Desk and the
“Top 10 Hot Links”. In the middle, there are three sections. The area at the top shows the
Current Network and Services Status. The most up-to-date information on any issues or
service outages is shown here. The area in the middle shows the latest topics from the IT
Knowledgebase and the latest IT News appears at the bottom. On the right hand side, there
are four sections. You can chat with staff from the IT Service Desk by pressing on the icon for
on-line support. This is similar to MSN or IC Chat. You can access the IT Knowledge Base
from the middle icon. You can also access the password reset features (for Students only),
and finally details on how to order computer software and hardware from the icon at the
bottom.

You can also receive this information via RSS. Information on how to add a RSS feed can be
found in this Knowledgebase article
http://www.murdoch.edu.au/itservicedesk/kb/questions/119/.

The RSS feed URL’s to use are as follows:

Current Network & Services Status http://www.murdoch.edu.au/itservicedesk/issues_rss.edo

Latest News http://www.murdoch.edu.au/apps/portal/newsrss.edo

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