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Home > Rates and contracts > Service level agreements > Annual Desktop Support service level agreement
This service level agreement (SLA) describes the core services provided to customers by Letters & Science Computing Resources (LSCR) under our Annual Desktop Support contract. It details both LSCR's and customers' responsibilities. Because there is overlap in our service offerings, there is some redundancy in this document.
It is assumed that only LSCR staff will provide computing support for machines under this support program. In order to avoid duplication of effort and insure a consistent, high level of service, LSCR will work with departmental computing support staff only by special arrangement.
In the course of providing computing support under this program, LSCR staff in many instances provide support beyond what is described in this document. Such additional support is provided at the discretion of LSCR consultants in the interest of furthering the goals of L&S departments.
Only Macintosh and PC hardware and software meeting certain specifications will be supported. These specifications are detailed on the LSCR supported hardware and LSCR supported software pages.
Hardware and software specifications will be updated annually, normally before the start of each fiscal year. LSCR will notify department managers in advance of any changes in our support levels.
The Annual Desktop Support contract in general assumes the following:
In the cases where either of these conditions do not apply, support may still be provided if a retainer contract is set up to cover service resulting from those circumstances (e.g., setting up multiple mailboxes or configurating network connectivity for multiple locations). In addition, a computer must be networked to be eligible for support under this program.
Responsibilities: Customers should consult LSCR before making hardware or software purchases. Some hardware or software may be unsupportable. LSCR's planning assistance can reduce the likelihood of compatibility problems wth existing hardware or software or having to deal with unreliable vendors. In addition, customers must notify LSCR if a supported computer will be used by multiple users or in multiple locations.
Services provided by LSCR to customers of the Annual Desktop Support program are described below.
LSCR will provide recommendations and planning assistance to supported departments regarding all aspects of desktop computing. The scope of such assistance includes the following:
In some cases, LSCR may recommend services not covered by the Annual Desktop Support contract. Such services may be provided by LSCR or other organizations.
Responsibilities: Customers, and department managers in particular, are urged to take advantage of LSCR's assistance with planning and keep LSCR informed about departmental computing issues. LSCR management will make an effort to meet with department managers periodically.
LSCR will install and configure new computers for supported customers. Computer setups may include the following:
Individuals are limited to one computer setup per fiscal year. Additional setups may be performed on an hourly contract. LSCR will not move computers from one location to another, provide storage space for new or old machines, or clear off the space needed for a computer setup.
Responsibilities:
LSCR will provide comprehensive maintenance services for supported machines. One comprehensive maintenance per year will typically be performed on each supported machine, and minor maintenance may be performed more frequently. Operations that may be performed as part of a maintenance include the following:
A full maintenance will typically require from one to four hours, depending on what tasks need to be performed. Maintenance is always scheduled in advance.
Responsibilities:
LSCR will troubleshoot problems with supported operating systems, software applications, and network connectivity. LSCR will also perform basic hardware troubleshooting.
Responsibilities: Customers should request LSCR services as described below.
LSCR will provide assistance with supported applications. This assistance includes the following services:
There are some limitations to LSCR's application support:
Responsibilities:
LSCR provides support for network connectivity for all supported workstations. This support includes the following:
LSCR does not maintain the campus network and will refer problems with the network itself to NSO.
Responsibilities: Departments must maintain accurate records regarding network configuration information (i.e., IP addresses, hostnames, subnet masks, and router addresses). In addition, customers must not install networking equipment (such as hubs or switches in many instances) that is prohibited by campus policy.
LSCR will provide installation and configuration of backup software. The backup service itself is provided by IST's UC Backup group. LSCR staff can assist with restores and act as a liaison with IST.
Responsibilities: Departments are responsible for subscribing to the UCBackup service. Customers must keep their computers on during the scheduled backup times (or ensure that manual backups are performed).
LSCR runs file servers for both Mac and PC platforms for supported departments. The file servers are backed up regularly and allow departmental workgroups to share documents. LSCR works with departments to create directory hierarchies that make sense for their work patterns. LSCR creates and manages users and groups.
LSCR discourages personal (peer-to-peer) file sharing for several reasons:
Responsibilities: Customers must comply with all LSCR server usage policies. LSCR will manage departmentally owned servers only on a retainer basis.
When needed, LSCR will act as a technical liaison with campus computing units and outside vendors. For example, LSCR will work with various units within IST to resolve issues regarding administrative applications, network connectivity, and software distribution. LSCR will also contact vendors on behalf of customers to resolve technical problems and provide recommendations to departments. LSCR will not normally act as liaison for issues that are not of a technical nature (such as placing or picking up orders for software or equipment, resolving billing issues, etc.)
Responsibilities: Customers should feel free to contact LSCR whenever technical issues regarding outside computing organizations come up.
LSCR provides basic hardware diagnosis for supported machines. In addition, LSCR will provide warranty work on most Dell and Apple desktop computer systems and can provide post-warranty work in many cases as well. Post-warranty work will be performed on a recharge basis only. In addition, LSCR staff will perform some basic hardware upgrades at no charge; these services would include installing PCI cards and upgrading RAM (in most cases). At its discretion, LSCR may refer hardware repair or upgrade tasks to DOCS Hardware Support or outside vendors.
Responsibilities: Customers should consult LSCR if they suspect a hardware problem or are considering an upgrade.
LSCR provides training resources to supported customers. LSCR staff can evaluate computer training needs for supported users and provide specific recommendations for training classes or materials. In addition, LSCR consultants can provide informal training sessions on supported software for individuals (or small groups) by appointment. Such training sessions typically last up to an hour; if multiple sessions are required, an hourly contract is required. In some cases, LSCR staff may provide formal group training for supported users.
Responsibilities: It is assumed that supported users have a basic computer literacy. In cases in which customers have extensive training needs, LSCR will provide recommendations and referrals.
To request services provided under the Annual Desktop Support program, customers should send electronic mail to the appropriate support team's service address. In cases in which email is not operational, customers may call the appropriate team help-line.
Other methods of requesting service (such as sending mail to the personal addresses of consultants, calling consultants' personal phone lines, or dropping by a consultant's office) will result in delays. At any given time, an individual consultant may be with another customer, working on a project, at a meeting, or out sick or on vacation.
Responsibilities:
LSCR's goal is to respond to all requests for service as quickly as possible. LSCR prioritizes requests as they come in using the following general guidelines:
Normal requests typically fall into the following categories:
Planned requests are those that require scheduling, research, or other advance preparation. Examples of planned requests might include the following:
Note that the boundaries among categories are not absolute. For example, there are times when a request that would normally fall into the "Normal" category might in fact be urgent.
LSCR's normal response times for requests are shown in the table below:
| Category | Initial response time | Commencement of work |
|---|---|---|
| Urgent | 0-90 minutes | 0-3 hours |
| Normal | 0-90 minutes | 0-6 hours |
| Planned | 2-4 hours | To be arranged |
The "initial response time" refers to the time during which an LSCR consultant will get in touch with the user (generally by email or telephone but in some case by an in-person visit) to get additional information or schedule a time for a visit. In some cases, the problem may be resolved in the initial response phase. For cases in which the problem cannot be resolved in the initial response phase, "commencement of work" refers to the period in which an LSCR consultant will be able to take steps to resolve the problem.
All times in the table above refer to normal working hours, considered to be between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The upper time limits are considered to be worst-case situations; normally response time will be much quicker. In very unusual circumstances (such as when several LSCR staff are out sick), it is possible that the upper time limits may be exceeded; such situations are likely to be extremely rare.
Responsibilities: In order for the above response times to apply, customers must request service using the appropriate team email address or help-line (if email is unavailable). LSCR can provide no guidelines regarding response time for requests made to consultants directly.
