Windows Server Updates – Beginning on the second Tuesday of the Month. The next day, Wednesday, service outages may occur between 6 AM to 8 AM and 5 PM to 7 PM.
Description: On the second Tuesday of each month, Microsoft releases software updates for our Servers, and the software that runs on them. A Server is basically a computer that “serves” data and services to other computers. The next day, we install the updates and restart these systems. Due to the number services that are impacted we split the updates into two groups, morning and evening.
Impact : The below services may be unavailable for up to 15 minutes during their maintenance windows.
The 6 AM to 8 AM group includes:
- Internet access on campus
- VIULearn online courses (D2L)
- Student and Employee Printing
- Employee and Student U Drives, My Documents and Desktop Files
- Department Share Drives
- Website logins (including VIULearn, VIUTube, VIUBlogs, VIUSpace, Unit4/UBW, and isapp.viu.ca sites)
- VIU databases (including Checkbox Survey, Research Office app, StarRez, Tableau)
The 5 PM to 7 PM group includes:
- VIU email (including Outlook, webmail and public folders)
- VIU websites (including isapp.viu.ca sites, my.viu.ca, stuweb.viu.ca)
Preparation: Please close and do not use these systems during the maintenance window.
Non-Windows Server Updates – Beginning on the fourth Tuesday of the Month. The next day, Wednesday, service outages may occur between 6 AM to 8 AM and 5 PM to 7 PM.
Description: On the Fourth Tuesday of each month, we receive software updates for our non-Windows Servers, and the software that runs on them. The next day, we install the updates and restart these systems. Due to the number services that might be impacted we split the updates into two groups, morning and evening.
Impact : The below services may be unavailable for up to 15 minutes during their maintenance windows.
The 6 AM to 8 AM group includes:
- Wordpress.viu.ca
- Access to the website and blogs will become unavailable for 15 minutes.
The 5 PM to 7 PM group includes:
- VIU Network Storage (U-Drive, Shares, etc. Does not impact OneDrive)
- These services will experience 4 interruptions. Each lasting anywhere from 10 seconds to 5 minutes before reconnecting. When these disconnections happen, access to and the saving of files to the above locations will be interrupted.
Preparation: Please save any changes and log out your VIU WordPress blog prior to the morning maintenance window. Prepare for the Evening Network storage outage by copying important files to your OneDrive. Work off of the copies until 7 PM and then save your work and copy them back to the relevant folders.