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Policy #49

 

Planning, Installation, and Maintenance
of Data and Video Networks

The University has a campus-wide data and video telecommunication infrastructure. Procedures and policies are needed to assure inter-operability of the equipment and software involved, to provide assistance to users and potential users, to allow effective use of the facilities, and to establish responsibilities for the operation and maintenance of those facilities.

The policy is divided into two sections:

  1. the fiber-optic and coaxial networks and
  2. the local area data networks and closed circuit television (CCTV) networks supporting departmental, college, or building operations.

I. Campus-wide Fiber Optic/Coaxial Networks

Design:

The Physical Plant is responsible for contracting for any network design services. The resulting design will be reviewed by the Computer Center with recommendations presented to the University Administration.

Planning:

The Physical Plant is responsible for planning of components for the cable between buildings, for the electronic closet(s) in each building, and for the cable connections in the electronic closet(s).

The Computer Center is responsible for planning of bridges and devices contained in the electronics closet that distribute data within the building, and the Faculty Center is responsible for devices to support CCTV.

The planning functions described above include the preparation of maintenance and operational budget request documents to be reviewed during the normal budgetary process.

Installation:

The Physical Plant will be responsible for supervising the installation of any equipment provided through a construction contract and for the installation of cable between electronics closets in buildings and cable connections within the electronics closets.

The Computer Center will be responsible for the installation of other electronic equipment in the electronics closets used solely for the transmission of data. This includes switches, bridges, routers, terminal servers, multiplexers, and repeaters.

The Faculty Center will be responsible for the installation of other electronic equipment in the electronics closets used solely for the transmission of CCTV signals. This includes amplifiers, fiber-optic to copper, and digital video to analog video converters.

The Physical Plant is responsible for coordinating activities within each electronics closet. Any unresolved questions concerning these responsibilities or the degrading of one service (data or CCTV) to enhance the other will be brought to the University Administration by the Director of Physical Plant.

Operations:

The Computer Center will serve as the first line of contact for the data transmission operations of the data network, and the Faculty Center will provide a similar service for the CCTV operations. The Computer and Faculty Centers will provide their respective users the information, training, and assistance required to access the networks. The security of the data and CCTV portions of the system will also be their respective responsibility.

The Computer Center is responsible for maintaining the equipment and software required to monitor the data network and, based on information developed by the monitoring system, and make recommendations for improved operations to the University Administration.

The Faculty Center is responsible for maintaining the equipment used exclusively for CCTV, the CCTV network, and making recommendations for improved operations. In addition, the Faculty Center will provide users with the necessary channel information and electronic component settings to gain access to CCTV programming and will provide CCTV switching and routing based on policy and procedures approved by the University Administration.

The Computer Center, Faculty Center, and Physical Plant will submit budget requests for operational expenses through normal budget processes. For matters of interdivisional significance they may request endorsement by the University Administration.

Maintenance:

The Computer Center will monitor the data network to detect component failures. The Computer Center will also serve as the reporting center for users suffering a malfunction of networking equipment attached to the network and will be responsible for the initial investigation of the malfunction.

The Faculty Center will monitor the CCTV networks, will serve as the reporting center for users suffering a malfunction of a CCTV network, and will be responsible for the initial investigation of the malfunction.

The responsibility for repair of failures occurring within the electrical closets will be as follows:

  1. Physical Plant will be responsible for repairing the campus cable, the cable connectors, and the cable connecting the buildings.
  2. The Computer Center will be responsible for the repair of equipment in the electronics closets that provides data transmission functions.
  3. The Faculty Center will be responsible for the repair of equipment located in the electronics closets that provides CCTV transmission functions.

II. Local Area Data and CCTV Networks

Planning and Design:

The Computer Center has initial design responsibility and will be the initial contact point for a unit desiring the development of a local area data network or the connection of an existing local area data network to the campus network.

The Faculty Center has initial design responsibility and will be the initial contact point for a unit desiring the development of a CCTV service and for connection to the campus network.

The Computer Center and Faculty Center will provide the following services for data and CCTV network users respectively:

  1. Develop a preliminary (schematic) design of the network including cost estimates for the equipment, software, and materials.
  2. Gain approval for the network design from the University Administration.
  3. Create the documentation and a work request requesting cost information from Physical Plant to install the network cable.
  4. Assist the user in developing purchase requisitions to acquire the equipment and software.
  5. Assist the user in developing a work request to have Physical Plant install the necessary wiring.

Installation:

The user is responsible for funding all local area data or CCTV network installations beginning as the wiring leaves campus networking equipment in the electronics closet.

Physical Plant is responsible for installing all wiring/cabling that extends beyond one room, is fastened to or penetrates a wall, uses any conduit, cable tray, baseboard molding, or extends above a ceiling. The actual installation may be by an external contractor, Physical Plant work force, or the user if Physical Plant gives prior agreement to supervise the installation. All installations will be inspected and approved by Physical Plant prior to actual use.

The Computer Center will provide the following local area data network services:

  1. Connect the components and install the network software and test the network.
  2. Provide the user with the necessary device addressing, user name and/or accounts, to allow the user to access desired local and national networks and services.

The Faculty Center will provide the following CCTV network services:

  1. Connect and test components attached to the CCTV network, including TV and decoders that allow user access to channel programming.

Maintenance:

The maintenance of local area networks is the responsibility of the organization sponsoring the network. If a local area data or CCTV network or a device connected to the campus network malfunctions to the extent that campus network services are affected, the offending network/device will be electronically disconnected from the campus network. Service will be resumed when the malfunction is repaired or the defective device is physically detached from the network.

Formerly Executive Memorandum 94-106
Initially approved June 24, 1994
Revised June 1, 1999
Administering office: Computer Center

Posted June 08, 1999