The ERIS Infrastructure team has completed patching of the ERIS DIPR non-production environments.
Please contact rcc@partners.org with any issues or concerns.
This is a reminder that the ERIS Infrastructure team will be patching both Non-Production and Production VM’s and Systems during the last 2 weeks in February 2020.
We are changing the schedule for the non-production nodes from the last Wednesday of the month to Wednesday and Thursday of the third week of each month. Non-production nodes, servers and VM’s that begin with the letter A – K will be patched on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, and nodes, servers, and VM’s that begin with the letter M – Z will be patched on the 3rd Thursday of each month. The production patching schedule will remain on the last Saturday of the month.
Below are the dates and times for the February patching process:
Impact
Applications, Databases, Systems and VM’s will experience downtime when the database servers are patched when the ERIS proxy server is patched and again when the application VM's are patched. Each downtime should be short however, applications could experience 3 outages during the maintenance window.
Service Level Reminders
ERIS strives to keep all systems up to their most current and/or stable revisions. Please visit https://rc.partners.org/support-training/eris-service-level-agreement to review the full ERIS Service Level Agreement.
Server owners are responsible for maintaining the applications running on DIPR VMs and systems, ensuring the applications are patched and comply with Partners Information Security Practices and Policies. Server owners are responsible for the backup of critical configurations in case of a failure.
Please contact rcc@partners.org if you have any questions
If you use EndNote on your Mac, please review compatibility before upgrading.
See additional information on the EndNote website.
Please see An Update Regarding macOS 10.15 Catalina for additional guidance.
Did you know that Microsoft regularly releases security patches for its software products on the second Tuesday of every month? How frequently do you update your computer?
This month, Microsoft introduces patches for critical flaws and vulnerabilities that require you to patch as soon as possible.
Here is some guidance to keep your device secure and your Microsoft software up to date and running smoothly.
Do I need to make changes on my computer?
See HOWTO: Run Windows Updates for additional instructions.
January 25th, 2020 Update: REDCap experienced additional database issues beginning Thursday afternoon around 5:30. Issues were resolved on Friday morning at 9:30.
We're experiencing intermittent REDCap Service issues due to increased demand on the REDCap servers. If you're an API user and have large jobs running during peak work hours (7AM to 5PM), please move those request to off hours. This is the primary cause of our REDCap slow downs.
We have expanded our infrastructure to accommodate the increased use of REDCap. We are actively working to improve our servers, but we do need help from all our users to optimize their API calls and remember this is a shared resource.
REDCap will be taken offline tonight, January 15th, 2020 at 8:00PM ET. Downtime will be approximately 30 minutes.
If you have any questions about this, please contact edcsupport@partners.org.
We have started to reach out to API users directly to help alleviate impact on the systems.
The ERIS Infrastructure team has completed the patching of the DIPR production servers and VM’s for today. Please connect to your server or VM and validate that your applications and systems are working.
Our next scheduled patching event will occur at the end of January, and starting in February we will move our Non-Production patching to the third Wednesday of the month and continue our Production patching on the last Saturday of the month.
REDCap (https://redcap.partners.org/redcap) is currently experiencing issues with general slowness and data being submitted.
The appropriate teams are working to resolve these issues.
If you have any concerns, please email edcsupport@partners.org
REDCap (https://redcap.partners.org/redcap) is now back online. REDCap was offline from 10:40AM-2:00PM while the data was migrated from one server to another.
We recommend that users review their projects for any data entered between yesterday January 6th beginning around 2:30PM until REDCap was brought offline today at 10:40AM.
The root cause of this issue was database related. As soon as it was determined that there were continued data submission issues, a decision was made by the EDC Support team to take REDCap offline, migrate and optimize a new database server.
If you have any concerns, please email edcsupport@partners.org
Applies to: Staff and Visitors at Assembly Row
Partners HealthCare continues to enhance the Network Access Control (NAC) program at Assembly Row, strengthening visibility and security of data and devices connected to the Partners network.
Beginning January 7, when you connect to the Partners network at Assembly Row, you will be required to have SecureConnector installed on your computer. SecureConnector helps protect your computer, checking to confirm that it meets network security requirements.
Partners Standard Windows computers
Devices managed and maintained by Information Systems require no action.
Partners Non-standard Windows or Mac computers
SecureConnector must be installed by January 7, 2020. HOWTO: Determine whether you are using a standard or non-standard computer
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Step 1a: Verify if your device already has SecureConnector installed |
Note: SecureConnector is already installed on PEAS-enrolled Macs.
For additional help, visit: HOWTO: Verify a device has SecureConnector Installed |
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Step 1b: Install Secure Connector |
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What happens if I don’t install SecureConnector?
When you connect to the Partners network at Assembly Row on January 7, you will be prompted to install SecureConnector. You won’t be able to connect to the Partners network until SecureConnector is installed.
Please review the security requirements and guidance for your device, by visiting rc.partners.org/computer. Reach out and contact the IS Service Desk or stop by the Tech Depot on Floor 3 for support and with questions.
Thank you in advance.
Jigar Kadakia
Partners Chief Information Security & Privacy Officer
CISPO@partners.org
REDCap (https://redcap.partners.org/redcap) is currently experiencing intermittent access issues for anyone using an internal Partners network. Users outside the network should still be able to access REDCap.
The EDC Support team is actively working to fully resolve this issue.
If you have any concerns, please email edcsupport@partners.org
Applies to: All List Manager (Lyris) Administrators
From Friday December 27, 2019 through Monday, January 6 at 8a.m., there will be limited List Manager (Lyris) support. The infrastructure will be supported, so if there are concerns with connection to https://researchlistadmin.partners.org or mail delivery, they will be addressed and resolved in the normal response time.
Requests for new lists and emails regarding additional support will be responded to starting January 6, 2020
For answers to commonly-asked questions and requests, please refer to the following resources:
The Research Computing website, https://rc.partners.org, was offline from 7:10-7:17a.m. EDT time on Monday, December 23, 2019 while platform updates were applied.
Please contact rcwebmaster@partners.org if you have any questions or concerns.
REDCap (https://redcap.partners.org/redcap) is currently experiencing access issues for anyone using an internal Partners network. Users outside the network should still be able to access REDCap.
As of approximately 3:00PM December 19th, 2019, this issue has been resolved.
If you have any concerns, please email edcsupport@partners.org
REDCap (https://redcap.partners.org/redcap) upgrades to v9.1.22 scheduled for Friday December 13th, 6:30AM EST are complete. REDCap was offline from 6:36-6:58 AM EST.
This upgrade includes a number of security and bug fixes.
Release notes available here.
If you have any concerns about REDCap being offline at this time or any questions about these new features, please email edcsupport@partners.org
The PEAS team is pleased to recommend the upgrade to macOS Catalina 10.15 in the Enterprise.
All issues with Enterprise Services have been resolved. Prior to upgrading, please ensure you have the most recent version of enterprise apps that you use, like Citrix Workspace, Cisco VPN or TrendMicro Antivirus. The latest version of these applications are available in PEAS Self Service. Also verify the compatibility of any non-enterprise apps you use prior to upgrading. 32-bit applications are no longer supported on macOS Catalina. You can check if you’re running 32-bit apps in macOS Mojave before you download and install Catalina. From the Apple menu > About This Mac > System Report > Legacy Software or by goinig to https://roaringapps.com/.
We advise everyone upgrade and get the latest security features unless you have specialty software that is currently incompatible with 10.15.Keep in mind that Apple, and therefore Partners, only supports the current OS and two versions prior. With the release of macOS Catalina 10.15, the only other supported mac OSs are macOS Mojave 10.14 and macOS High Sierra 10.13. If you are running an out of date macOS, please view our webpage on how to Update Your Mac, or contact the Service Desk if you need assistance with an upgrade. Older Mac operating systems introduce risk to your data and the enterprise as they are not patched for security vulnerabilities, nor do they comply with Partners policies.
Please note: When upgrading to macOS Catalina 10.15, any folders in the root folder will be moved to /users/shared/relocated items.
| Software Tested | Functionality | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crowdstrike 5.15.9504 |  |
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| Trend Micro 3.0.3078 |
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| Forescout 15.3.15303 | |
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| Cisco AnyConnect 4.800175 | |
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| Microsoft Office 16.29 | |
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| Citrix Workspace 19.10.1.31 | |
notes for setting Safari Preferences https://rc.partners.org/kb/article/3585 |
| EndNote X8 and X9 |  |
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| Crestron AirMedia 3.1.3 | |
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| Kingston DTVP30 encrypted flash drives |
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Cannot unlock the Drive on Catalina. New App expected ~ November |
The ERIS Infrastructure team completed the patching of ERIS Production VM's, Databases, and systems.
Please check your VM, database, or applications to validate that it is working properly.
Please contact rcc@partners.org if you have any questions or concerns
ERIS Hosted Services MySQL and PostgreSQL underwent server maintenance on Saturday, December 7th, 2019 from 9:00AM to 7:00PM EST. There was a short period of unavailability during the maintenance window.
If you are the owner of a database on the PostgreSQL or MySQL hosted database service, we encourage you to review and validate your application's connection to your database when this maintenance has completed.
Contact rcc@partners.org with any questions or concerns.
Server maintenance is was scheduled for this website on Saturday, December 7th, 2019 from 9:00AM to 7:00PM EDT. This website to be down for a short time during the maintenance window.
Partners Healthcare REDCap: Scheduled Downtime
REDCap (https://redcap.partners.org/redcap) server maintenance is scheduled for Saturday, December 7th, 2019 from 9:00AM to 2:00PM EST. Please expect REDCap to be down for a short time during the maintenance window.
If you have any concerns about this scheduled maintenance, please email edcsupport@partners.org
REDCap Upgrades to v.9.1.18 Scheduled:
REDCap (https://redcap.partners.org/redcap) upgrades to v9.1.18 scheduled for Tuesday December 10th, 6:30AM EST are complete. REDCap was offline from 6:36-7:00AM EST.
This upgrade includes a number of new features and bug fixes. These include:
New feature: Alerts & Notifications:
The Alerts & Notifications feature allows you to construct alerts and send customized email notifications. These notifications may be sent to one or more recipients and can be triggered or scheduled when a form/survey is saved and/or based on conditional logic whenever data is saved or imported. When adding/editing an alert, you will need to 1) set how the alert gets triggered, 2) define when the notification should be sent (including how many times), and 3) specify the recipient, sender, message text, and other settings for the notification. For the message, you may utilize customized options such as rich text, the piping of field variables (including Smart Variables), and uploading multiple file attachments. While similar in many respects to Automated Survey Invitations, Alerts & Notifications allow for greater complexity and have more capabilities. For example, alerts apply to both data entry forms and surveys, and they also allow for more options regarding who can be the recipient of a notification (project users, survey participants, etc.).
New feature: Rich text editor for field labels and section headers
For any field on an instrument in the Online Designer, users may optionally utilize the rich text editor for styling field labels or section headers with many text-formatting options. The rich text editor allows users to change the color of text (including background color), create tables, add text of varying sizes, bullet lists, and more. For any field labels that were originally created without the rich text editor, users may optionally enable the rich text editor for any field by clicking the 'Use the Rich Text Editor' checkbox. It may also be disabled afterward at any time just the same. Rich text is enabled by default for any new fields being created via the Online Designer.
Improvement: New records can now be created directly from the Record Status Dashboard. If record auto-numbering is enabled, it will display an “Add new record” button, otherwise it will display a text field for users to enter a new record name to create.
Improvement: Links to the Online Designer, Data Dictionary Upload page, and Codebook were added to the left-hand project menu for easier navigation. Also, a new section “Project Home and Design” was added on the left-hand menu to contain all these links, as well as the Project Home and Project Setup page links.
If you have any concerns about REDCap being offline at this time or any questions about these new features, please email edcsupport@partners.org
Open Position: REDCap Application Support Specialist!
Interested in the exciting world of REDCap? Want to join the Partners REDCap support team?
If so, there is an open position for a REDCap Application Support Specialist.
If you have any questions about this career opportunity, please email edcsupport@partners.org
Applies to: All Production and Non-Production DIPR VM's, databases and systems
The ERIS Infrastructure team continued patching all Non-Production and Production VM's and Systems this week.
Impact
Our scheduled patching process for VM's and Systems will experience downtime when the database servers are patched when the ERIS proxy server is patched and again when the application VM's are patched. Each downtime should be short, however, applications could experience 3 outages during the maintenance window.
Service Level Reminders
The ERIS Infrastructure team will begin patching non-production VM's on Wednesday, December 4th starting at 3:00 pm and Production VM's on Saturday, December 7th starting at 9:00 am
ERIS strives to keep all systems up to their most current and/or stable revisions. Please visit https://rc.partners.org/support-training/eris-service-level-agreement to review the full ERIS Service Level Agreement.
Server owners are responsible for maintaining the applications running on DIPR VMs and systems, ensuring the applications are patched and comply with Partners Information Security Practices and Policies. Server owners are responsible for the backup of critical configurations in case of a failure.
Please contact rcc@partners.org if you have any questions or concerns.
Annual service and preventive maintenance of the UPS and Backup batteries will be performed next week. The UPS will be placed into bypass on utility power only.
Service Date/Time
Date: Tuesday, December 10
Time: 6 AM to 8 AM EDT
ServiceNow Change #: CHG0157000
Please contact rcc@partners.org if there are any questions or concerns!
From Thursday, November 21, 2019 through Monday, December 2, 2019 at 8a.m., there will be limited List Manager (Lyris) support. The infrastructure will be supported, so if there are concerns with connection to https://researchlistadmin.partners.org or mail delivery, they will be addressed and resolved in the normal response time.
Requests for new lists and emails regarding additional support will be responded to starting December 2, 2019.
For answers to commonly-asked questions and requests, please refer to the following resources:
REDCap (https://redcap.partners.org/redcap) was currently experiencing sporadic WebDAV/file server issues. These include users not being able to export data, upload files, or access uploaded files.
If you have any concerns, please email edcsupport@partners.org
This is related to the research website and service outages that started on Sunday, November 10, 2019 around 9p.m.
The root of the problem is fixed and was related to scheduled storage and infrastructure maintenance. However, as of Monday, November 11, 2019 at 11a.m. EDT, not all services are back online.
If you are the owner of websites, hosted databases, storage or virtual servers on ERIS infrastructure, we encourage you to check your connection and reboot if needed.
The GitLab service (https://gitlab.partners.org/) has been restored after a major outage.
A major storage outage incident took place during a scheduled storage controller upgrade task. The incident affected GitLab as well as many other systems. The GitLab system was unavailable from approximately 9:50PM on Nov 10th until 10:50PM on Nov 11th. Due to the large amount of data in the GitLab repositories and other connected storage systems, the disk check and repair operation took much longer than expected, which caused the extended outage. The issue was subsequently compounded by a networking-related reconfiguration (on the storage-side).
At this point we do not believe that any data was affected. Please double-check your repositories, though!
We appreciate your continued usage and support of the service! We are working to make improvements of the service to avoid instabilities such as this one in the future.
If you any questions or concerns relating to this release, please email: rcc@partners.org.
