ERIS Patching Schedule for 2021 

Please email rcc@partners.org with any questions or concerns.

The PEAS team is pleased to recommend the upgrade to macOS Big Sur 11 in the Enterprise.
 

Prior to upgrading, please ensure you have the most recent version of enterprise apps that you use, like Citrix Workspace, Cisco VPN or Microsoft Office. 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 or macOS Big Sur. You can check if you’re running 32-bit apps in macOS Mojave before you download and install Big Sur. From the Apple menu > About This Mac > System Report > Legacy Software or by going to https://roaringapps.com/.
 
We advise everyone to upgrade and get the latest security features unless you have specialty software that is currently incompatible with macOS Big Sur. Keep in mind that Apple, and therefore MGB, only supports the current OS and two versions prior. With the release of macOS Big Sur 11, the only other supported mac OS's are macOS Mojave 10.14 and macOS Catalina 10.15. If you are running an out of date macOS, please view our webpage on how to Update Your Mac, or contact the Service Desk if you need assistance with an upgrade.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 MGB policies.

Please note: When upgrading to macOS Big Sur, any folders in the root folder will be moved to /users/shared/relocated items.

Enterprise Applications
Software Tested	Version Tested	Functionality
Crowdstrike	5.41.12205
Forescout	19.0
Cisco AnyConnect	4.9.02028
Microsoft Office	16.41
Citrix Workspace	20.10
Microsoft Teams	1.3

Academic Applications
Software Tested	Versions Tested	Functionality
MatLab	2020b & up
EndNote	X9
Flowjo	10.7
SPSS	24
Stata	16
Prism	9
Microsoft Remote Desktop	10.4.1
Parallels	16.0.1

REDCap Upgrades to v.10.0.25 Scheduled:

REDCap (https://redcap.partners.org/redcap) upgrades to v10.0.25 scheduled for Friday November 13th, 6:30AM ET are complete. REDCap was offline from 6:40-7:25 AM ET.

This upgrade includes a number of new features and bug fixes:

New feature: Record-level locking: This feature allows users to lock an entire record (as opposed to locking individual instruments) so that none of the record’s data can ever be modified unless someone with record-level locking/unlocking privileges goes and unlocks the record again.

New feature: Field Embedding: Field Embedding is the ultimate way to customize surveys and data collection instruments to make them look exactly how you want. Field Embedding is a Shazam-like feature that allows you to reposition field elements on a survey page or data entry form so that they get embedded in a new location on that same page. Embedding fields gives users greater control over the look and feel of your instrument. Users may place fields in a grid/table for a more compact user-friendly page, or they can position fields close together in a group if they are related.

Full release notes

New Features, Changes, and Major Bug Fixes

If you have any concerns about REDCap being offline at this time or any questions about these new features, please email edcsupport@partners.org

On Saturday, October 31, 2020, the ERIS Hosted Services Infrastructure was impacted by planned power work in the Needham Data Center that unexpectedly impacted some equipment. It was not a data center power failure. This event took down several research websites and services as it impacted all of the DIPR and RFA infrastructure. The team restored power and focused on bringing up all the production servers and virtual machines (VMs) impacted by this event. At this point, all the production VM’s are up and available, and the team is focused on restoring the non-production VM’s. We anticipate that all the non-production nodes up and online on Tuesday, November 3, 20

If you are the owner of a website, hosted database, storage or virtual server on ERIS infrastructure, we encourage you to check your connection and reboot if needed. 

If you have a critical process that is down, please send a note to rcc@partners.org, and the team we will investigate right away.

Please check the Service Alerts for service-specific instructions and impact. Please make sure you subscribe to receive appropriate email notifications for the services you subscribe to: https://rc.partners.org/subscribe.

The Research Computing website, https://rc.partners.org, was updated on Wednesday, October 14, 2020 at 7:30a.m. to apply platform updates. The website was offline for a short period of time during this maintenance window.

Please contact rcwebmaster@partners.org if you have any questions or concerns.

REDCap Upgrades to v.9.5.35 Scheduled:

REDCap (https://redcap.partners.org/redcap) upgrades to v9.5.35 scheduled for tomorrow Friday October 2nd, 6:30AM EST are complete. REDCap was offline from 6:44-6:57AM.

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, please email edcsupport@partners.org

REDCap eConsent: Part 11 Compliance Documentation

For groups using the REDCap eConsent template and require 21 CFR Part 11 compliance, validation documentation can be found by going to our REDCap eConsent Compliance page. 

REDCap Support is Limited - Please allow 2 business days for standard requests​:

There is 1FTE supporting all REDCap standard requests and questions. We are seeing an increased demand in REDCap and we are supporting many priority Covid related projects. We are working to find ways to supplement support. 

As a reminder, please allow up to 2 days for responses to your requests. 

The ERIS infrastructure team will be patching the Production ERIS servers and VMs on Saturday, September 26, 2020, starting at 9:00 am. Please send any concerns to rcc@partners.org

The ERIS Infrastructure team is changing how we name VMs. Effective immediately we are dropping .dipr. from the VM name of all new VMs, and instead, we will add "rc-" to the beginning of each VM name when we deploy new VMs. Going forward all new VMs will be named rc-vmname.partners.org

All CentOS 6 Virtual Machines (VMs) will reach End of Life on November 30th, 2020. End of Life means the product is no longer supported by Red Hat and the community-supported CentOS distribution for Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The ERIS team will not support CentOS 6 VMs after November 30th, 2020, as there will be no security updates and bug fixes for CentOS 6. All applications and websites running on CentOS 6 VMs must migrate to new CentOS 8 VMs before November 30th, 2020. Please upgrade by requesting a new DIPR VM in the ERIS Research Computing Core Service Catalog. Contact us at rcc@partners.org with any questions.

The scheduled ERIS MySQL Database Server Maintenance may have impacted the Research IS & Computing website on Saturday, August 15 from 10a.m.-12p.m.

The site might have been offline for part or all of this window.

We have scheduled downtime on MySQL database server mysql4.research.partners.org on Saturday, August 8th from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. This outage may be as short as 30 minutes or it could be as long as 2 hours. The ERIS team will communicate when the mysql4.research.partners.org outage is over, and we urge database owners to review their VM’s and applications after this maintenance to ensure that your applications are back online.

Beginning August 5, a new Report Phishing button will be insta­lled on your Outlook toolbar for Windows and Macintosh computers. This update will streamline the reporting experience on all devices and add the feature on computers that are missing the Report Phishing button. This change will happen behind the scenes and there is no action required for most devices.

Phishing is the attempt to steal sensitive information by tricking you into performing an action that you would not normally do. A phishing email may appear as legitimate communications from trusted sources such as Mass General Brigham, your bank, or credit card company. Since COVID-19 hit, cybercriminals have been taking advantage of pandemic concerns through phishing scams and malicious websites. 

For a short period of time, you may see two Report Phishing buttons; use either one to report suspicious emails. 

Note: If the new button looks greyed out, turn on your Reading Pane in the View setting of Outlook.

• For standard Windows computers*, (desktops and laptops with a Partners asset tag, device number, and "keep it safe and secure" stickers, running Windows 10 Enterprise), the old button will be removed for you; no action required.
   
• For Macs, use the button that will be located in your Outlook toolbar, not the Dock. For those enrolled in PEAS, the button will be removed for you; no action required.  (Note: The update does not apply to Mass Eye and Ear and Pentucket Medical Associates at this time.)
   
• For non-standard Windows or personal computers, if you see two buttons, please contact the IS Service Desk for assistance.

In addition to computers, the button will be available on the Outlook app on smartphones, both iOS and Android. You must be enrolled in MobileIron to get your work email on your phone.

* Please also see HOWTO: Determine whether you are using a standard or non-standard Windows computer

What to Do If You Receive a Suspicious Email

• On your computer, highlight the message in your Outlook Inbox and click the Report Phishing button or Forward as Attachment to nospam@partners.org. 
• On your smartphone, open the email in the Outlook app and tap the Add-ins (…) icon. Tap the Report Phishing button. Tap OK to confirm.

Taking this simple action notifies the Information Security Team about a possible phishing attack. If the email is a part of our phishing training program, you will receive instant feedback thanking you for reporting. If the email is malicious, quick reporting helps us prevent a widespread phishing attack. Your active participation is crucial to keeping Mass General Brigham protected.

Note: The update does not apply to Mass Eye and Ear and Pentucket Medical Associates at this time. 

For more information, visit: https://rc.partners.org/kb/article/2810