We are aware of several issues that you might experience with the Lyris List Manager system (https://researchlist.partners.org). The following issues will be resolved with the next upgrade. 

• The Image Library does not support an image located at an SSL site
  • Workaround: Contact rcc@partners.org and we can upload your images to the server.
• List Manager not working in Firefox browser version 39
  • Workaround: Upgrade to the current Firefox browser version (https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/desktop/) 
• Paste from word option in the HTML editor not working with IE 11
  • Workaround: Use Firefox, Chrome or Safari to use the paste from word option
• Unable to add a clickable link in a mailing or create a merge tag, when using Windows 7 with IE11
  • Workaround: Use Firefox, Chrome or Safari to create hyperlink or merge tag

The exact upgrade schedule will be posted and communicated to List Administrators as soon as it is confirmed. If you have any questions or additional issues, please email rcc@partners.org and a ticket will be opened for you.

Applies to: MySQL instance - MySQL2.dipr.partners.org

MySQL.dipr.partners.org experienced a heavy load from 9:50 am to 10:27 am this morning, October 26, 2015, which caused MySQL to be non responsive. MySQL is now running under normal load, and has no issues to report. 

We will be investigating the cause of disruption of service this morning and work to rectify the issue. If you are still experiencing connecting issues, please email us at rcc@partners.org, and we will assist you with your connection issues.

Partners HealthCare is introducing a new policy and procedures website, Policy Central. This replaces Trove Library. All active policies for Partners HealthCare, Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, and Partners Community Physicians Organization have been migrated to Policy Central.              

How do I access Policy Central?

• From a Partners-managed Windows device, Go to Partners Applications > Policies and Procedures > Partners Policies and Procedures > You are redirected to Policy Central > Select your institution from dropdown menu.
  • Note: If you do not see Partners Policies and Procedures in your Partners Applications right away, please log off and log back in.
• From a Mac or a non-standard Partners Windows device, visit: https://grcarcher.partners.org/

Users must have a Partners network ID and password in order to access Policy Central. More information and a user guide is available in the IS Service Desk: https://partnershealthcare.service-now.com/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=KB0023481.   

If you have any questions, please contact the IS Service Desk.

Thank you,

Jigar Kadakia
Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer

RISC Site Team Offices are closed on Tues 10/13/2015. Urgent Issue? Contact IS Service Desk: http://www.partners.org/isservicedesk

Closures include:

• BWH (RICS) Site Team at 221 Longwood
• MGH Site Team at Bartlett Hall Extension
• McLean Site Team at the North Belknap Building

The Partners Enterprise Apple Support (PEAS) team is pleased to inform you that testing is complete and you may now consider an upgrade to Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan. Note: Apple, and therefore PEAS, supports the current OS and two prior versions. If you’re running Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion or older, you need to upgrade. When upgrading, please review the El Capitan Guide and check the compatibility chart to ensure software you may use is compatible.

The Symantec Enterprise Vault plug-in for Mac Outlook is not compatible with Outlook 2016. The vendor has decide to discontinued future support of Outlook for Mac. You can still access your archived email through the web interface by navigating to https://archive.partners.org/enterprisevault.

If you are running Mac OS X 10.10 or higher on your Mac, you can also install Microsoft Office 2016. Please note that the Enterprise Vault plug-in are not compatible with Microsoft Office 2016. 

To request Microsoft Outlook 2016 

1. Call the Partners IS Service Desk and request an Office 365 subscription.
2. Follow step by step instructions in the KnowledgeBase article, HOWTO: Install Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac. 

Outlook 2016 along with additional updated software, including a Java update, are available in Self Service.

For any questions on El Capitan or technical assistance with upgrading, please submit a request for assistance to the Partners IS Service Desk.

Applies To: All Users

Information Systems Maintenance (ISM) took place on Monday, September 28 from 12:00 am to 4:00 am.

During this time, planned system maintenance and testing were performed by IS Operations teams. This routine maintenance reduces the risk of unscheduled outages on our computer network and to the Internet.

Impact to systems and applications

• VPN should be available during the ISM.
• Partners eCare - unavailable from 1:00am until 4:00am
  1. Impacts all PeC applications and related interfaces for MGH, BWH, BWFH, DFCI, PHH, NWH and Newton Wellesley Ambulatory Services.
  2. Impacts PeC dependent applications including Patient Gateway.

Impact to sites

• Services or resources hosted in the Partners HealthCare data centers may be unavailable during the ISM.
• Your site's IS Management team will provide more detailed communication about planned outages at your facility and will coordinate with specific groups that may be impacted.

Need help during the downtime? 

View the Broadcast Online. Please contact your IS Service Desk if you have any questions.

View the 2015 IS System Maintenance (ISM) Schedule in the IS Service Desk Knowledgebase (Partners login required).

There will be limited support next week while EDC Support attends the annual REDCap Conference. Please plan for delayed response times.  Priorities will be made for Moving Projects to Production, User Access, Creating New Projects, and Change Requests.  General REDCap questions will be best effort. 

Be sure to review the Help&FAQ, Training Resources, Getting Started with REDCap and Knowledge Base pages.  

If you have any questions, please email edcsupport@partners.org.

The Partners Network Security team will upgrade the VPN client software (anyconnect) to version 3.1.10010 that is hosted on the VPN servers (www.partners.org/vpn). After 11a.m. on Wednesday, September 23, individuals will be prompted to upgrade the software on their computers when connecting to VPN.

This new client supports these Operating Systems and versions:

• Windows 7, 8, 10*
• Mac OS X 10.8, 10.9, 10.10, 10.11
  • The new VPN client is available in PEAS Self Service

* To use VPN on Windows 10, you will need use IE 11  and not the new IE Edge browser. You will also need to have the latest version of Java installed. 

Contact the IS Service Desk if you have any questions or concerns.

Applies To: All Users

During September and October, workstations across the Partners network will be upgraded to Internet Explorer 11 (IE11), the most current version available from Microsoft.  IE11 allows a greater number of websites to display and work properly while also improving the security of our network.

Stay tuned for additional details from your site’s IS Planning and Management team, including a specific rollout schedule. If you have any questions, please contact the IS Service Desk.

What do I need to do?

Please be sure to save your work and properly log off your workstation at the end of each day until you have received the IE11 upgrade: 

1. Save your work and close all applications.
2. Click the Yellow Lock.
3. Click New User.

How will the upgrade work?

Workstations that are powered on and connected to the Partners network and logged out will receive IE 11 during designated times. If a workstation is logged in during the automated process, it will be skipped. Any workstations that are skipped will need to be upgraded at a later date.

When a device is upgraded to IE11, it should automatically reboot after the upgrade. If the device does not automatically reboot at the end of the upgrade, you may need to reboot it manually.

How to determine your Partners device build type: 

• When logged out, the device build type is listed at the top of the Partners screensaver. Example

 . Note: Use the F1 key from the screensaver for additional Device information.

• When logged in, Go to Partners Applications > Utilities > Desktop Information. Under Workstation Configuration, look for Workstation Type. 

IE 11 Self Install Process for Laptops

Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) is now available for self-installation on laptop computers as well as on private-build workstations that have not yet received the IE11 upgrade via the ongoing automated process. This allows you to install IE11 at your convenience. This does not apply to MGH or DFCI.

• How do I install IE11?
  • You must be connected to the Partners network in the office or via VPN to run the install. View Installation Instructions (You will need to log in with your Partners Username and Password)

What’s new in IE11?

IE11 is the most current version available from Microsoft. It allows a greater number of websites to display and work properly while also improving the security of our network. Learn more

ServiceNow User Interface Changes in Internet Explorer 11

When Internet Explorer 8 is upgraded to Internet Explorer 11 on Partners standard builds, you’ll notice some minor changes in the user interface (UI). Complete details of all of the user interface changes can be found at the following web page. Note, on this page, the Internet Explorer 8 interface is referred to as “UI 11” and the Internet Explorer 11 interface is referred to as “UI 14”. 

Please find a document detailing the differences between ServiceNow's Internet Explorer 8 and Internet Explorer 11 user interfaces (UIs) in a ServiceNow Knowledgebase. 

NB – if you use Chrome, Firefox, or Safari to access ServiceNow, you’re already using UI 14, and won’t notice any changes in your experience.

If you have any questions, please contact the IS Service Desk.

UPDATE 8/21 10:05AM EDT: Current testing shows yum response time has returned to normal thresholds and is fully usable.  ERIS will work with Network Engineering to determine root cause (if possible to determine).

Applies to: Owners of Virtual Machines (VMs) in DIPR

If you are the owner of a Virtual Machine in DIPR, you will be unable to install new packages or software on your server at this time. ERIS technicians are aware of the problem and a ticket has been opened with Network Engineering / Network Security to troubleshoot the issue. 

Issue
DIPR Servers use a software called Yum. Yum is used to manage package/software installation and upgrades. Yum uses a mechanism to find the fastest mirror to download files. In order to do that, it needs to download an XML from a central repository. There is something that is making the process of reading that file takes more than 30 seconds, which is the default timeout for Yum. 

If something of a critical nature comes up, please email rcc@partners.org and a ticket will be opened to put a workaround in place. 

UPDATE 11:55PM EDT: UPDATE - Restart completed successfully.  Thanks for your patience!

UPDATE 4:23PM EDT: Reboot window has been moved to 9PM-11PM EDT to accommodate customer need.
SSH (Secure Shell) Gateway Server Connections may be impacted by the DIPR File Server reboot on Wednesday, August 19 from 7 to 9p.m. EDT. During this window, existing connections should be fine, but new SSH connections may not open.

Impact
ERIS DIPR File Server (fs.dipr.partners.org) is the nfs file server which provides mounted storage to the SSH Gateway Server Home Folders. ERIS technicians will check and remount home folder storage at the end of the reboot for SSH accounts.

Issue
Right now, there are no direct storage problems, but the server itself is not providing ssh or console level access to administer it, and it will thus need to be rebooted.

Please contact rcc@partners.org if you have any questions or concerns about this maintenance.