Home Directory Migration Project

In the Fall of 2016 Information Technology Services with support from the Academic Technology Group set to work on a huge project: migrating 20+ terabytes of storage from on-campus network servers to the cloud. Perhaps one of the most onerous pieces of this project as well as the biggest opportunity (always be positive!) was that it had to be done by each individual user. My role in this project was largely to view the transition (and support it) for the academic side of the “house”. One of the first proactive steps I took was to reach out to Assistants to VPs in Old Chapel to explain the project, provide assistance in their transition so that they could then provide assistance to the Administrators. During this session, I was reminded of the importance of making all sorts of connections at the college and always being open to suggestions and opportunities for improvement. As we were finishing the session several of the assistants pointed out that the best way to get this information to the faculty would be through the Faculty Chairs meeting. I gladly took them up on the suggestion and was thrilled when they fit me onto their next meeting agenda.

What followed was more meetings, appointments, one-on-one and group sessions to help everyone move their data, answer questions, troubleshoot issues, and sometimes – just serve as a sounding board for frustrations. It was a big task for many and being able to provide adequate support was sometimes a challenge. I lead an initiative to provide in person group trainings by designing a web site very similar to the one that we used to launch Canvas. The Home Directory Migration web site provided users with a way to access documentation, review frequently asked questions, and sign up for work sessions.

Home Directory Migration

Home Directory Migration