Providing Scalable 24/7 Support

Track 3: Harborside Ballroom E Tuesday, January 15th 2:30 to 3:15 pm

Ronald Ardron, Jr., Manager of Technical Support

Gerald Hinkle, Director of Information Services

Sheri Stahler, Associate Vice President

Copyright Temple University, Computer Services 2008.  This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

About Temple UniversityAbout Temple University

• Location• Students & employees• Schools and colleges, campuses• Computer ownership facts • From commuter to residential

Evolution of 24 Hour Evolution of 24 Hour OperationsOperations

Computer Labs

1980’sEarly to Mid

1990’s2002 2006

Computer Computer OperatorsOperators

FT Technical FT Technical SupportSupportSemesterSemesterFinal ExamFinal Exam

PeriodPeriod

TECH Center FactsTECH Center Facts

• 700 workstations• Open 24–Hours:

–Student labs–Help Desk–Security–Full-time staff–Starbucks

TECH Center HoursTECH Center Hours

• Weekly schedule• Regular semester• Peak semester• Summer sessions & breaks

Usage StatisticsUsage Statistics Year Year

10,000

500

Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Vis

its

per

day

Usage StatisticsUsage Statistics Daily Daily

6 7 8 9 10 11 Noon 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Midnight 1 2 3 4 5 6

0

800

200

50

Usage StatisticsUsage Statistics Week Week

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Sun

Mon Tue

Wed

Thur Fr

iSa

t

Low

High

Stu

den

ts P

er D

ayS

tud

ents

Per

Day

Daily UseDaily Use Help Desk Help Desk

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

7:00

AM

9:00

AM

11:00 AM

1:00

PM

3:00

PM

5:00

PM

7:00

PM

9:00

PM

11:00 PM

1:00

AM

3:00

AM

5:00

AM

Consults Over a Typical 2 Week PeriodConsults Over a Typical 2 Week Period

StaffingStaffing Around the Clock Around the Clock• Day shift

– 4 full-time lab staff– 12 full-time Help Desk– 6 part-time

• Evenings & weekends– 3 to 5 full-time staff– 3 part-time

• Overnight– 2 full-time overnight– 3 part-time

• 24-hour guard• Cameras and swipe systems• Close relations with police• Walkthroughs

– Keep a sharp eye• Observe routines & trends

SecuritySecurity

Hidden IssuesHidden Issues

• Student expectations

• Sleepers• Unusual behavior• Stress factors

Hidden BenefitsHidden Benefits

• Early alerts• Maintenance

issues• Leverage

downtime• International

campuses

Communication Is KeyCommunication Is Key

• Shift changes• Call escalation• Notifications

–Pages–E-mail–Reports

ScalabilityScalability

• Time – Cyclical nature of academic year– 24 hours not always necessary

• Space– Shared– Subdividable

ScalabilityScalability

• Staffing – Staffing Levels– Home on call or at site– Shift swap– Consolidate with other 24 hour staff

What Did We Learn?What Did We Learn?24 Hour Society24 Hour Society

What Did We Learn?What Did We Learn?If you build it, they will comeIf you build it, they will come

What Did We Learn?What Did We Learn?Scalable for big and smallScalable for big and small

What Did We Learn?What Did We Learn?24 hours does not always mean 24 hours does not always mean

24 x 7 x 36524 x 7 x 365

What Did We Learn?What Did We Learn?Expect the unexpectedExpect the unexpected

QuestionsQuestions

Web: techcenter.temple.eduE-mail: techcenter@temple.edu