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Latest News & Updates

Managed Research Desktop Service (mRDS) is now LIVE!

25/04/2023

Managed Research Desktop Service (MRDS)

IT Services are officially launching a new laptop service for researchers beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, 25 April 2023. Developed with input from staff and PGR students, the new service will provide users with access to a special sandbox area on a virtual machine that runs on ITS laptops. Within this virtual machine, researchers can independently develop, evaluate and install software – which hasn’t been possible with our existing managed laptop environment – while improving cyber security for the entire user community. 
 
The service will launch with Windows and MacOS, followed by Linux later in the year.

 

Changes to Self-Managed Computers

Worried about losing admin rights? Don’t be. Whilst ITS all laptops/desktops will now be managed within the scope of IT Services, staff/students who require admin rights will be given access to the virtual machine sandbox area on the new laptops provided to them. We will also be upgrading all desktops to laptops to enable hybrid working. 

IT Services can adjust your existing laptop and migrate you to the managed service through a process called reimaging (IT Services will contact you in due course to have your laptop reimaged). There is currently a project underway to migrate all schools to the managed service — for further information regarding the phased rollout of this service, visit our website.

In extremely limited instances, ITS can consider business cases for staff members/students who need full administrative rights on the entirety of their computers. For more information on exceptions, visit our website. 

 

Changes to ITS Managed Computers

This change will not affect computers already managed by IT Services. However, if you have a managed device and feel you need access to the virtual machine sandbox area on your existing laptop, please contact IT Services via chat or self-service portal.

 

Please see below for previous updates for the MSR Project:

 

Managed Service Roll-out (Windows)

As and when the managed Mac and Linux builds are delivered, the project will continue to roll-out the managed Windows service. Therefore Mac and Linux users will be pushed to the last phases of roll-out.

Managed Research Desktop Service (mRDS) ​

Last AG – 15.9.22 | Next AG – 21.10.22 demo Linux​

  • POC -  build & test mRDS Windows, Mac and Linux:​
  • Windows mRDS delivered 17.10.22 as planned. 8/9 users collected their laptops and testing​
  • 13xMac and 5xLinux delayed for a further week – Ready to collect on  Monday 7.11.22 | Comms submitted​
  •  9xweekly 45 min ‘Feedback/Support Drop-in sessions’ scheduled to support and monitor testing ​
  • No wired service for mRDS Mac​
  • Sharepoint site set-up and accessible – mRDS documentation and individual test plans open to all​

​Next steps:

  • Support and monitor testing through Weekly ‘Feedback/Support Drop-in session’ ​
  • Procure production licenses – VB, parallels, VPN and A5​
  • Initiate transition activities ​
  • Engage with TELT team re. training needs

Project Change Request

Wednesday 10th March 2021@14:00-15:30 - IT Strategy Board (ITSB) a project change request was submitted and approved:

To extend the scope of the Project:

  1. To roll-out the new managed Mac and Linux (currently seperate projects running in parallel to deliver the managed build). The projects are due to be delivered by end of April 2021 and the rollout will be absorbed as part of this project.
  2. Design, build and deploy the a new managed 'Managed Research Desktop Service'
  3. Project to be renamed, from 'Managed Service (Win10) Rollout' to 'Managed Service Roll-out'.

The project timelines have been extended by another 12 months - end date approx.March 2024.

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