We are aware of an issue affecting DUO Multi-Factor Authentication for some users. While certain authentication methods may still be working, others are experiencing intermittent or complete outages.

The DUO Service Provider is restoring service to full functionality as quickly as possible.

Impact:

• Users may be unable to log in to certain UMBC services that require DUO authentication. There was an interruption in receiving codes via SMS and phone call.

Workarounds:

• If you are able to log in using the DUO Mobile app (push notification), a remembered device, or a hardware token, please do so. DoIT encourages users to install the DUO application if they have not already done so.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

We are excited to announce that DoIT’s Research Computing team has successfully deployed over 60 new CPU and GPU nodes along with integrating the high-performance computing environment with the Retriever Research Storage system (R-RStor). The infrastructure enhancements support research activities ranging from artificial intelligence development to atmospheric science analysis. 

This investment, totaling over $2 million, modernizes our research computing infrastructure by replacing aging hardware and introducing major updates to the management and security to the cluster. These updates will aid researchers in meeting security requirements in research grants and improve the capabilities and access to high-performance computing needs. 

Key achievements:

• 51 new CPU nodes on chip: 13 high-memory and 38 regular-memory nodes, providing a total of 3264 CPU cores and 32TB of RAM. 

• 10 new GPU nodes on chip: Eight LS40S nodes and two H100 nodes, adding 320 CPU cores and 36 GPUs.

• Retriever Research Storage System (R-RStor): Added 2.5 PetaBytes of storage, leveraging the Ceph distributed file system to enhance data mobility for research workflows, as part of the NSF Grant awarded to DoIT last year.

• Modernized software environment: Transition to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (RHEL9), improving system reliability, security, and compatibility with modern software stacks.

• Redundant head nodes: Implemented across clusters to eliminate single points of failure, ensuring a more reliable and secure system.

• First HPC Bootcamp: Delivered on November 12, 2024, as part of the NSF SCIPE grant, providing hands-on GPU training for over 20 participants from iHARP, IMET, and UMCES.

The project has significantly enhanced UMBC’s capacity to support high-performance computing (HPC), providing a more secure and robust environment for interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaborations.

Team:
This project would not have been possible without the DoIT Research Computing and Unix teams, particularly Roy Prouty, HPC Specialist, Greg Ballantine, Research Computing Systems Administrator and Andy Leeds, Coordinator of Research Computing. Staff in Unix, Network Engineering, and many DoIT Student Employees, including Max Breitmeyer, Ryan Cather, Phil Henry, Danielle Esposito, and Beamlak Bekele, played a huge role. A special thanks to Vandana Janeja, iHARP Project Lead, and Sai Vikas Amaraneni, iHARP Graduate Student, for their support throughout the process.

UMBC Faculty Contributors have played a significant role in the initial specifications, testing, and providing insight along the way, as did the NSF SCIPE Grant Team and the entire UMBC Research Community, including iHARP, IMET, and UMCES.

We would like to extend our gratitude to everyone who contributed to this project's success!

Looking Ahead:

• The DoIT Research Computing team will continue to monitor and support the new systems post-deployment.

• Address optimization needs as researchers test and rebuild software stacks for the new hardware environment.

• Expand programming opportunities with additional HPC Bootcamps to train new and experienced users in maximizing the HPC environment.

• Support hiring efforts for the Assistant Director of Research Computing and remaining system administration positions.

If you have any questions, need support, or encounter any issues with the new compute nodes or R-RStor system, please submit a ticket so they can assist you.

Unix Students, left to right: Danielle Esposito, Max Breitmeyer, Phil Henry, Beamlak Bekele

Installing 51 new CPU nodes in the bwtech Research Park Data Center

The myUMBC team has been exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can make the platform better for students, faculty, and staff, all while ensuring security and privacy. We are excited to announce that we are improving the search feature, making it easier and quicker for students to find what they need with AI. This helps provide fast, accurate answers to common student questions.

A key focus is helping students access important personal information—like grades, billing statements, and Retriever Card balances—right from the search bar. This means students can find what they need quickly, without having to dig through the system, while knowing their data is protected.

This is just the beginning! We’re looking at how AI can further improve the myUMBC experience, from academic support to campus life to create a more efficient and personalized platform for students. 

Please remember to verify any information before you take action. At this time, please be aware that answers are focused on student-related scenarios. Faculty/Staff-related answers are still in development. If you identify any mistakes, please let us know using the “Was this useful” feature at the bottom of each answer.

If you have any questions or comments, let us know here.

Since 2008, Perceptive Content, formerly known as ImageNow, has been an integral part of UMBC business processes. This powerful document imaging and management software supports various departments, including the Graduate School, Student Business Services, Division of Professional Studies, and many offices within Enrollment Management. There are hundreds of different document types, such as student applications, letters of recommendation, transcripts, scholarship applications and award letters, residency forms, applications for graduate assistantships, graduation review forms, enrollment verification, and more.

Key Features and Functionality

Perceptive Content handles importing, storing, and routing of electronic and paper documents. It organizes documents in a way that makes it easy for users to find what they need! For example, in Fall 2024 it handled over 16,000 undergraduate applications (degree and non-degree), with an average of 10-12 documents per student. Currently, the system supports 632 users, including permanent staff and seasonal personnel such as temporary application reviewers and scholarship readers. 

Access to documents within Perceptive Content seamlessly integrates with PeopleSoft, UMBC's enterprise resource planning software. By using hyperlinks embedded within PeopleSoft pages, users can easily access documents related to the applicants or students whose records are being reviewed. Perceptive Contents' intuitive workflow capabilities assist departments in directing the flow of documents to the appropriate reviewers, processors, and decision makers. Users can access Perceptive Content through desktop clients, which facilitate document access, processing, and system administration tasks, as well as a browser-based interface known as Experience, dedicated to document access and processing.

Image Caption: An Undergraduate Applicant screen within PeopleSoft, with the link to Experience on the top right of the screen.

Image Caption: An example of a student’s document lookup within Perceptive Content, with names of the documents and related fields. 

Upcoming Enhancements

The ongoing upgrade to Perceptive Content will ensure the software's integrity and security while establishing a foundation for future functional enhancements. The first enhancement we hope to introduce later in 2025 and offer in parallel with Experience is a more advanced browser interface called Titan. In the future, users will be able to simply log in through a browser for a functional and seamless experience. The new portal is intended to provide administrative staff with an easier and more manageable interface. 

Collaborative Efforts

The upgrade effort relies heavily on collaboration between Hyland Software, the vendor, and multiple UMBC teams within DoIT, including:

• Kashka Donaldson: Coordination with Hyland and various UMBC departments, software testing

• Kevin Joseph: Providing technical knowledge, testing, and troubleshooting

• Vladimir Plotkin: Server setup and supporting software installation and updates

• Paul Riddle: Expertise in Shibboleth and OpenID for secure authentication

• Ken Schreihofer: Project management and coordination

We also thank and deeply appreciate the testing and feedback from our stakeholders and functional departments. The coordinated efforts of these teams are crucial for the successful implementation of the upgrades and the future of Perceptive Content at UMBC.

Perceptive Content continues to evolve, enhancing the efficiency of document management across multiple departments while preparing for a more unified user experience with Titan Web Client. As UMBC moves forward, our commitment to improving and modernizing our document management processes remains a top priority.

STRiVE is a powerful, hands-on leadership program that helps students grow into more effective leaders and active members of their communities, especially at UMBC. My supervisor in the Division of Information Technology (DoIT), encouraged me to apply to this program hosted by the Center for Democracy and Civic Life. I applied and learned in December that I was accepted into the program! I didn’t know what to expect but during my STRiVE experience two weeks ago, I built strong friendships with the members of my pod group and discovered my personal strengths and core values. I also learned how to collaborate better with others and explored ways I can contribute to positive change at UMBC. 

“The program encouraged me to think deeply about identity, privilege, and systemic inequality, while also helping me develop skills to create meaningful social change.”

I chose to attend STRiVE because, as an international female student living in the U.S., I am passionate about growing as a leader and making a positive impact in my community. Balancing my studies with my role as the night manager of AV services at DoIT has taught me the importance of teamwork, communication, and adaptability. However, I wanted to further strengthen my leadership skills and better understand the challenges related to identity, privilege, and systemic inequality—issues that affect those around us in ways we may not fully recognize because we don’t personally experience them. STRiVE offered the perfect opportunity to deepen my awareness, gain practical experience, and explore new ways to contribute meaningfully to UMBC and beyond.

One of the most meaningful experiences for me was the value session that focused on identifying our core values. We started by selecting our top 20 values from a set of cards, then narrowed it down to 10, and finally to five. This process was challenging but incredibly revealing it forced me to think about the sacrifices I make when prioritizing some values over others. We wrote our top five values on the back of our ID cards and we could get back to our value when we were facing any challenges or we had to make a decision. This practice taught me the importance of aligning decisions with my values, a lesson I’ll carry forward both personally and professionally.

“In my DoIT role, I will use what I learned at STRiVE to foster better communication and collaboration among my team. Understanding different perspectives and being mindful of diverse experiences will help me create a more supportive and inclusive work environment.”

Looking ahead, this experience has reinforced my commitment to leading with empathy and integrity. Whether in academic, professional, or community settings, I now feel more equipped to approach challenges thoughtfully and drive positive change with purpose. I would highly recommend STRiVE to anyone seeking to grow as a leader and deepen their impact on campus and beyond.

Thank you STRiVE and DoIT!

Roza Zareidoodeji

Congratulations Dave Souder and Khalil Alston for being selected as this month’s DoIT Gritty Award winner!

We are proud to announce that Dave Souder and Khalil Alston have been awarded the DoIT Gritty Award for their critical support of National STEM Day.  

Dave and Khalil designed the hybrid event to meet the needs of sponsors and presenters, trained all of the presenters, and provided day-of event support. The event was a STEM Speed Networking Event, held as a webinar. At least 45 students who registered through the Career Center attended this event and 15 professionals from the Environmental Protection Agency, United States Geological Survey (USGS), and United States Forest Service shared information about career paths and internships with students.

A few weeks before the event, Dave and Khalil were brought in to assist with the National STEM Day virtual event taking place on Friday, November 8th. With the assistance of Audio Visual full-time staff Steve Anderson, Hunter Gordon, and a team of DoIT student employees, they started testing the Webex Webinar process and workflow. They set up several test meetings internally and then, as we received the list of external presenters, Khalil and Dave started meeting individually over Webex with them to be sure they could all attend and present smoothly on the day of the event. 

They worked closely with members of the Office of the Provost, the UMBC Career Center, USGS, and the Chesapeake Bay Program to put this program together as a team effort. They are looking to expand this event to include other Universities and Government Agencies in the future, as it was a wonderful networking opportunity for the students and panelists who attended. 

For their exceptional efforts and commitment to excellence, we are proud to present Dave and Khalil with the DoIT Gritty Award. Congratulations!

The Gritty Award is in recognition of outstanding work within the Division. Full-time DoIT employees and teams are eligible to be nominated for going above and beyond! Anyone in DoIT can nominate someone for the Gritty by completing this short Gritty Nomination Form. 

Thank you for all of your hard work, Khalil and Dave! 

The DoIT Community & The DoIT Gritty Committee

Erica D’Eramo

Ally Hepp

Carlos McKinney

David Toothe

Dondre Hatef

Kashka Donaldson

Mariann Hawken

Nick Beech

Tony Finneran

Roy Prouty

Over the weekend DoIT performed software updates on the campus phone system. While the updates were successful, users may find that their ‘phone services’ in the Webex app have disconnected. If you are experiencing this, logging into phone services again may resolve the issue. For instructions on logging in please see this FAQ. 

If your initial attempt to reconnect phone services does not work you may need to clear some settings on your device. To do this please see this FAQ for resetting your connection and try signing in again. 

If your connection problem persists or you are experiencing any other outage related to the campus phone system, please let us know by contacting us at DoIT Technology Support Center. 

Ray Soellner

Director of Telecommunications / DoIT

rays1@umbc.edu

Congratulations Debbie Michaels for being selected as this month’s DoIT Gritty Award winner!

We are proud to announce that Debbie Michaels has been awarded the DoIT Gritty Award for her outstanding work in inventory management.

Debbie’s efforts as the property custodian for DoIT, and the successful and timely completion of the FY23 sensitive and FY24 capital inventory cycles have been outstanding. Of all custodians across campus Debbie has been charged with one of the largest, but most mobile, departmental inventories of any single person. Despite these challenges, she managed to complete the task with only six missing items. In addition, Debbie has completely modernized the process by which DoIT and many other departments handle the inventory process. She has collaborated with Asset Management and the Business Systems Group to help create campus-wide Docusign forms for inventory management control, moving away from the cumbersome paper process. Additionally, she implemented electronic scanning methods for sighting equipment. These major improvements have made the inventory process more effective and efficient.  Congratulations on a job well done! Debbie is much appreciated.

For her exceptional efforts and commitment to excellence, we are proud to present Debbie Michaels with the DoIT Gritty Award. Congratulations, Debbie!

The Gritty Award is in recognition of outstanding work within the Division. Full-time DoIT employees and teams are eligible to be nominated for going above and beyond! Anyone in DoIT can nominate someone for the Gritty by completing this short Gritty Nomination Form. 

Thank you Debbie for all of your hard work! 

The DoIT Community & The DoIT Gritty Committee

Erica D’Eramo

Ally Hepp

Carlos McKinney

David Toothe

Dondre Hatef

Kashka Donaldson

Mariann Hawken

Nick Beech

Tony Finneran

Roy Prouty

Congratulations to our Graduating students in the Division of Information Technology Class of Winter 2024!

Congrats on all your well-deserved success and best wishes for your next adventure! There’s so much still to come. Go out there and enjoy life, make a difference, and be who you truly are.