Contact: Gary Branch, NetAdmin Coordinator
Date last updated: 07/06/07
Date of next review: October 2008
- Purpose
- Software Inventory
- Software Management Procedure
-
Purpose
Library Technical Services at Olin manages its software in accordance with the spirit and the letter of the University's Policy Regarding Abuse of CIT Computers and Network Systems (Policy 1). This policy states, in part: "Members of the University community are expected to follow certain principles of behavior in making use of computers and network systems, in particular, to respect, and to observe policies and procedures governing: an owner's interest in proprietary software or other assets pertaining to computers or network systems, even when such software or assets are not securely protected;"
Violations of this policy include, but are not limited to: Making more copies of software than the license allows; duplicating someone else's copy of proprietary software with or without that person's permission; inspecting, modifying, distributing, or copying data or software without proper authorization, or attempting to do so; giving another individual the means by which to inspect, modify, distribute, or copy proprietary data or software; theft of phone services."
The software inventory
Software purchased by LTS Olin is recorded in the LTS software inventory which resides in a set of Excel spreadsheets maintained by the Administrative Support specialist . This sheet includes the record of software purchases made for LTS Olin. For each product it provides the following information:
- Purchase date
- ID No. A sequential number assigned to each purchase. That number is recorded also on the actual product (disks or CD case).
- Company. The manufacturer of the software.
- Product. The specific product and version purchased.
- Vendor. The organization the software was purchased from.
- Source Document. A paper record of the purchase.
- Quantity. How many copies of the product or licenses the current purchase is for.
- Used. The number of copies or licenses actually in use.
- Left. The number of copies or licenses left to be assigned.
- Notes. Any additional information, including CD keys and license numbers, disposition information, or acquisitions information.
Notify the LTS Administrative Support Specialist so that the order information can be updated and inventory control information gathered. The specific steps are:
- Send any invoice or paperwork to Library Accounting for payment.
- Assign a software ID number to the new product. That will be the next available number in the Software purchases spreadsheet.
- Record that number on the copy of the purchase order, invoice, or whatever document is available to demonstrate that LTS Olin is the legitimate owner of that product.
- Also record that number on the first floppy disk or the cover of the CD depending of which medium was received. This obviously does not apply to software downloaded from the Internet.
- Add records to the Software purchases spreadsheet and the Departmental software assignments spreadsheet. See above for the information which is needed. In the case of downloaded software, include "Downloaded from the Internet" in the Notes field.
Departmental software assignments spreadsheet
This sheet keeps track of how individual copies are assigned throughout LTS Olin. For each item it includes this information:
- Software product.
- ID No. That same number that was assigned when the product was added to the Software purchases spreadsheet. If more that one copy was bought (assume 3 copies and the id no. was 5), then assign each an id no. as follows: 5-1, 5-2, 5-3.
- The bar code of the machine on which the product was installed.
The ID No. links the copy of the software to its purchase and the bar code to its assigned machine.
Software Management Procedure
This procedure applies whenever commercial or shareware software is being acquired for a computer in LTS Olin. LTS Olin staff members are automatically eligible to use that software as a result of their employment. Staff may use a copy of Microsoft Office at their home, as long as it is used for work- related tasks.
Purchasing software
A decision to purchase software involves five steps:
- Staff will contact their supervisor.
- Supervisor will contact the LTS Olin NetAdmin Coordinator.
- An evaluation by the LTS Olin NetAdmin Coordinator. This is for new software only. Before it can be purchased a determination must be made that the software will likely perform what is wanted from it, that it will work in the LTS Olin environment, and that relevant support implications are clearly understood and accepted.
- If approved, LTS Olin NetAdmin Coordinator will contact the supervisor requesting an account number for the purchase of the software.
- The LTS Olin NetAdmin Coordinator will then give the account number to the LTS Administrative Support Specialist to purchase new software.
- LTS Administrative Support Specialist will inform the Netadmins that the purchased software has been received and is available for installation.
Receiving and installing purchased software
However it was ordered, software that is received is processed as follows:
- Notify the LTS Administrative Support and Backlog Specialist so that the order information can be updated and inventory control information gathered. The specific steps are:
- Send any invoice or paperwork to Library Accounting for payment.
- Assign a software ID number to the new product. That will be the next available number in the Software purchases spreadsheet.
- Record that number on the copy of the purchase order, invoice, or whatever document is available to demonstrate that LTS Olin is the legitimate owner of that product.
- Also record that number on the first floppy disk or the cover of the CD depending of which medium was received. This obviously does not apply to software downloaded from the Internet.
- Add records to the Software purchases spreadsheet and the Departmental software assignments spreadsheet. See above for the information which is needed. In the case of downloaded software, include "Downloaded from the Internet" in the Notes field.
- Verify with the LTS NetAdmin Coordinator that the software can be installed as planned.
Updating, transferring or removing software
Updating department-approved software is done by the Netadmins. This is true even with CIT-generated software or other software LTS Olin acquires that is not paid for.
Transferring or removing software is done only after the LTS Administrative Support Specialist has been notified and given the information necessary to update the inventory.
