Several University websites were unavailable to users from 11:13 a.m. to 11:27 a.m. on Sunday, November 21. According to the U of C Data Network Operations webpage, the service failure was caused by a glitch in the “8 port Gigabit module in a core switch,” and the problem was fixed temporarily after technicians performed a system reset. “The connectivity to main service and websites was interrupted,” explained Therese Allen-Vassar, director of Networking Services and Information Technology (NSIT) Administration System. The module was scheduled to be replaced on Monday, November 22 from 7-8 a.m.

The service failure affected Burton-Judson, the Social Service Administration and Center, the Edelstone Center, the 1155 building, and a number of central servers. According to Ronald Rusnak, director of NSIT Voice and Data Networking, the failure occurred because of a hardware problem, which led to a “relatively short outage problem” indicative of a normal network failure, rather than a specific system failure. “Where it failed, it was connected to other switches which eventually ended up being connected to individual systems like a desktop in a dorm room,” Rusnak explained.

Webmail is also scheduled to be down for repairs on Tuesday, November 23, for approximately 20 minutes starting at 7:30 a.m. This service will affect Burton-Judson, the Social Service Administration and Center, the 1155 building, and the Edelstone Center, as well as wireless service on the south side of campus.