The University IT and Data Center celebrated its 50th anniversary with a ceremony on November 6, 2024 at the University Forum in Heussallee. As part of the ceremony, the University IT and Data Center looked back on its history and the IT development of the University of Bonn over the past five decades with around 130 invited guests.
After a welcome address by Dr Rainer Bockholt, Director of the University IT and Data Center at the University of Bonn, Prof. Dr Maren Bennewitz, Vice-Rector for Digitalisation and Information Management, Prof. Dr Max P. Baur, former Chairman of the IT Board of the University of Bonn, Daniela Korden, Project Manager for DiCe projects at the HRZ and Susanne Sigmund, former HRZ employee, gave welcoming speeches.
A highlight was the keynote speech by Prof. Dr Harald Ziegler from Ruhr University Bochum, whose spectacular extrapolation revealed that ‘[...] one data centre year corresponds to approx. 22 university years. What changes in a working life changes at the HRZ in two years, i.e. an HRZ employee has to retrain at least 6-7 times in a working life.’ Despite the fast pace of technological progress, all HRZ employees have one characteristic in common: Their flexibility. But it takes far more than just flexibility and problem-solving skills to work efficiently at an HR centre.
‘At the HRZ, the focus is always on people,’ emphasised Dr Rainer Bockholt, Director at the HRZ for over 21 years. ‘We are happy to be here’ is not just an empty phrase, but reflects the working atmosphere at the HRZ, said Daniela Korden, a current HRZ employee. This mood could be felt without exception among the current and former employees present.
Susanne Sigmund, former head of training and head of the user support department, stated: ‘One of the biggest success stories is the training in IT for system integration at the HRZ. Since it began in 2005, all trainees at the HRZ have passed their final exams and none have failed. A special fact: the two very first trainees from 2005 are still working at the HRZ today.
In addition to video presentations and slide shows with photos from the HRZ archive, the guests also enjoyed live music with light, cheerful sounds from flamenco guitarist Ismael de Barcelona.
The “Regional University IT and Data Center of the University of Bonn” (RHRZ) was founded on November 1 in 1974.
On the occasion of its 50th anniversary in November 2024, the University IT and Data Centre looks back on its beginnings and the impressive development in the areas of information technology and digitalization at the University of Bonn.
In the first week of November, the HRZ is dedicating each day to one of the last five decades and publishing a new page in the new “History” area of the website, in which the most important milestones and technical achievements of the last 50 years are documented. This gives an exciting insight, including a picture gallery, into the past of IT and data processing at the University IT and Data Center of the University of Bonn.
A new video series “HRZ time travel” will be published on the HRZ channel on YouTube, which illustrates the most important development steps of the past decades – up to the here and now in 2024 – in an entertaining way.
The HRZ time travel starts in the founding years: the 1970s.
Enjoy this insight into the development of the University IT and Data Center and the evolution of IT at the University of Bonn!
The University of Bonn is taking part in the new, state-wide data backup solution DaSi.NRW, which is implemented using Commvault software. This cross-university project enables all universities in North Rhine-Westphalia to store their data efficiently and securely. At the University of Bonn, the transition affects all institutes that wish to back up their non-research and non-archived data. All existing users of IBM Spectrum Protect (ISP, formerly TSM) will be affected by the changeover to Commvault and have already been informed by the HRZ if possible.
The new DaSi.NRW solution is explicitly aimed towards the institutes of the University of Bonn that require central backup services. End Device backups for individual workstations and backups for students are currently not intended.
Test phase and changeover to the active phase
As the necessary contract documents for DaSi.NRW had not been finalized so far, the solution was initially launched in a test phase. This phase served to identify technical challenges and adapt the new processes. Now that the formal requirements have been completed, the backup service can officially go live in November 2024.
Step-by-step shutdown of IBM Spectrum Protect services
To ensure a smooth transition, the previous IBM Spectrum Protect services will be deactivated in steps. Initially, ISP/TSM will be set to “read-only” mode so that existing data can still be restored if required. After a transition phase, the old service will be shut down for good and completely replaced by the new Commvault solution.
This modernization of the backup service should ensure that all institutes of the University of Bonn have a sustainable and reliable data backup in the future.
On Wednesday, November 6, 2024, our anniversary event for "50 years of (R)HRZ" takes place.
As we would like to celebrate this special day with all our employees, our IT-helpdesk will close earlier.
On November 6, 2024, from 8 am -12 pm, the IT-Helpdesk will offer you support on site, via support-form and via telephone.
From 1 November 2024, the new campus licence for SPSS must be used. In connection with this, the distribution, licence activation and activation procedures for all users at the University of Bonn will change (see news from 1 October 2024). The good news: due to central funding, you no longer have to pay a personal contribution for the use of SPSS!
As the licences expire annually at the end of September and the software will only run with the old licence keys until the end of October, it is now necessary to renew the licence. Please note the new procedure, which differs from the new campus licence for SPSS for staff and students.
We have compiled detailed instructions on how to renew your licence for you in our HRZ documentation in Confluence (only accessible in BONNET/VPN).
A new authentication endpoint requires the Uni Bonn app to be updated to the latest app version (1.5.0) and re-authentication for all employees who wish to access the digital ID card.
Please proceed as follows so that the digital ID card for employees can be displayed in the Uni Bonn app:
1. open the side menu and click on the menu item ‘Settings’.
2. click on ‘Reset app data’ under ‘Data privacy’
3. update the Uni Bonn app in the Apple Store or Google Play Store
4. open the (updated) Uni Bonn app
5. open the side menu and click on the menu item ‘Account management’
6. link your account as an ‘employee’ by clicking on the ‘Not linked’ button
7. enter your (employee) Uni ID and password
8. read and accept the privacy policy
9. click on the ‘Link’ button ("Verknüpfen")
The multifactor-authentication (MFA for short) will be implemented step-by-step for central services at the University of Bonn. Daniela Korden, project manager at the University IT and Data Center, has already reported about what MFA is, what will change for university members in the future and how the introduction of MFA at the University of Bonn will be implemented in the podcast for employees (see HRZ-News from 25 October 2023).
Current state of the DiCe-project "multifactor-authentication" at the University of Bonn
The project for the introduction of the multifactor-authentication at the University of Bonn successfully continues. Firstly, the hardware-token had to be acquired, in our case the YubiKeys. These will be used in the future by employees of the University of Bonn to securely authenticate when using services in relation to the uni-ID.
As a first (test-) cohort, the members of the University IT and Data Center were fitted out with the hardware-token. The rollout at the University IT and Data was already successfully completed in May 2024. The next cohort to be outfitted with the YubiKey were the administrative departments. Here the rollout-process is close to being finished.
The rollout and operating concept for the entire university was derived from the experience gained from the first rollouts at the HRZ and in the administration, which was coordinated with the digitalisation managers and local administrators as well as all relevant councils.
The next steps in the MFA-project are the preparations for the rollout in the outstanding parts of the university, which are meant to start during the oncoming winter term.
With this the project is making huge leaps, to support the security at every level of the University of Bonn - because IT-security needs more than one factor!
You are looking for an apprenticeship where you can bring in your passion for IT? Studying is too theoretical for you? Then you fit right in with us: Since 20 years we at the University IT and Data Center (HRZ) of the University of Bonn successfully train IT specialists for system integration.
Together with 5 more apprentices you will have fun learning, you will do your own projects and will be supported by our team of over 80 employees. Through the diverse server, service and network structures we can offer you an interesting and well-founded education that prepares you for your future career-start.
The application portal of the University of Bonn is open until October 27, 2024 (for apprenticeships starting on August 1, 2025).
Here you can find all information on the online-application at the University of Bonn (available only in german language).