CNS Network Services and the UF IT Security Team have invested significant time updating the NS subnet and contact database so network and server managers can more easily search for campus network information.

The previous database did not have a simple way to associate people with defined characteristics such as subnets, domains, groups, mail servers, registered critical servers, title and other contact information. The new database is able to list every relationship associated to each category.

"It started as a move to simplify the way the database worked somewhat so we could understand the relationships among network components more easily," said Mark Kovacic, network security Engineer.

These changes will benefit the UF IT Security Team and Network Services by giving more flexibility to query the database and allowing relationships between people and logical constructs, such as subnets and domains. For example, Melissa Dampier, Network Services IT Practitioner, primarily uses the database to update and enter contact, group and subnet information.

"With the new version, I am very happy with the ability to have contacts belong to multiple groups," said Dampier. "For example, a person can belong to the Biotechnology group and Biomedical engineering group if desired."

The problem was that the old database only allowed these inter-related IT groups to be part of one group, she said. The new database separates groups which makes it great for alerts that are sent via e-mail.

Dampier worked mostly as a tester on this project. Her peers, Keith Monroe, Network Services Senior Systems Programmer, and Brad O'Hara, Network Services IT Expert, worked on designing, programming, reviewing, and testing the database. Kovacic, from the UF IT Security team, worked primarily on programming.

"Everyone worked very well together even though the project had members and goals from different groups," said O'Hara.

One commonly used interface for the database is the Subnet Managers List. Users access this link frequently to identify contacts and IP ranges for UF networks. This interface can be found at: http://net-services.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/subnet-form.cgi .