Internet Connection for MLS?

[russellhltn]

Would someone give the definitve contact information and/or approval process to get our MLS computers on the internet. We have an FHC and our clerk's offices are already wired.

Your best bet is to email MLS support. The information was referenced in a email sent to the Stake Technology Specialist almost a year ago. There's nothing definitive posted (yet) that I can point you to.

I will give a very brief summery in that you must have Desktop 5.5 installed on the PC and it must be connected to an existing authorized network behind the Church-supplied PIX box. Hopefully that's how your FHC is set up, but I've also seen where local leaders have done their own thing, so I wouldn't assume that it's all legit. As far as I can tell, there is no formal approval process, only that you must conform to the minimum requirements.

[childsdj]

Your best bet is to email MLS support. The information was referenced in a email sent to the Stake Technology Specialist almost a year ago. There's nothing definitive posted (yet) that I can point you to.

I will give a very brief summery in that you must have Desktop 5.5 installed on the PC and it must be connected to an existing authorized network behind the Church-supplied PIX box. Hopefully that's how your FHC is set up, but I've also seen where local leaders have done their own thing, so I wouldn't assume that it's all legit. As far as I can tell, there is no formal approval process, only that you must conform to the minimum requirements.

Russell is right as usual. The only policy is listed above and was supposed to flow down to FM's but that hasn't always happened. I am hoping a new (same essential policy) will come down as a broader statement soon.

[RutzJW]

Good Brothers,
I am an FM in Indiana and we have just now received directions from our Director of Temporal Affairs to retrofit existing ethernet to accomodate administrative computers, within the caviats listed in the attached document. This is not an easy task, considering the demands of daily operation and maintenance. The original ethernet was installed to support family history centers and was done by outsourced contractors. The dynamics for ethernet installation in older meetinghouses is obviously challenging. I see a time in the future where all meetinghouses will be retrofitted. As the previous responder indicated, we are gratefull for your patience.

[russellhltn]

housed in the same physical building

Well drat. Our FHC is in it's own building at the stake center. It will get interesting because while the 3 ward offices are in together in one building, the stake office is in another with a connecting roof. Seems like a waste to install 3 DSL lines when the time comes.

I hope someone comes up with a guideline to connect buildings in a single location. Especially since the buildings are connected together by the satellite cable system so they are not that isolated.

[rknelson]

Look for a brief (four sentence) letter dated Feb 11, 2008 from the Presiding Bishopric regarding connecting stake and ward computers to existing CCN networks. It is addressed broadly to Stake/Ward leaders/Facilities Managers.

Any costs associated with connecting to these existing CCN connections are the responsibility of the stake/district. Work must be cleared with the facilities manager before it is done.

I'm happy we can now cover the costs from stake funds - we anticipate minimal costs to extend the network to clerk's offices from the Family History Libraries located in 2 buildings in our stake.

[aebrown]

Look for a brief (four sentence) letter dated Feb 11, 2008 from the Presiding Bishopric regarding connecting stake and ward computers to existing CCN networks. It is addressed broadly to Stake/Ward leaders/Facilities Managers.

The letter has now been posted on the Stake Technology Specialist site at lds.org, under Letters and Policies.

The specific link is http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=70697088a04de010VgnVCM100000176f620aRCRD&locale=0

[russellhltn]

Unfortunately the letter no longer mentions the requirement for Desktop 5.5. As far as I know the requirement hasn't been dropped. In fact the deadline for implementing it is long past due. Hopefully everyone has installed it before connecting admin computers to the Internet.

[SheffieldTR]

I think you may have hit the nail on the head. The deadline is already past and so does the requirement need to be restated? Maybe that was the thought.

[russellhltn]

The deadline is already past and so does the requirement need to be restated?

How well has it been complied with? The problem is at this point I don't think there's anything on the STS site that says Desktop 5.5 is required. You have to go to the MLS site to find that information. I haven't heard of anyone getting scolded for not installing Desktop 5.5, but I have heard of some that have not installed it due to the performance impact.

I think there's a very good possibility that non-compliant systems will get connected to the Internet.

[wasatchpowder-p40]

I've got the 5.5 Desktop installed on 4 out of 8 computers.
It takes me at least 3 hours to do one system after determining what files to back up, run the update, and restoring files and applications.

I've noticed that the 5.5 Desktop causes MLS to take forever in starting up and also to transmit via the modem.

Is there anything that I can tweak to speed things up?

Needless to say, I'm not too anxious to install the 5.5 Desktop if I have to take such a performance hit.

Dave