What Went Wrong With Webmail

This is a response to what happened to the MAIL server and why it is important to POP MAIL to OUTLOOK or anyother client

Dear Staff,

It has been nearly a week since our mail server broke down and the DICTS team has been working tirelessly to restore mailing services for the MAK-user community and we do apologize for this incident and inconvenience caused.

Since the main portal of communication is the mailing platform, it has been rather difficult to get this information to the user community.
However, a notice was placed on the webmail login page informing users that the system was down.

Some users have questioned why it has taken so long to restore service.
This has been because of both  hardware and software challenges. The team has had to restore the server without losing your emails since both the primary and backup had been affected by the breakdown.It should be noted that the mail data for the University is of high capacity and the user mail data sync and restoration process is slow and delicate. Therefore user access to the mail service had to partly be delayed to ensure safe restoration of data.

Way forward:

1. DICTS is already in the process of setting up a new mailing platform
that is more robust and resilient than the current one.

2. Most of MAK-ICT services run-off single servers with back-up facility.
This set-up is replicated in all university units be it the network operation centre (DICTS), systems running in the main building or Senate.
This means that once a server breaks down, there isn't another one in place for service continuity. This is therefore to appeal to the university management, to invest more in ICTs so we can create redundancy for ICT services and avoid single points of failure. This is very important and should be taken seriously to avoid subsequent system shutdowns.

3. DICTS is going to consider the option of having the mailing service
hosted both on the cloud (some other secure location but accessible through the internet) as well as locally at DICTS. This means :

   (i) That users will still be able to access their emails via an internet connection regardless of location should our mail server fail locally or should we experience a power outage.

  (ii) That users will still be able to access their emails via the intranet in the absence of an Internet connection.

(iii) This option creates redundancy for mailing services. However, it doesn't eliminate the need for running 2 parallel mail servers locally (two mail servers running at the same time, if one breaks down, the second server immediately assumes service).

4. DICTS has over the last few months labored to disseminate information
on several best practices which have included "how to manage your emails".

   (i)  Never keep all your emails and important documentation/attachments in one Inbox. The MAK-mailing platform offers the option of forwarding your emails to another email address and this has been communicated several times. IT platforms/systems fail, be it at the top rated institutions and you should NEVER place your entire trust in them.

  (ii)  Use a mail client to download your emails to your computer (outlook, Eudora, Mozilla Thunderbird etc).If the mail server fails, you will still have a copy of your emails and attachments stored on your computer. These guides have been mailed out to users in the past.

(iii)  Please pay attention to ALL the best practices we mail out to you.

5. Some users keep comparing ICT service delivery at Makerere with that
offered at some international agency in Kampala or a multi-million dollar business or some American university. While we would like to deliver top-notch service to the MAK community, it all comes down to how much the university is able to invest in ICTs. Therefore, we need to make the most of what we have as we strive to improve service delivery and that will at times include improvisation.

Many thanks and Regards,

Mugabi Samuel
End-User Manager