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Tips for Banner Users

Banner Self Service

		What do I do if I can't remember my SSB password?
		You can reset your PIN if you have entered a Security Question and know the correct answer.

		What if I can't remember the answer to my Security Question in SSB?
		You can look up your UNC Charlotte ID and PIN.

		Can I change my SSB PIN?
		Yes, you can change your PIN as long as you know your current PIN. Go to Personal Information and click Change PIN.

		Are there any restrictions on what I can use for my SSB PIN?
		The SSB PIN must be 6 numbers.

		If I try to log into SSB numerous times without success, will my account get locked?
		Yes. After 9 unsuccessful attempts to log into SSB, your account will be locked and you will need to contact the Help Center for assistance.

		Why did my Banner Self Service session timeout?
		If there is no activity for 30 minutes, your Banner Self Service session will timeout.


Internet Native Banner(INB)

		When trying to access Direct Access from the File Menu on the General Menu Form on some occasions it is not available. How can I get to the Direct Access Option from the File Menu if this occurs?
		If you are unable to use the File Menu Option for Direct Access when on the General Menu Form you can select a form that you already visited from the bottom of the File Menu and open that form. Once you have a form opened you should then be able to use the File Menu Direct Access Option. Remember if the File Menu (Direct Access Option) is not available from the General Menu Form, you can still use the Direct Access Lookup box located on your Toolbar at the General Menu Form or use Object Search.

		If I am working in Banner and click the EPrint shortcut on my desktop, my Banner session closes and Eprint opens. How can I make EPrint open in a separate window?
		From the Internet Explorer menu, select Tools, Internet Options. Click the Advanced Tab. In the Browsing section of the dialog box, deselect “Reuse Windows for Launching Shortcuts”, then click Apply and OK.

		*Why am I getting a “ Page cannot be displayed* ” error message when accessing Banner?**
		When you receive the “Page cannot be displayed” error message when trying to access Banner, it usually indicates a problem with the TNT Identity driver on your machine. If you have been able to access Banner from your workstation in the past but are now receiving this error message, you should remove the Identity driver then reboot your machine. To remove the Identity driver, go to Start -> Control Panel -> Add Remove Programs and remove the ID Driver The identity driver will self install once you reboot your machine and the Novell Application Launcher comes up. If you still receive the "Page cannot be displayed" error message, please contact the Help Center at ext. 73100.

		*Why am I getting the message “Max # of Forms has been reached by Organization (20)”?*
		You will receive this message if you have more than 20 forms opened at one time. When you are through using a form, be sure you close it by clicking on the white X or by doing a CTRL+Q.



General

		What does Banner stand for?
		Banner is SCT’s product name given to this set of software. It is not an acronym.

		How long will we be using this system? Will we be expected to move to another software package in the near future?
		Technology has a limited life expectancy due to the rapid changes and advancements the industry experiences. We expect SCT to continue to provide new functionality and improve the Banner system for years to come which we will take advantage of by implementing their upgrades and modifications. However, it is unlikely that we will have to undertake a major migration like this for many years. Eventually, the technology that this system is based upon will become obsolete and the vendor will not be able to affordably continue to maintain and improve it. At that time we will conduct research for a product replacement.

		Are we buying new hardware and will it be reliable and able to support the load?
		Yes, the Banner system will be running on all new SUN hardware using the SUN Solaris operating system and Oracle database technology. This new platform will take advantage of the failover capabilities of the SUN architecture thus minimizing downtime associated with hardware failures. The Banner system infrastructure has been built to support the forecasted load. To further validate the reliability and stability of the system, stress testing will be conducted during the testing phase of the project.

		Are Social Security numbers viewable in Banner?
		Financial Services went live with the Banner Finance module in July; however, the Banner HR system will not go live until January and the Banner Student and Financial Aid systems follow shortly after that. We will not be totally off of the PLUS systems (HRS and SIS) until September 2006, the first academic term fully run on the Banner Student module. Since SSNs are still used in the PLUS systems (HRS and SIS) as the University ID, a way had to be developed to cross reference the “general person” information in Banner and PLUS during this year when both systems are in production. It was decided that the old University ID (SSN) would be brought into Banner and the new UNC Charlotte ID would be stored in PLUS to support this cross reference needed during the time when both PLUS and BANNER are in production. The plan is to purge these legacy ID (SSN) records out of the Banner tables once the need to cross reference to the PLUS environment is no longer needed. SSN data will still be stored in Banner but only for legal usage such as payroll, etc. and this data will be stored in a different table viewable only by a few staff. There will be a gradual transition to the new UNC Charlotte ID assigned within Banner as we move away from the SIS and HRS systems but until we are totally off of all PLUS systems, the legacy ID (SSN) will be visible in Banner.
		What happens to my work if there is a hardware failure on the Banner server?
		The Banner production database resides in a clustered server environment. The database runs on one server. If that server should fail due to hardware or operating system problems, the database will “failover” to a second server. When this failover occurs, the database is shutdown on one server and then re-started on the second server. This failover process usually takes a few minutes and happens automatically without manual intervention. Since the database is shutdown, users logged into the Banner production environment will lose their connection. Batch jobs or reports that are running in the database will be stopped. Uncommitted changes to the database will be rolled back. Therefore after failover, users should verify that work in progress was committed. Reports or batch jobs that were running prior to failover will need to be re-submitted.



Passwords PINs

		Will the Banner User ID and password be sync'd to our Novell User Name and password?
		Your Banner User ID is the same as your Novell User Name. On your first login to Banner, your password will be the same as your Novell password. You will then automatically be prompted to change your Banner password. You can then choose to keep your Banner password the same as your Novell password. Although these passwords will not be electronically sync'd, you can always keep them the same by changing them at the same time.

		Will we still need multiple passwords/ids for sign on?
		ITS is researching a strategic solution that will provide a more robust authentication method that will meet security requirements as well as minimize the need for multiple accounts and passwords. This solution would allow multiple directories to be synchronized so that a single set of login credentials could be used for each person. The research is being conducted outside of the Banner project.
		Who do I contact if I can’t remember my INB password or my account has been locked?
		You may contact the Help Center at ext. 7-3100 for assistance.

		Can I change my INB password?
		Yes, INB users may change their password through the GUAPSWD form. You’ll need to know your current password.

		How often does the INB password expire?
		Banner INB Passwords expire every 33 days. Users are reminded to change their password 15 days prior to expiration. Once the password has expired, there is a 15 day grace period during which time users will be forced to change their password if they log into Banner. After the 15 day grace period, if the user has not logged into Banner and changed his/her password, the account will be locked and the user will have to contact the Help Center at ext. 7-3100 to get the account unlocked.
		Are there any restrictions on what I can use for my INB password?
		You can use numbers, letters, and special characters in your INB password. However, not all special characters can be used. The following special characters are allowed: ! % * + - / : ? _. The following special characters should not be used: @ $ & " ( ) , < > ` ; = # NOTE: Do not use spaces in your INB password and do not use a special character as the first character in the password.

		If I try to log into INB numerous times without success, will my account get locked?
		Yes. After 5 unsuccessful attempts to log into INB, your account will be locked and you will need to contact the Help Center at ext. 7-3100 for assistance.


Access

		Will my staff be able to get to their student links through 49er Express?
		During the transition from the current system to Banner self service applications when both systems are being used, there may not be access to both from within 49er Express. This transition period will occur during 2006 as the student Banner system is phased in and then fully implemented for the 2006 fall term. Eventually all student and faculty self service applications will be accessible from 49er Express.

		My advisors need to access the system from our main office building as well as some of the residence halls. They cannot do this with the current system. Will this change?
		Since you will be able to log into Banner from an Internet browser, this will allow much more flexibility in accessing the system. Your individual access will be controlled by the security definitions that are set up.

		Will there be remote login capabilities?
		Users will be able to access the Banner system remotely. The self service applications only require a browser and Internet access and log in accounts. Those users who need access to Banner components not available with the self service applications will have the capability to remotely access Banner utilizing the appropriate secured access tools such as Virtual Private Network (VPN).

		Will we be able to access the system 24 x 7?
		We will greatly improve the window of availability over the current system; however, we will be required to periodically upgrade the hardware and the operating system and to apply upgrades, etc. to the Banner system. This type of maintenance and support, while infrequent, usually requires an outage.


Reporting

		Will I be able to create a report myself?
		Banner implementation teams are currently working on writing reports that will be needed in Banner. While some reports are provided by the vendor, some will be developed by staff administrative departments and some will be developed by ITS staff. The ability to generate an ad hoc report prior to training will be limited initially. Over time, “point and click” query-driven reporting capabilities will be developed so that minimal training would be required to execute these from a menu of available report templates.

		Will I be able to access reporting from home?
		You will be able to access Banner from home using VPN.

		Can I get reports on students who have double majors?
		Several departments on campus currently provide report services that could provide such a report. The Registrar’s office, Institutional Research, Admissions office, Information and Technology Services (ITS), etc. all will have reporting capabilities that can satisfy this request and many others.

		Will I be able to access the ODS (Operational Data Store) and run reports myself?
		With proper training and appropriate data security access, those individuals needing this capability will be able to access the ODS and generate reports. The primary reporting tool that will be used to generate reports against ODS will be WebFocus. The ODS will contain data extracted from the Student, Financial, and Human Resource components of Banner and department representatives who generate reports as part of their primary assignments in the administrative areas will have this ability. These reports will be developed by several departments just as they currently are across campus.

		What is WebFocus?
		WebFocus is a browser accessed reporting tool that uses a graphical interface to select reporting fields, and design reports. WebFocus is suitable for both ad hoc reports and regularly scheduled reports, and can be saved in a variety of formats.

		How do I get access to WebFocus?
		The first step is to get training on how to use the WebFocus reporting tool. To find out when the next WebFocus class is being held, visit ITS Technology Training. After you have completed the training, contact the UNC Charlotte Help Center at 73100 to request a WebFocus account.

		Can I get a list of majors or advisees and then import that list into Excel?
		Yes, and you will have some options. The lists available from the Registrar’s website will be available with Banner. In addition to these, there will be opportunities to train in WebFocus and run these reports from your web browser as needed.

		Will the Operational Data Store (ODS) be available for Finance and Human Resource reporting?
		Yes, the ODS data warehouse will store information from all of the applications (Finance, Human Resources, Student and Financial Aid). Reports can be produced with data from any of these applications. The ODS data warehouse will also be able to store data from external sources, such as the Residence Management System, Resource 25, and other campus systems.

		How will SAR be affected?
		SAR (System Archive and Retrieval) is a package that the university has been using for viewing reports on line. We will be discontinuing the use of this package in December 2006. This capability will be provided through a package called e-Print. We are looking into alternatives to allow us to maintain or convert the reports that were created in SAR into the new product for historical reporting purposes.

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