Migration FAQs
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If you don’t see your question answered below, please email ITANSWERS@AG.TAMU.EDU and we’ll address it as soon as possible.
Migration Process & Scheduling
Why am I having my IT Services migrated?
AgriLife leadership wants all our AgriLife agency and College employees to have access to all of the state of the art IT services and collaboration capabilities. AgriLife IT has led the way within the TAMU system with the most innovative leading-edge services. Recently awarded a Code 1 audit score, AgriLife IT exemplifies the highest of standards and practices within the Texas A&M system.
When will my department be migrated?
Click here for the department migration schedule.
You’ll receive an email with a link 2 weeks prior to your scheduled department migration, to schedule your individual migration appointment.
You’ll receive an email with a link 2 weeks prior to your scheduled department migration, to schedule your individual migration appointment.
When will I personally be migrated?
If you are available the week of your departments scheduled migration week you will receive an email from AgriLife IT 2 weeks prior to setup an appointment.
If you are not available, we still need you to fill out the indicated form on the appointment email so that we can find an alternate time to migrate you.
Note that those not migrated during their department’s migration week will be migrated sometime during the summer and we cannot promise a specific timeframe as all our resources are currently focused on the current schedule through August 31st.
If you are not available, we still need you to fill out the indicated form on the appointment email so that we can find an alternate time to migrate you.
Note that those not migrated during their department’s migration week will be migrated sometime during the summer and we cannot promise a specific timeframe as all our resources are currently focused on the current schedule through August 31st.
What do I do if I never received an appointment email?
If you did not receive an appointment email, please fill out this form and we will get with you as soon as we can.
Note that this may be several weeks out, based upon current workloads with pre-scheduled migrations.
Please note you will not receive an appointment request email until 2 weeks PRIOR to your department’s schedule migration.
Note that this may be several weeks out, based upon current workloads with pre-scheduled migrations.
Please note you will not receive an appointment request email until 2 weeks PRIOR to your department’s schedule migration.
I am a graduate student, graduate teaching assistant, or student worker.
Do I need to schedule an appointment to be migrated?
Do I need to schedule an appointment to be migrated?
It depends.
Each of the college departments provided IT services to these types of jobs differently.
The rule of thumb is the following:
If either of the following apply, you NEED to schedule an appointment:
1. You were issued an email box using Exchange (and you use Outlook to access) to perform your work functions within the department (not Google Mail).
2. You were issued a computer workstation to use in an office setting (not lab) and you log into the system to conduct your work duties.
Each of the college departments provided IT services to these types of jobs differently.
The rule of thumb is the following:
If either of the following apply, you NEED to schedule an appointment:
1. You were issued an email box using Exchange (and you use Outlook to access) to perform your work functions within the department (not Google Mail).
2. You were issued a computer workstation to use in an office setting (not lab) and you log into the system to conduct your work duties.
How long will it take to migrate to the new unified IT environment?
On average it is taking approximately 1.5 hours for the standard scenario where an employee has only one PC and less than 5GB of email.
Those with a Mac or multiple office computer systems, and/or large email boxes may take longer.
Systems with pre-existing issues may need to be rescheduled for a later time and will take considerably longer to migrate.
Pre-existing issues include:
•Computer hard disk is almost full
•Corrupted software installations
•Corrupted user profile
•Pre-existing registry and permission issues
•System is too old to be migrated
Those with a Mac or multiple office computer systems, and/or large email boxes may take longer.
Systems with pre-existing issues may need to be rescheduled for a later time and will take considerably longer to migrate.
Pre-existing issues include:
•Computer hard disk is almost full
•Corrupted software installations
•Corrupted user profile
•Pre-existing registry and permission issues
•System is too old to be migrated
Exactly what happens during my migration?
The following steps are performed during your migration:
1. Your TAMU email alias is set to forward to your new AgriLife Email box.
2. Your email and calendar information are then migrated (this can take up to half an hour or overnight depending on the scale of email messages in your account.
3. Your computer is renamed to meet standard naming conventions (if applicable).
4. Your system(s) is/are checked for any pre-existing issues.
5. Your profile (which consists of your desktop and application icons and other elements) are migrated on your computer to a new profile that is joined to the AgriLife computer domain.
6. Your Microsoft Office 365 software is updated to the latest (if applicable). Microsoft Teams and OneDrive are installed and configured on your system.
7. Your AgriLife AgNet account ID is provided to you and our technicians assist you with resetting your temporary password.
8. You are provided with a card that has links on how to contact the AgriLife IT help desk along with links to our New User orientation guide that we provide to you as a new AgriLife IT customer.
9. Items 3 – 6 are then repeated for each computer you have assigned to you.
1. Your TAMU email alias is set to forward to your new AgriLife Email box.
2. Your email and calendar information are then migrated (this can take up to half an hour or overnight depending on the scale of email messages in your account.
3. Your computer is renamed to meet standard naming conventions (if applicable).
4. Your system(s) is/are checked for any pre-existing issues.
5. Your profile (which consists of your desktop and application icons and other elements) are migrated on your computer to a new profile that is joined to the AgriLife computer domain.
6. Your Microsoft Office 365 software is updated to the latest (if applicable). Microsoft Teams and OneDrive are installed and configured on your system.
7. Your AgriLife AgNet account ID is provided to you and our technicians assist you with resetting your temporary password.
8. You are provided with a card that has links on how to contact the AgriLife IT help desk along with links to our New User orientation guide that we provide to you as a new AgriLife IT customer.
9. Items 3 – 6 are then repeated for each computer you have assigned to you.
So what happens after my migration?
After a successful migration you’ll get to enjoy all the advancements in the AgriLife IT environment that will greatly enhance your ability to communicate and collaborate.
Additionally, a host of self-serve IT service capabilities including:
• gaining administrative access to your computer
• creating email aliases
• requesting a Microsoft Team
• requesting creation and/or access to a shared email box
In the weeks after your computer migration, AgriLife IT will begin to manage upgrades and patches on all operating systems and centrally managed software applications. This will lessen the amount of down time you may experience today waiting for updates to install during business hours.
Lastly, with our world-wide remote management capabilities, we’ll be able to provide support to you better and faster, reducing wait times and other overheads that currently plague COALS IT operations.
Additionally, a host of self-serve IT service capabilities including:
• gaining administrative access to your computer
• creating email aliases
• requesting a Microsoft Team
• requesting creation and/or access to a shared email box
In the weeks after your computer migration, AgriLife IT will begin to manage upgrades and patches on all operating systems and centrally managed software applications. This will lessen the amount of down time you may experience today waiting for updates to install during business hours.
Lastly, with our world-wide remote management capabilities, we’ll be able to provide support to you better and faster, reducing wait times and other overheads that currently plague COALS IT operations.
Will I get to keep my current @tamu.edu email address?
Yes, your current @tamu.edu email address will still be usable. However, your email box will be provided by AgriLife IT and your current email box content will be moved during the migration process. You’ll be asked to forward your @tamu.edu email alias to your new AgriLife email account. This will provide you with a superior level of service than provided by TAMU IT’s on-premises email server which does not have integration into the collaborative features of Microsoft Office 365 applications.
I use Google Mail. Will I still be able to use it?
All employees of AgriLife and COALS are required to use the Microsoft Exchange provided by AgriLife IT.
Google Mail is not HIPPA compliant and does not adequately protect sensitive information.
You can continue to still use all other Google applications provided through your TAMU NetID login.
Google Mail is not HIPPA compliant and does not adequately protect sensitive information.
You can continue to still use all other Google applications provided through your TAMU NetID login.
What is the size of the AgriLife Email box?
AgriLife’s email boxes can hold up to 100GB of mail in the primary mailbox and up to 1TB in the archive.
Files
I use Google Drive to store all my files.
What will happen to them during the migration?
What will happen to them during the migration?
The short answer is nothing.
Any files you have on Google Drive can stay where they are.
However, we highly recommend copying your Google Drive files to your AgriLife OneDrive, so that you can experience all the rich collaboration features that exist in all the Microsoft applications and interfaces.
Click here to watch our training session on these features.
Any files you have on Google Drive can stay where they are.
However, we highly recommend copying your Google Drive files to your AgriLife OneDrive, so that you can experience all the rich collaboration features that exist in all the Microsoft applications and interfaces.
Click here to watch our training session on these features.
I store my files on a network drive.
Will I still have access to them after the migration?
Will I still have access to them after the migration?
Yes, we are going to maintain your links to the current file servers.
However, we will be working with each department to migrate file server data to either Microsoft OneDrive or Microsoft Teams (if shared files,) as a part of the overall migration process.
This will allow you to access your files from any device anywhere in the world.
You will no longer be required to use VPN to access a file server from off campus.
However, we will be working with each department to migrate file server data to either Microsoft OneDrive or Microsoft Teams (if shared files,) as a part of the overall migration process.
This will allow you to access your files from any device anywhere in the world.
You will no longer be required to use VPN to access a file server from off campus.
Logins
Will I still be able to use my TAMU NETID to login to my computer and applications?
You will utilize your new AgriLife AgNet ID to login to the majority of your applications and to log into your computer.
Your TAMU NetID will still be used to login to certain TAMU non-federated applications.
See the table below:
96% of daily accessed services will use AgriLife AgNet IDs.
AgriLife Unified IT environment does not prohibit access or utilization of current TAMU services.
Your TAMU NetID will still be used to login to certain TAMU non-federated applications.
See the table below:
96% of daily accessed services will use AgriLife AgNet IDs.
AgriLife Unified IT environment does not prohibit access or utilization of current TAMU services.
Microsoft Teams
I recently adopted using Microsoft Teams on TAMU’s Office 365 environment. How do I get the data transferred from there to a similar Team in the AgriLife environment?
As a Team could consist of various employees across several departments and several colleges along with various folder and file sharing in play, it is logistically difficult to migrate from an existing team.
The Owner of the team would need to coordinate with all the members of the Team and with AgriLife IT to schedule a time to perform a data migration.
This would require the Team and data to be “frozen” from changes while the migration occurs.
If you are a Team owner and want to migrate data from one Team to another, please send an email to itanswers@ag.tamu.edu for more direction.
The Owner of the team would need to coordinate with all the members of the Team and with AgriLife IT to schedule a time to perform a data migration.
This would require the Team and data to be “frozen” from changes while the migration occurs.
If you are a Team owner and want to migrate data from one Team to another, please send an email to itanswers@ag.tamu.edu for more direction.
I am a member of a Microsoft TEAM in the TAMU environment and a TEAM in the AgriLife environment.
How to I access both until the migration is completed?
How to I access both until the migration is completed?
As various employees are migrating at different times Teams in the TAMU environment may persist for some time into the future.
To easily access both the Teams in TAMU and AgriLife environments at the same time:
1. Login to the AgriLife environment with your AgriLife Account in the Teams desktop app on your computer.
2. Open up the Teams application via your web browser (teams.microsoft.com) for TAMU with your NetID account.
This will allow you to see chats and access full Teams features in both environments. Another option is to have the Team owner in the TAMU team to add your AgriLife Account (firstname.lastname@ag.tamu.edu) as a member of the Team.
This would allow you to access the TAMU Team from your Teams app on your desktop while logged in with your AgriLife account.
To easily access both the Teams in TAMU and AgriLife environments at the same time:
1. Login to the AgriLife environment with your AgriLife Account in the Teams desktop app on your computer.
2. Open up the Teams application via your web browser (teams.microsoft.com) for TAMU with your NetID account.
This will allow you to see chats and access full Teams features in both environments. Another option is to have the Team owner in the TAMU team to add your AgriLife Account (firstname.lastname@ag.tamu.edu) as a member of the Team.
This would allow you to access the TAMU Team from your Teams app on your desktop while logged in with your AgriLife account.
I was recently migrated and need to create a Microsoft Team.
How do I do this?
How do I do this?
1. Go to the AgriLife IT Services provisioning portal at https://agrilifepeople.tamu.edu and log in with your AgriLife account info
2. Once logged in go to YOUR ALP > MANAGE MY IT SERVICES
3. From there, scroll down to the CREATION REQUESTS
4. check Microsoft Team and then hit CONTINUE
5. On the next page, enter:
• your Team Name
• Description
• which type of Team template you need
6. submit your request
To learn more about self-serve IT requests with AgriLife, click here to see our training video.
2. Once logged in go to YOUR ALP > MANAGE MY IT SERVICES
3. From there, scroll down to the CREATION REQUESTS
4. check Microsoft Team and then hit CONTINUE
5. On the next page, enter:
• your Team Name
• Description
• which type of Team template you need
6. submit your request
To learn more about self-serve IT requests with AgriLife, click here to see our training video.
COALS Post- Migration Training Videos
What do you do with your IT Services? 
What do you do with your files? 
Welcome to the AgriLife IT Services Environment! 
File Collaboration in the Cloud 
AgriLife Self Service IT 
Communication & Microsoft Teams 
Collaboration & Microsoft Teams 
Mobile Devices & Office 365 
TechBuy- AgriLife’s Technology Store
What do you do with your files?
Questions asked during or related to this session:
Does Syncplicity offer the same security as Office 365?
Syncplicity is very similar, but it’s also missing all the features and functionalities that we went through today. Syncplicity is like what I call a Level 1 cloud storage provider. They basically offer the ability to dump your data files into folders locally that gets synced to the cloud, but that’s about it.
Are we losing access to Syncplicity?
Yes. The TAMU System contract for Syncplicity will be terminated December 1, 2021. Click here to see the official AgriLife IT announcement.
How do I migrate my files from Syncplicity to OneDrive?
You can follow the steps found here to migrate your files from Syncplicity to OneDrive.
Where can I send my questions about the COALS IT Service Migration?
You can send an email to itanswers@ag.tamu.edu, which our CIO and Director, Alan Kurk, will answer personally!
Who do I contact if I need support?
Contact information for our FirstCall Service Desk is always available on the bottom of every page of our website, and also here.
What do you do with your IT Services?
We cover the AgriLife IT Self Service process, the AgriLife public and employee directory, and how to modify your profile.
COALS Post-Migration IT Services Training Recording
What IT Services can I manage on my own, and what services does my UAM have to manage?
The table below shows which services you manage, and which services your UAM (Unit Account Manager) manages:
Are there already shared lists for example for All RPLs, all CEA-Hort, all within a district, etc.?
We do have a list for CEA-HORT, as well as some of the other specializations for CEAs, already!
You can view/download that by:
1. Logging in to AgriLife People
2. Click on CONTACT LISTS
3. Click on People by Role
We do not currently have a list for RPLs, BUT that is a position role in AgriLife People, and would be very easy to set up as a custom list, and share if you needed to.
We do also already have lists for each district office, as well as each district office and their counties.
For that one:
1. log in to AgriLife People
2. Click on CONTACT LISTS
3. Click on People by Unit
Search for the district you need
If you want all employees within a district, you’ll want to use the ones called District ## Office – Name of District w/ Subunits. (Example would be District 01 Office – Panhandle w/ Subunits)
You can view/download that by:
1. Logging in to AgriLife People
2. Click on CONTACT LISTS
3. Click on People by Role
We do not currently have a list for RPLs, BUT that is a position role in AgriLife People, and would be very easy to set up as a custom list, and share if you needed to.
We do also already have lists for each district office, as well as each district office and their counties.
For that one:
1. log in to AgriLife People
2. Click on CONTACT LISTS
3. Click on People by Unit
Search for the district you need
If you want all employees within a district, you’ll want to use the ones called District ## Office – Name of District w/ Subunits. (Example would be District 01 Office – Panhandle w/ Subunits)
Who do we talk to about Microsoft Phone Service?
It really depends on the department- this is a paid service, so it will need to go through a business person- possibly your department’s purchasing or procurement coordinator.
How do we get Microsoft Phone Service set up?
You can order Microsoft Phone Service by downloading and completing this form.
Email the completed form to MSPhone@ag.tamu.edu.
Email the completed form to MSPhone@ag.tamu.edu.
Will we have Microsoft Phone Service after we are migrated?
Not by default. It is up to each department to decide if they want Microsoft Phone Service. For more information on Microsoft Phone Service, click here.
What services can be managed in AgriLife People?
Click on each item under the Managed by YOU column to see instructions detailing how to modify, request, grant, manage, or revoke each item.
| Managed by YOU | Managed by your Unit Account Manager (UAM) |
|---|---|
| Modify your Contact page, Directory profile, & Picture | AgriLife Active Directory (AgNet ID) |
| Create new Microsoft Teams | Laserfiche |
| Request a Microsoft email alias | TAMU Net ID |
| Request Access to a Direct Report mailbox | TexasData |
| Create a new Microsoft shared mailbox | Change your Legal Name |
| Request access to an existing shared or resource mailbox | |
| Grant access to an existing shared or resource mailbox you own | |
| Revoke access to an existing shared or resource mailbox you own | |
| Request WordPress Site Administrator Access | |
| Request Regional Center VPN Access | |
| Request an Administrative PC Account | |
| Change your Preferred First Name | |
| Request Microsoft Phone Service (coming soon!) |
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