DICTS Units

The Directorate for ICT Support (DICTS) consists of various units that work in synergy to ensure that its vision, mission and strategic plan are met. These units include the following:

Administration/Governance

Oversees & governs all the other units in DICTS

Database Unit

Data availability

Ensure databases are online all the time
Perform timely backups of data for business continuity
Disaster Recovery site

Data security

Provide access only to authorized users
Only allow users to efficiently access data from specific locations and workstations.
Audit system logs on the databases

End-User Support Unit

The DICTS End User support unit provides an interface between the university system users and DICTS. The quality of service offered is measured by the compliancy to the Service Level Agreements (SLA).

The units mandate is to identify and solve ICT related problems in order to improve business processes within the University.

The following are the Helpdesk support goals;

Effectively track and respond to user requests
Improve responsiveness by enhancing communications campus-wide
Increase satisfaction by providing an easy way to submit & check status of requests.

The End User support unit provides first line support to users. In an event that a user problem cannot be handled at the End User support unit, It is escalated to respective DICTS units for further action. Currently, the user support at unit level is through liaisons with the Unit Network Administrator.

Inquires through the End User Support Unit are logged :

via the landline phone: 0414-533364
via the VOIP: 11109
via email: helpme@dicts.mak.ac.ug

Network Unit

The Network Management Department addresses the development area given the highest priority by Makerere University by ensuring efficient network services provision through

Equitable internal and external network resource allocation and planning
Provision of connection points to the University backbone to Faculties and administrative units.
Continued research and system integration especially on open source solutions.
A 68 Mb internet connection that provides Access-to-Internet services such as World Wide Web(WWW) to researchers, teaching staff and students.
Optimisation of the available bandwidth through the utilisation of a bandwidth manager and caches servers.
An efficient email system, which has has enhanced communication processes within the University and between the University and other institutions. Electronic mail has become the major communication application in many offices in the University.
An intranet facility; a single access point to all University ICT services that provides information on request to users within the domain of the local area network of an organisation, making use of data specifically stored for this application and/or using existing data stored in corporate databases and the library catalogue.

Planning and Maintenance Unit

The planning and maintenance department is responsible for the for planning for the new technology acquisition, infrastructure expansion, and ensuring proper maintenance management of ICT infrastructure.

Makerere University Data Network Infrastructure

Makerere University is comprised of 32 academic and administrative units, housed in 80 buildings covering an area of 300 acres. There are also ten halls of residence on the main campus, and four students hostels in the remote campuses.

The University data backbone network has undergone tremedous transformation over the last three years. It is currently reaching over 80% of the university buildings. This is contributing greatly to the University policy target of "1 computer per 5 undergraduate students, and 1 computer per postgraduate student or member of staffs."

The network comprises of:

Single-mode fiber star logical topology cover two transmission windows (1500nm and 1300nm) enabling a high bandwidth capacity on the backbone.
The backbone consists of twelve switching centers with high performing Cisco switches and routers switches to enable interconnection between backbone points end-user to backbone points, air-conditioning equipments power backup to ensure a high service availability of the network resources.
Inter-campus links via leased line for connection of the remote campuses(MUARIK, Mulago and MUBS) to the main campus.
Two network operations centers, one acting as a Disaster Recovery Center that houses all the University central servers and gateways.
Structured cabling for approximately 15 building LANs.

Current access to the data network backbone is limited mainly to the computer laborataries and offices in various units. The University with support for the development partners is in the process of setting up building LANs for the various units focusing on increasing the number of computer labs for students, implementations of wireless LANs for identified 'hotspot' within the University, mainly focusing on students halls of residence.

Systems Unit

The system department is responsible for over seeing the implementation of a comprehensive University-wide project to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) in all its functions The University systems include the academic records, Information system (ARIS) , Human Resource Information Systems(HURIS), Financial Information Systems (FINIS) and Library Information Systems (LIBIS).