Network Maintenance Windows

Hi All,

We are wondering how the various campuses deal with network maintenance windows.  As a campus we have a set Tuesday and Thursday window from 5-7am for network changes; however many of our departments schedule batch processes to run during these windows (even though they agreed to the window).  For notification, we do not post general upgrades and changes during this period unless it is a core system that will affect a larger portion of the campus (and since most changes have limited effect on the general campus). If it is a larger change, we announce it through various means a few weeks in advance.  Do you require that all changes are posted and each department notified for maintenance tasks or do you have set windows and say that anything running during these windows may get interrupted?  Also, what means do you use to notify the end users and departments.  We are looking to streamline the process without making it to complicated or bureaucratic.

Thanks,

Michael Hizny

Binghamton University