Comm Squadron to improve speed, efficiency for Barksdale users

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mike Andriacco
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Barksdale Airmen will soon see an improvement in their Non-classified Internet Protocol Router (NIPR) e-mail performance, thanks to the efforts of the 2nd Communications Squadron to move users to a new network server.

Scheduled to begin Nov. 6, approximately 500 accounts per night will be migrated to the new server between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. The migration should be completed before Thanksgiving.

"We started by transferring several small groups over the past 60 days to test the process," said Lt. Col. Julio Gomez, 2nd CS commander. "After working closely with Air Force Global Strike Command's Communications Directorate, the 561st Network Operations Squadron, and other cyber organizations to refine the process we began moving larger groups. So far we've migrated approximately 2,800 users."

Gomez also said that most users have reported an improvement with their official e-mail's performance, opening folders and accessing the global address listing.

"Without being too technical, the new server will allow faster communication between the user interface and the system's ability to verify an approved user's credentials," he said. "This means that previous latency issues should be mitigated and the user experience improved."

Users should experience no problems with their accounts during the transfer, but as always, each person can take steps to protect vital information in case of the unexpected.

"None of the 2,800 accounts we've migrated have lost a single e-mail," Gomez said. "However, it's always been a best practice for users to back up their files on a regular basis."

Airmen can also help the migration go faster by managing the size of their e-mail account on the server. The best way to do this is to create a personal mail file, identified by its file extension ".pst," and moving as many of their e-mails as possible into that folder.

Should users experience any problems after or during the migration, they should contact the Enterprise Service Desk at DSN 510-435-7337. As a last resort, Airmen may contact the 2nd CS Communications Focal Point at 456-2666.

Anyone experiencing problems not related to the migration can always call the 2nd CS CFP and follow the automated prompts for assistance.