Whiteman to begin AFNet Migration Aug. 13

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  • By 509th Communications Squadron
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo --  The 509th Bomb Wing is scheduled to begin migrating from the Whiteman AFB network into the Air Force Network Aug. 13, under the Air Force's Active Directory and Exchange migration.

As part of the Air Force Communication community's effort to improve network connectivity, this migration will provide the "total force" access to information regardless of their location. Through the use of Common Access Card-enabled computers, users will now have access 24/7 from not only their home station, but also TDY and deployed Air Force locations around the world.

What exactly does the term "network migration" really mean? In essence, all member network and e-mail accounts (including Blackberry users), as well as shared information files, will migrate from the base network into the Air Force-wide AFNet. While most of these changes will be transparent to the user, the most noticeable change will be our e-mail addresses. The migration replaces the old first.last@whiteman.af.mil e-mail address with the standard first.last@us.af.mil e-mail address, which will allow for central management of these accounts.

If more than one person has the same first and last name, the standard will be first.last.#@us.af.mil. In addition to global access to information and e-mail, individuals will be assigned a permanent e-mail address that they will carry throughout their career. This AFNet e-mail address will never change, no matter how many times a person changes duty stations.

This is one advantage the migration will provide. In the past, individuals had to wait for a new account to be created each time they went TDY, on a deployment, or PCSed. With one centrally managed network and a lifelong account, this wait is eliminated, which leads to increased productivity and efficiency.

Whiteman is just one of several remaining locations still awaiting migration. Until every Air Force base migrates to AFNet, the old format for e-mail addresses may still apply if the base or MAJCOM has not migrated.

While the @us.af.mil address still works in that case, it will direct your e-mail to the account created at that base. Nevertheless, post migration e-mails will appear and function the same as before, and users will still be able to access common applications such as e-mail, calendars, contact list, and shared files.

A few other benefits include increased information security, and a reduction of the time it takes to patch computer systems and eliminate potential vulnerabilities.

Another change will be standardized mailbox sizes based on user categories. The new limits are as follows:

· Category 1 (1GB): Senior Decision Makers and Associated Organizational Mailboxes
· Category 2 (500MB): Essential Support Personnel and Associated Organizational Mailboxes
· Category 3 (100 MB): Standard Users and Associated

The migration will also result in a consolidated customer service help desk called the Enterprise Service Desk. The ESD will serve as a "one-stop" shop for the resolution of common user problems, and can be reached at DSN 945-2900, or commercial at (210) 925-2900.

The migration will be completed in phases and in close coordination with the 509th Communications Squadron. Migration information will flow a number of ways, to include computer screen pop-ups, e-mails, base newspaper articles, and via the AF Portal.

Each unit will be notified individually via e-mail just prior to the migration, and will be asked to follow a few simple steps to help ensure a successful migration. Included in these directions will be detailed steps on how to create back-up and personal storage files.

The 509th Bomb Wing will approve and release a unit-by-unit migration schedule to help minimize impact to normal operations.

Because it could take up to two days for new account information to propagate on the Air Force Network, an official notice will be posted on the AF Portal informing users that 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB AFNet e-mail addresses may not be recognized in the Global Address List

The 509th Communications Squadron will send separate and specific instructions concerning Personal Digital Assistant devices and how to move e-mails to Exchange servers to prevent deletion. On-base technicians will be available to lend assistance and prevent the loss of data.

More information is available at https://cs.eis.af.mil/a6/programs/adx/MAJCOM/default.aspx