Iridium - FAQs

How do I access iridium?

On June 7^th, iridium can be accessed by visiting:

       iridium.umanitoba.ca   or  umanitoba.ca/iridium  or  umanitoba.ca/claimid

Throughout the lifetime of an account, iridium will be used to: renew the usage agreement, change their passwords, reset forgotten passwords, change their challenge questions, and request additional accounts (CCU, Jump, INS, Angel, CNS, Aurora).

Accounts not managed by iridium:  VIP, Corporate Time, RedDot, Aurora self-serve, nTreepoint, Sybase and other databases, etc.

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Are password changes different?

Yes. Users should change their passwords on iridium. When a user changes their password in iridium, their password will change across all of the systems they have accounts on, keeping their password synchronized.

If you have more than one username (eg: a student AND a staff username/account, or more than one staff usernames/accounts), you will need to login to iridium for each username, separately. Iridium only keeps passwords synchronized accross systems for one username.

Users will also have the ability to reset forgotten passwords in iridium, by answering 3 of the challenge questions they setup when they created their UMnetID, or first logged into iridium.

In some cases users will still have the ability to change their password directly on a system they have access to, instead of from iridium. This is not recommended, but it is possible if they know how (for example your CCU password). As a side note, changing your CCU password will no longer change your Jump or Angel password.

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How do eligible staff and students get their computer accounts?

Eligible students and staff can claim their accounts by clicking on the “Create UMnetID” on the iridium main page, and then get their accounts by following a process similar to that of the current ClaimID. As part of the “new claimid” process, individuals claiming their account will have to provide answers (a minimum of 3 answers) to a series of challenge questions. In the event they forget their password they will be able to reset their password by answering his/her challenge questions.

Only eligible staff and students can create their accounts. Students must be registered for degree credit courses, and staff members must have been processed through VIP, in order to show up as eligible in the system.

Student accounts will no longer have “um” prefixed to their usernames.

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How does someone get an account if they’re not yet eligible in the system?

Individuals who are not yet eligible (eg: a new employee) and want their computer accounts before they become eligible, have two options:

1. If they have either a staff or student number, their account can be “expedited”. This option can be used if the individual will become eligible within 3 weeks. Expediting an account will allow the individual to create their UMnetID in iridium. If the individual does not become eligible within 3 weeks, their account could then be sponsored.
    
2. If they do NOT have a staff or student number¸ a temporary account can be assigned to the individual.
   This will give them general access to systems with a generic ID. Once they are eligible they will need to create their UMnetID in iridium.
   
   We can no longer create a generic ID (by sponsoring an account) for an individual and then transfer it to a staff or student number. This is because accounts are established automatically from an individual’s information in Aurora and VIP.
   
   IST encourages limited use of temporary accounts for individuals, as they are, simply put, temporary. Any files and emails stored under temporary accounts would need to be moved to their permanent account. Temporary Angel and Jump accounts cannot be created.
   
   To expedite or create a temporary account, please see the form on the computer accounts forms page:
   http://umanitoba.ca/ist/accounts/forms.html

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How does someone who already has an account, login to iridium?

Staff and students who already have computer accounts will not have to create their account in iridium. They can login to iridium with any of their CCU, Jump, Angel, INS, CNS, or Aurora passwords.
Note: The ability to do this may change in the future for security reasons.

Those who have never logged into Iridium before will have to provide answers to the challenge questions. We recommend that individuals with existing accounts login to iridium and setup their challenge questions.

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What happens with someone who has both active student and staff accounts?

If an individual currently has two user accounts (eg: both a student and a staff account), they will continue to have both accounts until they cease to be either student or staff.

Only one account will be considered to be the primary and only that identity will be updated with changes in VIP or Aurora such as name changes, birthdate corrections, and the addition of new resources such as Jump or Angel access. The staff account will be considered the primary account, for individuals who currently have both active staff and student accounts.

Individuals with both active staff and student accounts will also have separate iridium accounts, until they are no longer eligible for either their previous staff or student account.

Both the student and staff account are separate in iridium. This means that anyone who want to change the password or enable/disable accounts for their student account, must login with their student username. Anyone who wants to loging to iridium as their staff account to change their password, or enable or disable accounts, must login with their staff account username.

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I have multiple usernames, how does this affect me?

As with individuals who have both a student and a staff account, users who have multiple usernames will also need to login to iridium separately with each username, for any changes they'd like to make.

For instance, if you want to change your password, or enable/disable accounts for one of your usernames, you must login to iridum with that username.

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How have sponsored accounts changed?

The online sponsorship forms

We have new account sponsorship forms. Please be sure you are using the new forms available at:

http://umanitoba.ca/ist/accounts/forms.html

A new “expedite/temporary” account form has also been added.

Individual Sponsored Accounts
Individual sponsored accounts have not changed, with the exception that if an account is sponsored for someone without a staff or student number this account can no longer be transferred under someone’s student or employee number at a later time.

Departmental Sponsored Accounts
Iridium will not force password changes, or the ability to provide questions to challenge questions. Forgotten passwords must be reset by the Help & Solutions Centre.

Expedite/Temporary Accounts

See:  “How does someone get an account if they’re not yet eligible in the system?” above.

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Will my computer account passwords ever time-expire?

All passwords may have a six (6) month expiration date set. When your password expires, you will have to change it the next time you login to Iridium.

At present time, an expired password will not prevent you from logging into any of your accounts.

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Has the annual computer usage agreement changed?

There will no longer be a set “date” for the “annual” usage agreement. Each individual will have their own agreement expiry date based on when the agreement was last accepted, and will need to login to iridium when their usage agreement is to be renewed.

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Questions or comments? Please send them to the IST Help & Solutions Centre