Setting Up and Using CO Apps VPN to Connect to Chancellor's Office Apps

Quick Links: | About CO Apps VPN | Setup VPN | Known Issues |

Note: Most users do not need to use the CO Apps VPN. If you have not been specifically instructed to use it, you can disregard these instructions.

About CO Apps VPN

Which Applications Require CO Apps VPN?

Accessing the following applications will require you to connect to CO Apps VPN before use:

  • Academic Calendar Database (ACAL)

  • Academic Degrees and Transfer (ADT)

  • Academic Planning Database (APDB)

  • Cash Management Operations (CMO) 

  • Employee Salary Projection System (ESP) 

  • Enrollment Reporting System (ERS)

  • Financial Information Record Management System (FIRMS) 

  • Grievance and Arbitration (GRARB)

  • Space and Facilities Planning Database (SFDB)

  • University Advancement Database (UADB)

Who Has Access?

The Chancellor’s Office worked with Chico State IT to identify users who need access to the CO Apps VPN. Only those users have been granted access. If you believe you need access and do not have it, please submit a request.

Why is this required?

This VPN requirement is a temporary security measure to address an audit finding. However, there is no timeline for when it will be removed.

Setting Up & Using CO Apps VPN

First-Time Setup

To connect to CO Apps VPN, you will use the GlobalProtect client, which is already installed on all campus-managed devices. 

  1. Click the GlobalProtect icon in your taskbar. It should show "Connected" to the campus network.
  2. Click the three lines in the top left, then select Settings. 
    Settings Menu in the GlobalProtect window
     
  3. In the settings menu, click the General tab. 
    • In the Portals box, you should see the "ao-vpn.csuchico.edu" Portal, which is the regular GlobalProtect VPN Portal. 
  4. Under the Portals box, click Add.
  5. Type in coappsvpn.calstate.edu and click Save.
  6. In the Portals box, you should see both "ao-vpn.csuchico.edu" and "coappsvpn.calstate.edu" Portals.
    GP VPN and CO Apps VPN in Portals
     
  7. You can now close the Settings Menu. 

Connecting to the CO Apps VPN

After completing the first-time setup, the GlobalProtect main window will display a dropdown selector for the two Portals.

  • The Chico State network is ao-vpn.csuchico.edu
  • The CO Apps network is coappsvpn.calstate.edu

Since GlobalProtect cannot connect to both networks at the same time, it is recommended to use the Chico State network by default. Switch to CO Apps VPN only when needed, then switch back afterward.

GlobalProtect showing dropdown menu for Portals

Known Issues

Stale Login Request

Some users may see this error message: "Error: You may be seeing this page because you used the Back button while browsing a secure website or application." This is caused by a caching issue that sends a stale login request.
Stale Login Error
 

If you encounter this error, please try the following steps:

  1. Close the login window.
  2. Try to log in again, but stop before entering your username and password
  3. On the login screen, right-click to open a menu and select Reload.
  4. Enter your Chico State username and password then click Login. DO NOT hit Enter. 

If those steps do not resolve the issue, please open a support ticket. In the ticket, please specify that you are using the "CO Apps VPN", not the campus VPN, otherwise, your ticket may not be routed to the correct team(s).

Script Error

Some users may see this error message: "Script Error. An Error has occurred in the script on this page." with the error detail "Unable to set property 'nodeValue' of undefined or null reference."
Script Error
 

This error does not prevent logging in. If prompted, click Yes to continue running scripts.

 Still need help? Contact Enterprise Applications for further assistance.
  
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