Hey NACS! UCCSC Campus Report - July 2001
Bob Hudack
We used to be known as the Office of Academic Computing. But a year ago in July we changed our name to Network & Academic Computing Services to more accurately reflect our role on campus. Network & Academic Computing Services is a SERVICE organization. As a service organization, it's our job to respond to the needs to the campus. So what have we heard?
Hey NACS!! Our network's too slow. We need to move darger amounts of data and multimedia!
We've been proactive about identifying specific networks on campus that need to be upgraded to solve network performance, reliability, and/or security problems. A new campus border router has arrived and will be used to boost the bandwidth to the campus. A new network topology at the border router is being used to employ 'intrusion detection' software to enhance campus security. We implmented Netflow statistics on several routers to monitor/analyze both internal and external network traffic.A security breach on campus prompted a hotspot upgrade that involved replacing shared hubs with switches, and moving sensitive network traffic to isolated network segments. Similar spot upgrades occurred at the Schools of Education and Social Science and the College of Medicine.
We've done major campus network upgrades in the School of Engineering, the Administration building, and we're working on the upgrade of the School of Biological Sciences and the College of Medicine.
The details - We've upgraded the School of Physical Sciences and the School of Engineering to the campus network standard (Catagory 5e, 10 megabits/second switched to the desktop, 100 megabits/second to departmental servers), and additionally have connected their building routers (actually layer-3 switches) to the campus backbone using Gigabit Ethernet. We are currently upgrading the School of Biological Sciences, which will have 10/100 autosensing Ethernet to all locations. Planning for a large-scale upgrade of the UC Irvine College of Medicine is well underway. To better facilitate traffic from the UC Irvine Campus to other destinations over CalREN-2, the Internet and Abilene, we are upgrading the campus 7513 border router to a Switch Fabric-enabled Cisco Catalyst 6509.
With Facilities Management, we're implementing a new and completely separate campus-wide switched Ethernet network to support their control and security systems. Applications include energy management systems, irrigation controls, card-key access systems, and security systems.
Hey NACS! We better not run out of phone numbers!
We converted our phone system from 4 digits to 5 digits in late November to make additional telephone extensions available. The campus is reluctantly getting used to dialing an extra "4" in front of campus telephone extensions.
Hey NACS! We're getting more e-mail! Make it easier to use!
We're working on 'merging' all our campus-wide computing services into one umbrella. The student and staff/faculty infrastructures are being combined to allow more unified offerrings. At the same time services like POP and IMAP are being run on clusters of rack-mounted Linux computers. We now have cheap, redundant computing equipment mated to RAID (cheap, redundant disk arrays). As such, our system reliability has increased dramatically.
A Web front-end has been made available to the campus for the NACS "E4E" faculty/staff eleectronic information service. It makes it easy to change passwords, set vacation messages for e-mail, access Library resouces, HR, and more.
We have web-based mail for faculty & staff via the Mailspinner software package, from Nascent Technology/CMGI, recently acquired by Sendmail. We hope to make this available for the "EA" student e-mail service soon.
We're currently deploying the web-based "Mailman" as a replacement for old listserv mailing list software.
We've upgraded our Mail Transfer Agent machines again, and bought more secondary disk. With more e-mail comes more spam. The campus MTA systems are set to reject junk mail. During a typical day we remove about 150,000 messages. Another request we're receiving is an anti-virus filter for our MTA systems, but we've not yet identified one that works well without serious drawbacks.
UCI's CorporateTime calendaring service, in its second year, has 878 users campus-wide. Current growth areas include Administrative & Business Services and the UCI Libraries
Hey NACS! Make a simple way for us to authenticate UCI users on the web!
We built a standardized web-based authentication system based on our Kerberos UCInetID's. Various applications on campus use this with PHP or Cold Fusion.
Our Network Services and Programming group has been working with UCOP, and UCI's AdCom department on the UC wide Public key Encryption (PKI) project using Digital Certificates. Concurrently, we've started planning on the next-generation of authentication (still using Kerberos), computing and networking authorization, and directory services. We forsee the use of SQL databases, LDAP directory services (and the current Qi-based system), centralized authorization services, and the communication with AdCom's attribute services to accomplish this major task.
Hey NACS! Students don't want to come to UCI unless they can do high-speed networking from the dorms!
This is our first year of full connectivity from the residence halls. We thought that 30-50% of the total off-campus data traffic would come from the residence halls. But it actually accounts for about 70% of off-campus traffic. We have recently installed a filter in our border router to reduce outgoing traffic from housing on ports over 1023.
600 new connections are coming on line this fall with the opening of new residece halls. Housing is purchasing a "Packateer" box to control the traffic and bandwidth on RESNET. Kevin Ansel, the manager of Housing Information Technology, is here if you'd like to know more about his experiences. Housing also purchased a Residential Management package to centrally handle student information, room matching, incidents reports, and ad hoc reporting.
Hey NACS! Students don't want to come to UCI unless there are great computing labs!
NACS opened a new 96-seat lab that can be partitioned in 2 half-size labs. NACS and the UCI Libraries jointly opened a new PC lab in the Gateway Study Center. We implemented Kerberos authentication with Windows NT4 last year, and will use Windows 2000 Professional in the fall. By Fall quarter we'll have replaced our primary Macintosh lab with 25 new G4s equipped with 17" flat panel monitors.
The old role of "computer operator" in antiquated. To provide better service, we've converted our "computer operator" positions into a mix of junior sys admins, after-hours consultants, and facility managers.
Hey NACS! Help us find better ways to use computers in our courses!
UCI started the Electronic Educational Environment in 1995. . EEE is the result of a creative collaboration of professional staff from The Network and Academic Computing Services, the Registrar's Office, the Division of Undergraduate Education and the Library. NACS maintains the EEE web server and develops instructional tools and services.
We had an average of 400 courses each quarter using EEE services, up 20% from last year. The new EZE3 tool resulted in many new pages and classes coming online. EZE3 allows instructors to skip learning HTML and copy & paste to build a single course page. Over 170 courses have used EZE3. And all UCI couses are automatically assigned a course mailing list to facilitate announcements and course interaction.
An online course evaluation form has been successfully pilot tested, and will be available for all courses beginning in September.
NACS implemented the Student Electronic Broadcast System (SEBS) last year, which automatically makes electronic mailing lists of all students, available to authorized campus users. This is done in concert with the UCI Registrar, who provides the data.
Hey NACS! Help us with Research Computing and special projects!
Network & Academic Computing Services is providing centralized, system administration and backup support for UNIX systems (Sun, Digital UNIX, IRIX, and Red Hat Linux) With 400 clients and 8500 users, DCS has a heavy reliance on automation and autoinstalls. For performance computing. Campus users have free access to an Origin 2000 (shared memory) computer, a Beowulf Cluster (distributed memory) computer, and a variety of mainframe computers at UCSD. A variety of problems are studied on these machines related to Engineering and the Physical, Biological, and Medical Sciences.
Hey NACS! Help us with Windows 2000!
We're working with various campus schools with regard to a Windows 2000 Active Directory structure. In some instances the cry turned to Hey NACS! We want our own forest! We're doing what we can to support the schools with Windows 2000 friendly DNS services.
Hey NACS! What about custom programming and special projects?
We set up DHCP for the entire residential student housing. We built a PalmOS-based laser barcode scanner for Equipment Management - Frank Wessel and Helen Chang will be presenting about this later.
We also hired a Microsoft/Web specialist for special projects in other departments.
Hey NACS! We wanna do cool wireless computing too, and we want it to be secure!
NACS has worked with the UCI Libraries, Graduate School of Management (GSM) and the Student Center to extend UCInet using wireless. 802.11b wireless service is now available in parts of the "Gateway Study Center" (operated by the UCI Libraries), main library, student center, GSM, and NACS Engineering Gateway computing labs. The Libraries have coordinated with NACS and will be operating wireless-laptop and wireless-card loan programs. See: http://www.nacs.uci.edu/ucinet/mobile. One neat application we're piloting is a mobile computer training "facility" with 16 laptops and wireless networking. Our hope is to offer computer training wherever the learners are, rather than to wait for a computer lab to become available.
Administrative Computing Services get a lot of requests, too... Like
Hey AdCom! Streamline the recruitment process!
UCI implemented the web version of iGreentree's job applicant tracking system, and built anew QuickReq application to replace the old hard copy job requisitions.
Hey AdCom! We want a one-stop web portal for the staff!
AdCom is implementing a staff /business (as opposed to student or faculty) portal using the JA-SIG framework with eContent from JCorporation. The portal was named SNAP (Simple Navigational Administrative Portal).
Hey AdCom! Make it easy for donate money to the University!
Departments can enter Regents and Foundation gift data on a web based form. The form is still printed for appropriate signatures but the ability to copy information from previous gifts or templates saves time, and University Advancement and Contracts & Grants Accounting are notified by e-mail as soon as the data is recorded.
Hey Adcom! Make it easier for new hires to learn our Purchasing and Accounts Payable systems!
Certain transactions on our mainframe CICS Purchasing/Accounts Payable application will be web-enabled with a tool from ClientSoft. The web interface should reduce training requirements significantly.
Hey AdCom! We need a way to report cost sharing between departments!
A new Cost Share Tracking System allows the University'to track, certify and report cost sharing. The system, which is a subsystem within the University's financial system, was developed to provide campus departments with a tool for managing cost sharing funds by capturing cost shared expenses throughout the life of a project and reporting cost sharing fund information to sponsoring agencies.
Hey AdCom! Improve the Data Warehouse!
Recent additions to UCI's Data Warehouse include procurement card transaction, invoice, and purchase order data. Financial System (general ledger), Payroll Expense Distribution, and Employee Database information has been available for some time.
I noticed in the agenda the seminar about IT Staffing called World War IV... so
Hey NACS! Are ya ready for WW IV?
NACS currently has openings for a Network Planning & Security specialist. Contingent on budget approval, we hope to recruit for a Bulk & Site License agreement coordinator. NACS has had good success recruiting of late with a variety of talented staff being added in from the outside. In addition, there have been several openings filled by existing NACS staff ready for growth or change. In the past half-year we’ve hired a Telecommunications Project Manager , 2 new electronic technicians, a Research Computing Specialist, a swing shift and a graveyard shift operator/ consultant/ trouble-desk attendant, a Unix SysAdmin, , and various administrative staff. There have not been any major departures of late. Dana Roode's appointment as interim Director of Network & Academic Computing Services has been made permanent. In addition, Mark Asken has recently been hired as the Director of Administrative Computing Services. He just started July 2nd.
Finally, Hey NACS! How do you know you're doing the right thing?
The NACS Faculty Advisory Committee has been created this year to provide NACS advice on current and future services and directions. This committee will augment input from the UCI Academic Senate Council on Research, Computing and Library Resources.
The Response Center will be starting a systematic outreach to campus faculty and staff. We'll be meeting weekly with a small group of randomly selected faculty and staff to discuss their computing needs and issues. All this over pastries and coffee! The RC staff will get fat!
And we continue to have monthly meetings for the computing professionals, as we have for the past five years.
Other Things
What is UCI LEAP? - UCI Learning, Education, Advantage Program
(UCI LEAP) is an initiative funded by the Chancellor’s Office and is aimed toward providing more skill-enhancing and career-building opportunities for UCI staff. This program is a partnership between Human Resources and UC Irvine Extension.
All UCI LEAP classes are rigorous learning experiences, complete with homework assignments and interactive, university-level instruction and grades. These courses require attendance and participation through the full length of the class. For the Summer 2001 quarter, all classes fit into five sequential programs.
Course fees are covered under the UCI LEAP program funding.
UCI is considering acquiring an ArcView site license.
(Specifically that would allow unlimited access to the ArcView module of ESRI's Arc GIS package which runs under WinNT.) Most current users are in Social Ecology but there is interest across the campus.