University of Minnesota
Institute of Technology
Minutes of the ITICC Meeting,
October 18, 2006
3:35 p.m., Physics 170
Present: Peter Hudleston (IT Dean’s Office), Michelle Jacobs (CEMS), Joe Konstan (CSE), Satish Kumar (CEMS), Jerry Larson (ADCS), Jim MacDonald (CSE, IT Labs), Dan MacEwan (Chem), Ray Muno (AEM/ME), Sean O’Neill (Astro), Tom Shield (AEM), Larry Storey (CEMS), Dale Swanson (ECE), Juan P. Trelles (ME), Stacy Weisenbeck (AEM)
1) Status reports from CSciE and ADCS
MacDonald reported that some students are locking up machines running long jobs using ANSYS Students leave the lab while their jobs are running with notices warning others that the computers are in use. This may cause problems if demand for seats is high or if rooms are needed for classes. The Windows machines, on which these jobs are being run, do not have the flexibility of UNIX workstations, on which jobs may be run in the background while others use the computer. One suggestion is to restrict when these long jobs can be run, perhaps reserving some labs (ME 302 would be a possibility) overnight for this purpose. Lab management will check with the instructor or instructors to assess the situation [the class is AEM senior design] and, if necessary, arrive at a way of handling the problem.
Larson reported that the problem of profiles becoming corrupted (reported at the last meeting) still exists. It is easily fixed on a case-by-case basis, but the reason for the problem remains unclear.
2) Preliminary Recommendations for Fall Round Public Lab Improvements
MacDonald presented the preliminary recommendations of the ITIC Technical Committee for the fall round of improvements to the public labs.
There are 25 computers that are 4 years old and need to be replaced. They include 10 Dell machines in ME 308, which will use Vista. The others are the fifteen Sun workstations in Walter 103. The proposal is to replace these with Suns that use AMD64 CPUs, which will allow the machines to run Solaris, Linux or Windows, giving the greatest flexibility. The Suns in Walter 103 currently sit on the desktop, and it is proposed to move them to shelves that will be purchased and installed under the desks.
The server used for database applications is short on disk space, and it is proposed to add a 146 GB SCSI drive.
It is proposed to move the three CCTV cameras in 4-204 – which was returned last year to the Computer Science and Engineering Department – for use in the other labs where there are blind spots. The proposal includes the cost of reinstallation.
There is a need for Linux and Solaris remote login servers for users who run longer jobs. Currently, if users log in remotely on lab machines there is the danger that others in the lab will reboot the machines, disrupting any running jobs. The proposal is to add one server for Linux and one for Solaris.
The total cost of these recommended improvements is $95,700.
Hudleston said that he had received a request from student groups to have wireless service in the offices of the various student organizations in Lind Hall – these offices are now all in the basement. He considered the cost of providing hubs for such service a legitimate use of ITICC funds. MacDonald said he would have the current coverage of wireless in the basement of Lind checked and then have hubs added, if and as needed. Hudleston said he had been told that English has requested that ADCS provide wireless coverage for Lind 1.
3) Other Business
None