February 23rd, 2009 by Francisco Lopez
Computer Cluster
Last year, Broadcom graciously donated over 400 compute servers to UC Irvine. While the majority of the servers were distributed to campus researchers, NACS and the Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences have collaborated to bring a new general-purpose campus computing solution to researchers and graduate students at no charge.
Initially, the Broadcom Distributed Unified Cluster (BDUC) is comprised of 80 nodes: 40 nodes with 32-bit Intel processors and 40 nodes with 64-bit AMD processors. Broadcom is expected to donate newer servers over time, allowing nodes to be upgraded. NACS and ICS plan to further expand the cluster as well, subject to available staff and Data Center resources.
BDUC includes standard open-source compilers, debuggers, and libraries; in addition, the MATLAB Distributed Computing Engine (DCE) will soon be available. In the near future, BDUC will offer priority queues for research groups that provide financial support or hardware to the cluster.
BDUC is now available to all faculty, staff, and graduate using your UCInetID and password. To request an account, send an e-mail to bduc-request@uci.edu. A new user how-to guide is available on the NACS website http://www.nacs.uci.edu/computing/bduc/newuser.html.
February 23rd, 2009 by Kelsey Layos
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MessageBoard
The Electronic Educational Environment (EEE) web team has launched the new MessageBoard tool, which allows instructors and TAs to create online forums for discussion with students outside of the classroom. MessageBoard includes a number of new features based on feedback from users of the earlier NoteBoard tool, which it replaces.
New features include:
- Subscription: Receive email updates when new posts are made
- Uploading: Post a file for others to download
- Rich text: Easily format text and add links without HTML
- Advanced controls: Restrict a forum to instructors and TAs, board admins, or specific people identified by UCInetID
- Custom web addresses: Choose a friendly URL for your message board
You can visit the MessageBoard tool here. The EEE Web site has extensive documentation on MessageBoard, including tips on how to use MessageBoard in instruction.
February 23rd, 2009 by Bob Hudack
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Saving Money
In the current budgetary climate, faculty and staff should be aware of the opportunities for saving money on academic software and computer equipment that NACS coordinates.
NACS works with representatives from the other UC campuses to leverage the buying power of the multi-campus system to negotiate a variety of discounted software licensing contracts. Among the research software for which UCI has licensing programs are the mathematics packages Matlab and Mathematica, the statistical packages SAS and SPSS, and GIS software from ESRI. You can explore UCI’s software licensing agreements online.
UCI also participates in UC’s Microsoft Consolidated Campus Agreement (MCCA) wherein units can purchase annual licenses for Microsoft software such as Windows and Office for all computers owned by the unit. NACS can help units determine whether this option fits their needs. Information on this and other options for purchasing Microsoft software is available online.
Finally, UCI has a strategic sourcing agreement with KST Data which provides discounts on the purchase of new desktop and laptop computers.
February 23rd, 2009 by Theresa Barnes
NACS offers faculty and staff the option of receiving a printed campus directory. To manage costs and conserve resources, NACS wants to ensure that copies of the printed directory are sent only to those who require them. To receive a printed directory, you must request one at the directory update web page. NACS thanks those who elect to “go green” and use electronic alternatives.
After logging in, check “Yes” under the question: “Do you want one (1) copy of the printed UCI Campus & Medical Center Directory?”. You may also use this link to update your other directory information. Please note NACS distributes only to faculty and staff on the main campus. Medical Center personnel have their own distribution mechanism.
NACS also offers an online directory tool which can be found on the campus home page through the “People” search feature, or at http://directory.uci.edu/
The on-line directory has been recently enhanced to offer a wider and more flexible range of search criteria, including the ability to limit searches to faculty and staff, students, or department names. The “Advanced Search” makes it easier to search based on first name, last name, UCInetID, department, or phone number. You can also combine those criteria for more specificity.
