Council on Academic Computing
March 22, 2004
Meeting Summary
FEDERAL AGENCIES
TRIP
Approximately 30 members of the University’s faculty
attended the annual federal agencies’ briefing.
Representatives from NSF, NASA, DOD, and the Department of Energy, among
others, spoke. The speakers universally recommended
that faculty members contact program officers prior to applying for grants. They also recommended that faculty members maintain
regular contact with program officers.
Projects in computer-related areas and at the nexus of information
technology, biology, and nanotechnology are heavily funded.
Several other issues were discussed:
- The Department of Energy
wants to create approximately 10 sites that operate at speeds approaching
100 teraflops.
- The
National LambdaRail, an initiative of U.S. research universities and
private sector technology companies, is a good resource for those who require
high-performance computing.
REPORT FROM
COMPUTING SERVICES AND SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
The CAC Security Subcommittee and other members of the CAC met with Jinx Walton, Director of Computing Services
and Systems Development (CSSD), and members of her staff. They discussed issues related to a planned Network Operations Center.
CSSD will create a full-blown Center that will anticipate problems and
correct them proactively.
Other issues were also discussed:
- Secure VPN is in its final
testing stages and soon will replace Stargate.
- Spam and virus protection may
be outsourced to a private company.
- CSSD may integrate the Audix and e-mail systems.
- CSSD
is creating a three-year, comprehensive security plan for the University.
MISCELLANEOUS
Several other issues were mentioned:
- A retreat at which CAC members would discuss future
projects
- Using supercomputers to
facilitate economic development
- Access
to the Web for disabled individuals