UCL HEP Group
Computing Update (Mar-2000)
CURRENT ORGANISATION
Computing centered around 4 systems:
Tru64 UNIX | Tru64 UNIX | SMP Linux | NT4
|
---------- | ---------- | --------- | ---
|
Alpha-stn | Alpha-stn | DELL dual-proc PC
| DELL PC
|
500/400 | XP1000 | Precision Wkstn 610 | Optiplex
|
EV5 | EV6 | 2 * Pentium Xeon | Pentium
|
400 MHz | 500 MHz | 2 * 400 MHz
| 200 MHz
|
512 MB | 128 MB | 128 MB | 64 MB
|
DLT 7000 | DLT 4000 | DLT 3000 | Travan
|
9/9/9/9 GB | 18/18 GB | 9/18 GB
| 2/10 GB
|
(StorageWorks) | (StorageWorks) | (internal) | Internal
|
Operating systems
- Main o/s is UNIX (Tru64 & Linux).
- NT is used where necessary.
- VMS is
no longer accessible to users.
Desktops
- Our desktops currently comprise about 30 PCs, plus 4 Alphastations and
3 X-terminals.
- About 2/3 of our PCs run Linux.
- Remaining 1/3 run NT with access to UNIX system via Exceed and Samba.
- Dual-booting PCs largely abandoned because of management problems.
- Our original plan to keep all NT machines identical has proved
impractical to maintain (due to e.g. hardware differences, software
licencing, different peripherals, individual requirements).
Storage
- Our main disk is in StorageWorks boxes, but is not RAID.
- Backup is to DLT on each of the 3 main machines.
Networking
Most machines interconnected via 3-Com 10/100 Mbps Ethernet
switches over Cat5 UTP at 100 Mbps (good for security as well
as network performance and load).
LAN now connected to recently-installed College Gigabit Ethernet backbone.
Useful facilities
- high-volume printers (B/W & colour)
- modem access from home (pity that ADSL looks so expensive)
- laptops (acquiring these gradually as the opportunity arises)
- video-conferencing (but so far mainly in the studio)
- conference phone (not really computing, but relevant to
video-conferencing)
- scanner
- CD-writer
Software
Most of our most useful software is free via GNU, or provided via DEC
Campus.
Bought software includes:
- AFS, MS-Office, FrameMaker, Visual C++, Mathematica, MS-Project,
AutoCAD LT, Adobe Illustrator
PLANS
- Main change is due to realisation of expected data-handling load from
new experimental involvements.
- Must plan to routinely handle datasets up to 100 GB.
- => Funding requests for multi-cpu systems with large attached disk arrays.
CONCERNS
- How to handle order of magnitude increase in local data-handling
requirements.
- Management overload does not go away - mainly because "software"
personnel are occupied with experimental commitments. Dropping VMS &
making NT a secondary system have helped, but security measures and
new software & peripherals make new demands.
-
Original desktop PCs becoming obsolete - will need to start upgrading
soon.
-
Encountered first need to purchase expensive software for involvement
in future experiments (Together for OO development in ATLAS).
-
What do we do about Windows-2000? Drag our feet probably, but the
College is planning on making its move to NT in this version.
-
We have some concern that SUNs might be becoming flavour of the day &
we have none!
RC /
rc@hep.ucl.ac.uk /
11-Nov-1999