UCL HEP computing: future
Plans:
- Significant CPU upgrade (what platform? - workstation, Linux, WNT?)
- Significant disk (& tape) increase (what media? - where to attach?)
- LAN upgrade: 10 Mbps --> 100 Mbps
- Replace X-terminals by PCs
- Photo-realistic colour printer; more modems; cameras for video-conferencing
Concerns:
- Management overload with 3(4) o.s.’s to support and reduced staff (with even more machines, and no VMS clustering to help)
- Harder to plan for licencing expenditure (greater dependence on 3rd party software, with assorted licencing mechanisms and no software contracts)
- UNIX / WNT interoperability
- No one o.s. supports all required applications
- Short lifetime of commodity hardware