Cambridge HEP Group - site report
Hardware
- DIGITAL UNIX (ALPHA) fileserver
- 150GB disk space, DLT2000 stacker.
- 9 DEC ALPHA workstations
- 3 DIGITAL UNIX, 6 VMS.
- 21 PCs
- 7 Linux, 8 Windows NT
- 3 Windows 95, 3 Windows 3.1 (CAD)
- 2 SUN workstations
- 1 SunOS, 1 SOLARIS (CAD)
- 4 MACs, 5 X-terminals, 7 VAXes
- Total ~240GB disk space
- Printers
- HP Laserjet 5SiMX (~24ppm)
- Tektronix Phaser 550 (colour laser)
- Network
- converted from Thinwire to UTP in last 18 months. Majority of systems
now on switched ethernet (36 @ 10Mbps, 4 @ 100Mbps). Rest (~20-25) on
non-switched ethernet.
Software
- DIGITAL UNIX(4.0B)
- AFS, CERN software (including SHIFT software for NA48), SAMBA (for WNT)
etc. etc.
- Windows NT (4.0)
- 2 nodes as main and backup servers. Most software served from shared
disk space on D.U. box using SAMBA.
Exceed, CERN software, Corldraw, MS Office 97, MS Visual Studio (C++,
FORTRAN) etc. etc.
- Linux (Redhat 4.2)
- CERN libraries, MAPLE, etc. etc. Authorization, home directory common
with D.U.
- SUNs/PCs for CAD
- variety of CAD packages (CADENCE, Powerview, etc., etc.)
Concerns
- Videoconferencing
- no central University service since 9/97 (department closed!). Use RGO
in short term (£50/hour + call charges) - longer term??? Rest of Physics
not really interested.
- Network charges
- recent developments worrying - University may charge at
departmental or group level.
- Multiple platforms
- heterogeneous backups, general management, etc. etc.
- Electricity
- power cuts are very disruptive.
- Disk space management
- how to handle several hundred GB?
Future Plans
- AFS on Linux (imminent I hope!) and possibly Windows NT
- Videoconferencing
- group or (possibly) departmental facility?
- Network
- some further upgrading (100 Mbps to campus network?)
- Further significant disk purchases and a file server to handle them
- Desktops
- replace on cycle ~4 years - first remaining VAXes.