Information Technology for Research in Computer Science: Why “one size doesn’t fit all” Bruce Porter Chair, Computer Science Department

UTCS IT Overview

• • • • • • • Research computers (and teaching computers) are mostly UNIX; intended to support software development ~900 individual hosts across 6 buildings 35 TB home directory storage; 24 TB research scratch space Approximately 30 servers providing email, home directory, operating system, backup, news, DNS, authentication, recruiting, and web services 2000 core HTPC cluster for instruction and research High scientific load – need for cycles; virtualization not a win CS controlled network to allow for different security models

Non-Traditional Computing Platforms Mastodon cluster • • • • Linux cluster + Condor queuing Used at 10M CPU-hrs/year (1100 CPUs at once) 1500 cores, 6TB RAM, 2 TFLOPS One large machine: 24 CPUs, 256 GB RAM

Non-Traditional Computing Platforms Soccer playing robots: dogs and humanoids Autonomous vehicle

Non-Traditional Input Devices Virtual reality Simulated driving

Non-Traditional Output Devices Simulation from computer game Visualization Lab displaying downtown Austin

Computers are our Test Tubes The Network is our Laboratory

• • • • Cyber-security research: release a virus to study its propagation; “honeypots” to attract hackers and develop countermeasures Networking research: disable nodes and links to study re-routing Operating systems research: change the UNIX kernel to experiment with memory utilization File system research: develop methods of storage for “cloud computing”

We Manipulate Computers

• • • Forensics: Inspect both hardware and software on systems during experimentation (kernel failures, security assessments) EMULAB: Manually re-configure the wiring and network cards to dynamically create virtual routers Wireless: Move mesh nodes (access points) to reconfigure experimental wireless networks

UTCS IT Support Staff

• Instruction, research and administrative support in one team – Leverages resources - no silos of knowledge; support tools shared – 16 FTE with diverse skills • 1 web designer, 3 hardware & facilities, 1 lab/help desk, 1 network, 1 cluster/research, 1 purchasing, 5 UNIX & Mac, 1 Windows, 2 applications – Includes purchasing, which allows for informed IT buying • Customized support for research community