MSU IT Exchange
09/27/2007
Libraries, Computing, and Technology is pleased to host MSU IT Exchange, a bi-monthly meeting to bring people interested in information technology at MSU together as a cohesive group.
The first meeting is scheduled for Friday, October 12, 2007, at Wells Hall in room B102 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and is open to individuals interested in MSU’s information technology environment.
Tentative Agenda
- Welcome
- IT Exchange Purposes
- Learn from each other
- Collect best practices
- Facilitate collaboration
- General Discussion Topics
- MSU network plans
- Infrastructure quality
- Web accessibility
- E-mail futures
- Hosting strategies
- Open Discussion
- Next steps
- Topics for future meetings
Agenda is subject to change without notice.
September 14 Power Outage
09/07/2007
On Friday, September 14, 2007, Phase V of electrical system upgrades in the Computer Center will take place. Most core computing services and basic network access (on campus and Internet connectivity) should be unaffected by this maintenance. However, there will be brief outages between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. and again between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. for the following core services:
afs.msu.edu
mail.msu.edu
netid.msu.edu
In addition, most walk-in services in the building will be unavailable until approximately 8:45 a.m. This includes:
ACNS Business Office
ACNS Walk-in Help Desk
Artificial Language Laboratory
Client Advocacy Office
Libraries, Computing, and Technology Office
MSU Computer Repair
Public Computer Labs (rooms 210, 403, and 415)
Scoring Office
This upgrade will install a new power feed from the main electrical vault to the Computer Center machine room and is part of a major project which will bring faster speeds and greater reliability to the campus network.
For more information, visit help.msu.edu or read knowledge base article number 8978.
South Farms Goes Wireless
09/04/2007
This winter, the farms and research facilities located on the south end of the MSU campus received high speed Internet access for the first time. Most of the MSU community has had this for several years but, due to logistics and high cost, the south campus farm facilities have languished with slow and unreliable dial-up connections.
In March, the Network Engineering team at Academic Computing & Network Services (ACNS) completed a six month project designed to bring high-speed network connectivity to campus facilities south of Mt. Hope Road. With the financial support of the Land Management Office and the Vice President for Finance and Operations, a unique product called SkyPilot was employed.
Emerging Technologies
SkyPilot serves as a bridge between the MSU fiber network and the south campus farm facilities. Its unique architecture enables it to send wireless signals up to seven miles in the direct line of sight. The initial gateway, called the SkyGateway, is installed at the MSU Pavilion, which is connected to the MSU fiber network. In addition, a second SkyGateway is installed at the MBI building on Collins Road, providing a back-up connection in case the main gateway should fail.
The gateways send signals to individual units installed at each facility called SkyConnectors. Each SkyConnector can be attached to a switch to provide local network access, as well as MSUnet Wireless. Employees are able to access the network via DHCP, just as employees across the main MSU campus have done for many years.
Because SkyPilot requires a direct line of sight to work effectively, location did affect its implementation. Peter Chen, manager of ACNS Network Engineering, explains that the actual installation was affected by the landscape of the south campus farms. Some facilities are able to connect directly to the Pavilion gateway, whereas other facilities are not, due to trees and other obstructions. For these facilities, an extender was installed at the University Farms Service Center on College Road. The extender passes the signal between either of the main gateways and the individual facility’s SkyConnector.
Simplifying Tasks
The SkyPilot implementation has changed the daily operating procedures for many at newly connected facilities. Regular job duties that previously were slow and cumbersome are now done with the same ease that occurs elsewhere on campus. According to the University Farms Service Center manager Kevin Shelle, SkyPilot has substantially increased productivity and the ease of which his employees can accomplish tasks online.
One year ago, Shelle’s office had two computers; only one had a modem for Internet access. Employees shared this computer to perform any on-line tasks, including checking e-mail and performing required employee tasks on the MSU Human Resources website. According to Shelle, it took so long to download a simple document that it was quicker to drive to the main campus and burn the document to a CD. Employees could not participate in required on-line training and instead had to travel to external locations to participate.
Today the University Farms Service Center has five computers capable of Internet access. File sharing allows multiple employees to access common documents and communication has improved between the division and the rest of campus. Employees are able to accomplish more tasks from their offices, without the need to travel elsewhere.
ACNS Network Engineering worked with each unit to best suit their network needs at their facilities. Switches are installed to provide local network access within the buildings, and some facilities also have requested that MSUnet Wireless also be available. This allows employees to roam either in their building or out in the field with their laptops and remain connected to the MSU network.
Wireless in the Field
At the Inland Lakes Research and Education Facility, one researcher is utilizing the combination of SkyPilot and MSUnet Wireless. Researchers and students working around the lakes will not find a single physical structure, yet are able to access the MSU network while standing in the field.
A tall pole by one of the lake supports both the SkyConnector and the MSUnet Wireless receiver. Underneath this sits two solar panels, along with other equipment. This equipment is part of the audio gathering equipment used by the Computational Ecology and Visualization Laboratory (CEVL).
Dr. Stuart Gage, an Entomology faculty member and director of the CEVL, uses the wireless connection daily. Dr. Gage and his staff collect sound data and examine the frequency of bird songs and other noises heard at six separate locations at the Inland Lakes Research and Education Facility.
The sound data is collected via battery-powered sensors. Each sensor is equipped with a small processor running Tiny Linux, wireless network card, camera, microphone, and a 1 GB flash drive. In addition, the large battery is supported by two solar panels, providing enough power for about a month.
Every half hour the sensor records surrounding noise for 30 seconds and creates a .wav file. This file is sent through the wireless network to an onsite laptop, as well as stored locally to the flash drive. Each day, a server located on campus connects to the laptop and downloads all new recordings.
These recordings are transformed into sonograms. The sonograms reveal digital signatures, which are unique patterns generated by certain sound combinations. Each bird song has a unique signature, just as the song itself is unique. These signatures are used to identify the type of bird on the recording.
The data generated from the audio sensors does more than provide data on local birds. It provides important information about how the environment works, as well as serves as an important indicator of environmental health.
Continuous Improvements
The implementation of the SkyPilot system is an opportunity for the ACNS Network Engineering team to continue to learn about emerging technologies. Other systems were tested prior to the SkyPilot implementation but the flexibility, web-based management tools, and outstanding vendor support led it to become the product of choice.
The ACNS Network Engineering team is responsible for the design and implementation of MSU’s backbone network. The SkyPilot project is a unique solution to a complicated issue and is yet another way that the team works to adapt new technologies to meet the needs of the MSU community.
