AU Net: Internet and Intracampus Connectivity
The Auburn University campus is connected to the Internet via Permanent Virtual Circuits over a single OC-3 line. ITC DeltaCom provides AU with bandwidth of 20 Mbps, and QWEST provides 30 Mbps capable of bursts up to 45 Mbps. Fiber-optic lines tie all of the buildings on campus into a network known as AU Net. AU Net employs the TCP/IP networking protocol to provide centralized computing services to faculty, staff, and students.
The Office of Information Technology provides and maintains a wide spectrum of resources for the University community, including the IBM Mainframe Host, Campus CATV Service, Satellite Uplink Facility, the Electronic Teaching Console, the Instructional Multimedia Group, Compressed Video Services, Educational Television Studios, AU Dial off-campus connectivity for departments, AU Resnet campus residents' network, OIT Computer Support, the OIT Network servers (providing e-mail, Web, ftp, Usenet, listserv, telnet, and directory information), IT Novell servers (providing AU Office workgroup networking), OIT NT servers, computing labs in ten locations, and the Help Desk.
Alabama Supercomputer
The Alabama Supercomputer Authority, a state funded corporation, administers both the Alabama Supercomputer Center and the Alabama Research and Education Network. The daily operation of the center and user support has been contracted to Nichols Research Corporation. The center provides computational resources to the public universities in Alabama free of charge. There are also programs for giving elementary and high school students exposure to advanced computing resources at ASC.
The computer hardware available at the center includes a Cray SV1 and a Cray C94A with a Storage Tek 4400 mass storage system as well as Silicon Graphics, Sun and IBM workstations. There are also a fairly large number of software packages installed on the system. The ASC Website is at www.asc.edu.
IBM Enterprise Server (Mainframe)
Auburn's IBM mainframe is connected to the campus-wide network, AU Net. It operates on the University's IBM Host (auducadm.auburn.edu), runs OS/390 with TSO/E, DB2 and CICS, and is used to store and retrieve information necessary for the day-to-day operations of the University. Among these administrative systems are Financial, Student, Human Resources, and Facilities. Online systems include AOS (OASIS, FRS, and HRS), ZSS and AIMS.
Hardware OIT currently operates an IBM 2066-002 aka Z800-002 processor with 2 gigabytes of memory. It runs the OS/390 operating system and provides distinct functions. It has access to shared IO disk, tape and printers. There is a single 9393 disk array, a RAID 5 collection of SCSI disk drives with 1G of cache memory, and a 3494 tape library with 3590 tape drives.
Software Numerous software packages are available; some may be accessed by public users, but others require a registered user id. Available software includes compilers, such as C, Fortran, Cobol and PL/I, statistical packages such as SAS and SPSS, graphics packages, such as GDDM.
OIT Sun Servers
The Office of Information Technology maintains a number of Sun/UNIX servers in order to provide a full range of computing resources for students, faculty and staff. A server named mallard.auburn.edu is the primary centrally provided machine for instructional and research computing for the University community. This system functions as a general compute server hosting application software and compilers, it provides personal disk space (home directories and personal web space), it provides access to departmental web space, and it can be used to provide secure access to departmental UNIX based computers. OIT Sun Network is accessible for login via AU Net Software (secure shell) and disk access is provided via FTP and through direct drive mappings to OIT lab machines (drive H) and departmental desktop machines. Other Sun servers function as web servers, anonymous FTP servers, Realmedia servers, mail forwarders and print servers for OIT computing labs.
AU Office and GroupWise Servers
The Office of Information Technology provides local area networking services for departments through the AU Office program. This program provides software applications, file and print services to departmental users via a variety of Novell Netware and Microsoft Windows servers. OIT also uses Novell servers to provide the GroupWise/TigerMail email system to all faculty staff and students.
OIT Novell Servers
IT provides the AU Office shared network program for departments. Software applications, file and print services are made available to departmental users via Novell servers. This program frees departments from having to run their own servers and maintain their own computing staff.
Other Internet Services
The Office of Information Technology operates a variety of servers to provide Internet services such as the Auburn University Web page (http://www.auburn.edu), web searching, SPAM and virus protection for e-mail, e-mail forwarding and addressbook information, e-mail listservers, anonymous FTP sites, printing services, as well as a Web-based student registration, course scheduling, and personal information application called OASIS.
College and Departmental Networks
There are a number of local area networks, large departmental networks, token ring networks, and college or departmental Ethernets, all connected via the AU Net backbone and employing a variety of protocols including Novell, TCP/IP, IPX, and Appletalk and providing services such as electronic mail, printing and workgroup calendaring and scheduling packages.
Courseware Servers
OIT maintains the WebCT and WebCT Toolkit servers to provide students with access to course materials. WebCT includes a Web-based syllabus publishing application and communication and assessment tools.
Internet2
Auburn University is connected to the next generation of the Internet, and the high-speed, large capacity, broad bandwidth pipeline opens a new world of potential for both research and instruction. Internet2 is comprised of a consortium of more than 180 research universities, institutions, and government and industrial partners. Its purpose is to develop and facilitate network applications that involve extremely large work files and the need for high-speed transmission. Internet2 provides the same functionality that the original Internet provides except for the fact that I2 is noncommmercial and more for educational purposes. Internet2 offers high-speed networking capability for the national research community and it opens up capabilities that are not possible through the regular Internet. For more information, see Internet2 at AU.