The
Institute for Astronomy (IfA)
computing section provides an array of IT infrastructure and services
in support of research, teaching and learning, and administrative services.
These include development and maintenance of the Institute's central computing
and networking systems; hardware and software support for the large number
of individually owned workstations, PCs, and laptops throughout the
Institute; video conferencing; VoIP; and consultations for equipment
purchasing.
Technology Highlights:
The IfA locations on three islands (Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu) are now
connected at 10-gigabit-per-second bandwidth.
IfA's connections to the observatories on
Mauna Kea
and
Haleakala,
currently at
1-gigabit-per-second, are expected to be upgraded to 10-gigabit-per-second
by August of 2013. Observatories on Mauna Kea are currently interconnected by
the IfA-managed
Mauna Kea Observatories
Communications Network (MKOCN)
at 1-gigabit-per-second. These connections are expected to be upgraded to
10-gigabit-per-second at the same time.
For CPU-intensive computing, Linux servers -- each with up to 12 cores
and total storage capacity of up to 100 terabytes -- are accessible with an
user's account on IfA public computers.
IfA has recently invested in a Polycom Video Switch, which supports
high-definition conferencing with up to 90 simultaneous connections.
IfA is currently working with the UH IT Infrastructure group to convert our
phone system at the Manoa facility to VoIP, which will help fix the problems
we are having with aging (and an insufficient number of) phone lines.
Further details
are available to internal users.
Updated 6/13/2012 by PHR
