College of Engineering EECS Instructional Support Group Sep 23 2010 EECS Instructional Computing - Review and Plans ----------------------------------------------- Spring 2010 CONTENTS: Mission Statement Recent Initiatives and Achievements 20" LCD Displays Replace 122 Old CRT Monitors Project Wish List Budget Cuts Notable Events Mission Statement ----------------- The EECS Instructional Support Group (ISG) installs and maintains networked computers that are used by EECS classes. ISG provides computer accounts for instructors and students in the Instructional labs and on Instructional servers. ISG purchases, installs and maintains application software needed for classes. ISG supports instructional labs in Cory Hall, Soda Hall and Hearst Field Annex. These are the functions in which ISG interacts with other UCB support groups: - we obtain enrollment lists from the Registrar (Student Information Services) - we synchronize our user accounts with the EECS department (IDSG) - we provide cardkey pre-authorization for our students to EECS Facilities - we bill students' voluntary printer charges to CARS - we coordinate our use of the EECS Network Node Bank with IDSG and CNS - we manage the computers in engineering labs with ESG - we manage the computers in EECS conference rooms with ESG - we manage the licenses for Synopsys/TCAD/HSPICE with the Device Group - we manage the licenses for Cadence with the BSAC group - we manage the licenses for Maya and Renderman with the BCAM group Recent Initiatives and Achievements ----------------------------------- - Installed 2 new SUN Sun Fire X4600 servers (each with 8-core Opteron 885, 32-GB RAM, SolarisX86 10), donated by SUN Microsystems with thanks to Marcelino Enriquez. These systems are now running multiple virtual computers using Solaris zones. These virtual computers replace several 8-year old Dell 1650 and 1750 servers used by CS184 and other programming classes for database (Postgres), WEB (Apache) and other applications. - Building a cluster of used computers that were donated by Broadcom, with thanks to Pathma Venasithamby. The cluster may be used to issue persisent virtual computers to students in classes such as EE122 (network protocols), CS186 (database and WEB servers) and CS161 (computer security) to safely develop programs that have special security or performance risks. - Replaced 122 old CRT monitors with new 20" LCD displays in Instructional labs. Please see below for more information. 20" LCD Displays Replace 122 Old CRT Monitors --------------------------------------------- In September 2009, the University offered a program to trade in old CRT monitors on campus for energy-efficient LCD monitors. This project is sponsored by the Vice Chancellor's Administrative Council (VCAC), the Office of the CIO (OCIO), and Cal Overstock and Surplus. Each LCD monitor that replaces a CRT monitor saves the University about 344 kWh of electricity ($30.96), or 104 kg of carbon dioxide emissions, per year. Thanks to the efforts of Eric Fraser (EECS IT Director) and extraordinary funding from EECS, we are able to replace all of the remaining CRTs in the EECS Instructional labs with Dell 20" E2010H widescreen flat panel LCD displays. This purchase has a value of about $18,000 after the generous discount and rebates that the sponsors negotiated. During October 2009, the Dell 20" E2010H LCD displays will be installed in 271, 273, 277, 330 and 349 Soda, and at a few workstations where CRTs are still in use in the Cory Hall labs. Project Wish List ----------------- Here is a wish list of projects that we would like to do. We lack the funding to do any of them: 1) upgrade workstations in Instructional labs ($234K total) - replace 30 PCs (circa 2002) in 105 Cory for EE20N ($90K) - replace 8 PCs (circa 2003) in 111 Cory for EE117 ($24K) - replace 8 PCs (circa 2002) in 218 Cory for EE143 ($24K) Benefit to approx 750 students in CS152, CS160, CS162, CS164, CS169, CS170, CS172, CS184, CS186, CS188, CS194, CS198, EE117, EE143, EE20N. 2) renovate 105 Cory: new furniture, wiring, A/V ($30K) 105 Cory is a teaching lab that is used primarily by EE20N but is also available to other classes. It has an overhead projector and is well-suited to hands on instruction. The lab benches, chairs, network and electrical cabling are in disrepair from years of use. 3) salaries for 2 student staff for 1 year ($60K) To meet the FY 09-10 budget cut (21%), we have reduced our student staff. As a result, we have a higher incidence of delayed repairs and deferred maintenance in the labs. This funding would support staff for projects such as: - check physical condition of labs and do routine maintenance - install new equipment (such as with items #2 above) - update our UCB Scheme software (CS3, CS61A) for home users - install an RSS feed server for use by instructors This would benefit all 6800+ students who use our computers. Budget Cuts ----------- The funding that supports Instructional computing were cut by 21% ($120K) starting July 1 2009. This funding supports computers, software, service contracts, printing, network fees, furniture, supplies and salaries. This is in addition to the %8 cut in staff hours and salaries due to furloughs. A FY 2009-2010 budget projection is posted at http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~kevinm/budget/. This year we are reducing our costs by a combination of these austerity measures: - elimination of service contracts on some computers and software - reduction of staff salaries via furloughs and voluntary leave without pay - reuse of old, broken chairs instead of replacing them - reuse of old, dirty keyboards and mice instead of replacing them - reduction of stockpiles of printer paper and toner In October 2009, we reluctantly submitted a request to impose a $16 Course Materials Fee (CMF) on each student in 20 EE and CS sources, to recover approximately $65K for the upkeep and replacement of materials used in the labs. Approval for these fees is still pending (May 2010). The CMF and its prerequisite student survey are available at https://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~kevinm/CMF/CMF-ISG-2009-dec15.pdf https://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~inst/survey09/ Notable Events -------------- See http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/notices.html for current events. For additional information, please contact me: Kevin Mullally, ISG Manager EECS Instructional Support Group 378 Cory Hall, (510) 643-6141 kevinm@eecs.berkeley.edu http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/ source: ~inst/public_html/reports/managers/Spring_2010