This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Objective: To provide computing and networking services for research and service unit support, and daily operations support. The unit consists of the unit head, two programmers, a computer technician and a senior technical specialist. The cyber-infrastructure conists of: 13 UNIX-based servers for centralized computing, file services, and network services, including, SunBlade 1000, which hosts general user accounts and Sun V240, which hosts the email gateway, web services, and database services. A Sun T5220 system has been purchased to provide virtualization services, database mirroring, and services backup. The other 6 systems are Apple Xserve servers, which provide test and report services, directory services using the Lightweigh Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), web services, backup and archive, and Email services. We also have a UNIX-based """"""""grid"""""""" cluster (Apple Bioinformatics Workgroup Cluster), consisting of one head node and three end nodes, that is used to run compute-intensive bioinformatics programs. We also host several application server for our Genetics services and Immunology services units. Centralized data storage is provided via a highly scalable Storage Area Network (SAN) currently consisting of 2 fileservers, a storage network administration server, an administration failover server, and a 14 Terabyte RAID subsystem. Distributed computing resources take the form of approximately 200 desktop Macintoshes, 20 laptops and a few PCs. Networking facilities are based on a switched ethernet virtual local area network (vlan) that connects our buildings and satellite locations to the campus wide 10 Gbit backbone of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, via 2 Gbit fiber-optic links. A Cisco Pix Firewall protects the primate center local network from the campus and Internet. All network equipment, except the firewall and equipment used at the vaccine laboratory at University Research Park, is owned by the campus network authority, the Department of Information Technology (DoIT), and managed collaboratively by DoIT and the Information Technology and Systems Servies Unit. Progress In 2008, the ITSS unit continued to develop and improve the web based animal records system. Additions to the system during 2008, include web modules for the Clincal Pathology Unit and the Behavior Management unit, a clinical treatment scheduling application for the Veterinary staff module, and several enhancements to the animal abstract page. A blood scheduling web application was developed for the Central Protocol Implementation (CPI) Unit module. A search engine was developed to enable researchers to easily find animals that meet their research criteria. A web portal for Center staff was developed to allow central access to local web based applications such as the animal records system, financial systems, and purchase request systems. A web based stockroom applications was also developed and implemented. ITSS implemented a collaboration server that integrates with our LDAP services to provide wiki, blog, and calendaring services to service unit and research staff. We also implemented a Labkey server, an open source software based portal for analysis and archiving of flow cytometry data. This server will also be used to promote informatics and collaborative work such as the Non-human Primate Genome Bank. We saw increased usage of the SAN system that was implemented in 2007. The collaboration server and Labkey server both use the SAN for main storage of data. Several units and researchers are now using the SAN for central file storage. ITTS hosted several """"""""brown bag"""""""" technology help talks for staff on various topics throughout the year. In addition, ITTS hosted a talk in August by Nickolas Keuler from the CALS Statistical Consulting Service on the """"""""R"""""""" statistical package. Publications note: ITSS support is involved in numerous journal articles that depend in part or in full on WNPRC resources. Note: AIDS related.
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