Nevada Research Network Meeting October 8, 2002
Attending: Attending: Van Weddle, Paul Nakayu, Joe Lombardo, Lyle Pritchett, Steve Zink, Ed Anderson, Vanda Grubisic, Lori Temple, Lisa Zumpft, Teresa Coffman
The meeting began at 3:40.
Vanda Grubisic began the discussion of the ACES timeline. She said the steering committee met on Sept. 27, and they established a target date of Nov. 15 for the implementation plan. Vanda Grubisic plans to bring a draft implementation plan to the NRN first, at the Nov. 7 NRN meeting, and then take it to the RAC via email. The plan is to cover all aspects of the program — hardware implementation, management structure, dates, and who is responsible for what. The portion on the Access Grid Nodes will be particularly detailed, since ACES is going to work on them first.
Lori Temple asked Lyle Pritchett if he was having any trouble scheduling the Technical Committee meeting, and he said that he has the members circulating their materials via email first, before a face-to-face meeting. The face-to-face meeting should happen next week.
Lori Temple said that they are having an internal UNLV meeting to look at rooms for the Grid Node. The room in the library is well networked, with liftable floors for conduit, and minimal remodeling needed. That room's Grid Node would be for videoconferencing. The room in NSCEE will be a visualization room with many terminals, Joe Lombardo said. They have a new UPS system coming in in thirty days. Lyle Pritchett said that DRI has not picked a site, yet, and Steve Zink said that UNR rooms will need acoustic work. In his experience with grid nodes, bad acoustics is horrible. Ed Anderson said that we haven't done a detailed engineering study, so we don’t know if there might be a backbone problem. Vanda Grubisic said that the grant does not cover "last-mile" networking, but that the $100,000 can be used to get the grid node functional. Ed Anderson asked where the technical specifications for grid node rooms are specified, and Vanda Grubisic replied that they could be found at www.accessgrid.org. Ed Anderson said that site had many designs, and Lyle Pritchett said his technical group would look to see what was out there based on the existing rooms. They would try to get the best they can for the money we have. His committee will bring suggestions back to the main ACES group, so choices will be made at that level. That group has scientists on it, who will then have input into how the rooms are likely to be used.
Van Weddle asked when the technical group would be discussing last-mile issues, and Lyle Pritchett replied that they would discuss them after he has talked to Ed's group and after they know what equipment they are getting. He said his group needs to meet in the next week or so. They should be ready by the next NRN meeting.
Lori Temple said that three buildings at UNLV have high-speed capability: Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering. The connection in the library can be used by anyone, and anyone who needs to move large data sets can let her office know and they'll arrange it. Geophysics is not connected. Steve Zink said that at UNR Physics, Chemistry, and Mines are connected. Lyle Pritchett said that the northern campus of DRI is connected, and the Vegas backbone should be upgraded soon.
Ed Anderson reported that the northern CENIC link is up and running.
Van Weddle asked what we work on next. Lyle Pritchett said that the implementation plan has to be a priority, since we can't spend money until we have one. He will get his technical group together next week, and have information for the plan ready by the Nov. 7 NRN meeting. Van Weddle promised everyone cookies when he sees an implementation plan.
The group discussed the two additional positions needed. Vanda said that the new hires should fit into the campuses' administration structures, but should be committed to working on ACES resources. Lori Temple asked if travel for the support people was in the budget and what we should do if we don't get the new positions. She said UNLV's IT cannot pick up the slack; they have neither the staff nor the budget for it. Steve Zink said we should go ahead assuming we only have two positions, because no one will be able to find funding for the other two. Joe Lombardo said that we need to make it clear at the next RAC that not having these positions could be putting the grant in jeopardy. Van Weddle said he did not think it was appropriate to start something with insufficient funding and assume that the needed resources will appear. He told Vanda Grubisic that when she makes the case to the RAC that we cannot operate without those two positions, he will be there to back her up. Lisa Zumpft suggested that Vanda Grubisic put her case in a letter in advance of the RAC meeting, and Vanda Grubisic agreed.