IT.news - University of Redlands

Today’s requirements for information and services include increased access to Internet-based, off-campus resources. In many cases, these resources put a strain on available Internet bandwidth. Internet bandwidth is often explained using a pipeline analogy; a larger pipe opening allows more information and data to flow through.

To keep pace with resource demands, our Internet bandwidth to the main campus was upgraded in August 2013 from 600 Mbps to 800 Mbps. With a 200 Mbps increase, we have expanded our pipeline opening by 33%.

We have also increased the bandwidth going to each regional campus. This upgrade provides additional support for the instructional and administrative needs requiring network access. The service was upgraded from 3 Mbps to either 9 or 10 Mbps at each regional center providing a bandwidth increase of 300%.

For more information, contact Terry Reed at extension 8318 or Chris Kincaid at extension 8309.

Image source: http://bltechtools.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/bandwidth.jpg

Wireless network upgrade and improvements

Over the past several years, the use of wireless laptops, smartphones, and tablets has risen on our campus and world-wide. According to a report published by Gartner, Inc., the leading information technology research firm, the “fourth quarter of 2012 saw record smartphone sales of 207.7 million units, up 38.3 percent from the same period last year.”

The push for additional network support for wireless devices has driven the need to upgrade the wireless network environment on the main campus and at the regional centers. We have upgraded the wireless network in the residence halls and the administrative/academic buildings. The upgrade involved replacing existing equipment with new hardware that supports the Wireless N technology standard. The Wireless N standard provides access to additional bandwidth, stronger security, and support for more wireless devices connecting at the same time.

For more information, contact Terry Reed at extension 8318 or Chris Kincaid at extension 8309.

Source: Gartner, Inc. (2013). Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile Phone Sales Declined 1.7 Percent in 2012. Retrieved from http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2335616

Virtual desktop infrastructure pilot

104 ITS is implementing an innovative alternative to traditional computer labs by establishing a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) pilot lab in the Fletcher Jones Foundation Computing Center, room 104.

There is no longer a computer at each student station; the computer has been replaced with a device referred to as a thin client. The thin client, connected to a monitor, provides access to a powerful server. The server effectively delivers the look and functionality of a traditional computer, back to the client.

VDI offers many advantages, such as:
- A simplified process for adding and removing software applications as this process now occurs on the server instead of occurring on each individual workstation.

- A more secure and controlled way to manage the end-user experience through centralized management.

- Thin-client devices are less expensive than traditional desktop computers. While there is the cost of the server, there is the potential for an overall reduction in equipment costs achieved through the use of thin clients.

- Thin-client devices conserve energy and save on utility costs as they use less power to run than desktop computers.

For more information, contact Luke Bixler at extension 8476, Terry Reed at extension 8318, or Chris Kincaid at extension 8309.

� 2013

Information Technology Services
1200 E. Colton Avenue, Redlands, CA 92373

Phone: (909) 748-8063