West Virginia University’s latest infrastructure improvement is more than gently tweaking the status quo. It will push the University into another stratosphere.

WVU has upgraded its campus core network to support speeds of 10 gigabits per second using Cisco Systems’ new Cisco Nexus 7000 platform. The University’s network had previously supported 1 gigabit per second.

“This upgrade enhances WVU’s commitment and support for STEM (science technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines, research and academics,” said Rehan Khan, WVU’s associate provost and chief information officer.

“A robust, reliable and secure network infrastructure that supports WVU’s expanding research and academic initiatives is a basic requirement. Improved computing power and infrastructure provides a platform for development of innovative scientific theories and knowledge by expanding areas of scholarly inquiry and collaboration,” Khan said.

The move puts WVU on par with the top research institutions around the country and will, “greatly benefit research efforts in national security, defense, nanoscale science, genomics-proteomics, energy, carbon capture and sequestration, climate change, healthcare, engineering and education,” according to Mridul Gautam, WVU’s associate vice president for research and economic development.

Gautam initiated cyber infrastructure brainstorming sessions in 2009 that included key individuals involved in WVU research, including Don McLaughlin, Katrina Goseva and Roy Nutter of the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources; James Lewis, Eddie Fuller and Jim Harner of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences; and Tim Williams, director of telecommunications and network operations in WVU’s Office of Information Technology.

Funding from the office of WVU Provost Michele Wheatly, two competitively-bid National Science Foundation-EPSCoR programs, the WVU Research Corp., and a $500,000 equipment donation from Cisco enabled the enhancement of WVU’s cyber connectivity.

“Rehan Khan has been a great partner who took charge of the execution and implementation of the CI plans,” Gautam said.

Over the past 18 months, the OIT Telecommunications and Networking Operations staff spent more than 500 hours on the design, testing and implementation of the new network.

“I appreciate the tremendous effort and dedication of our staff,” said Williams. “The OIT’s Network Services group completed the design, planning, and installation of the core upgrade equipment. Steve Belcher and Jeff Lucas led this effort. This enhanced network will greatly assist our campus community efforts in research and academia.”

McLaughlin said the enhancement not only improves WVU’s computer “backbone” across campus but solves specific challenges to managing research data. As a research associate in CEMR and research networks coordinator in the Office of Research and Economic Development, he is involved in collecting and storing digital information. He said having 10 gigabit capacity will be particularly beneficial for the storage of historic engineering data and data from projects which typically consume a large portion of bandwidth, such as astrophysics records.

“Radio astronomy involves a massive amount of data,” he said. “Before, we would have to physically carry it around on disc drives because it was just too much stuff. Now, we can share it, store it, archive it and turn it into something that can be interpreted. Core Network Improvement takes the speed of network off the table as a problem.”

McLaughlin and Gautam said the new system will also improve linkages with scientific project teams on and off campus.

“Literally, it is a 10-fold improvement,” said McLaughlin, “It’s about like going from a two- lane, back country road to a 20-lane superhighway.”

WVU’s College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design have already been connected to the upgraded network. Other campus buildings scheduled for it include Armstrong Hall, Clark Research Laboratory, White Hall, Life Sciences, and the University Libraries. These connections will be in place over the next several weeks

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