CSC News

November 29, 2007

NetApp Equipment & Software Donation to Support Innovative Virtualization Initiative

Super ePartner, Network Appliance has made a donation of hardware and software to the university valued at over $92,500.  The NetApp FAS 270 technology has been deployed in an innovation virtualization application at The Friday Institute, and will later be used to support data storage research and teaching needs.

According to Sammie Carter of The Friday Institute, the NetApp filer is playing an integral part in supporting his CSC 405 class this semester to deliver an unprecedented computing environment for his students.  According to Carter, “the NetApp technology is a key component to this system.  It is what makes it so good.  This infrastructure we built is one of the hottest topics in the IT field today and The Friday Institute, in concert with NC State computer science, was one of the first to implement and deploy it in an educational setting.”

The system was piloted in a security course as a model for using advanced server and storage virtualization technologies in Higher Education and K12 environments.  Carter adds, “They are absolutely cutting edge.”  This same computing model is being deployed in the WinstonNet project to supply a shared service platform for K12 students in the western part of the state.

The computing environment deployed in Carter’s class provides a world-class teaching and learning environment for computer science students, but is also an extremely valuable test bed for The Friday Institute's K-20 technology research.  To that end, a learning outcomes study is being conducted this semester on the CSC 405 learning/technology environment for a publication in early '08 to the Teaching and Learning Through Technology conference.  This study queries the changes in learning, motivation, and perception as student's learning is supported from these advanced technologies, and is being conducted by cross-discipline researchers (Brian Bouterse from CSC and Jenn Forrester from the College of Education).

Upon the completion of this project, the equipment will migrate to EBII, where Dr. Vince Freeh will use it to support his CSC 495B/591B class, and related data storage research.

To read related article in NetApp’s TechOnTap newsletter, click here.

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