Athena has been identified as a CSS Core Service. This page defines what Athena is and how it provides services to the community.
WHAT:
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Providing a managed computing environment with a diverse software suite, accessible to the community and available throughout campus and via remote login servers. Athena's primary purpose is to support teaching and learning. |
HOW:
Athena provides software and services utilizing custom-configured client workstations, network filesystems and servers maintained by FSX, OIS, ISDA, SIPB and DLC staff.
- Access to a suite of software, both commercial and open source, and a consistent environment in which to run it, utilizing AFS Lockers, software license servers and software packages (both upstream and third party) maintained by FSX and ISDA, with OIS running the backend servers. Additional software is provided by DLCs primarily utilizing AFS Lockers
- A software wrapper service to track and control usage of selected software maintained by OIS.
- An environment of "lockers" that makes it easy to rapidly deploy and maintain software and course environments
- A desynchronized update process which ensures that public workstations update at random times over a preset period (2-6 hours). This prevents an entire cluster from being out of service during an update.
- Allow end-users to install any desired additional Ubuntu packages (temporarily, in the case of public cluster machines)
- A consistent computing environment that faculty and instructors can use to assign problem sets and expect consistent results utilizing Athena workstations (cluster & private) that are maintained by FSX.
- A collection of public computing spaces and kiosk-type workstations across campus utilizing Athena client computers maintained by FSX.
- Electronic classrooms containing Athena public cluster workstations maintained by FSX.
- Shareable File Storage utilizing AFS Lockers maintained by OIS.
- Remote Filesystem Abstraction using Lockers (Hesiod Filsys entries) maintained by OIS.
- Web Publishing Space utilizing AFS Lockers and Apache Web Servers maintained by OIS.
- Printing to cluster and dorm printers utilizing LPRng and CUPS maintained by OIS.
- Remote access to computing facilities utilizing Athena Dialup Servers maintained by OIS.
- An easy way to install a variety of Athena "flavors" providing different levels of Athena compatibility and support (currently implemented as Debathena packages over a standard Ubuntu installation) developed and maintained by FSX, ISDA and SIPB, including (but not limited to):
- debathena-cluster suitable for public cluster machines (controlled and fully managed by FSX, ISDA, OIS and SIPB)
- debathena-workstation suitable for private workstations (managed by workstation owner, DLCs)
- debathena-login suitable for "dialup" (remote access) servers
- debathena-standard suitable for devices without continuous network connectivity (e.g. laptops).
- Account and Service Management utilizing Moira maintained by OIS.
- Client/Server Directory Service utilizing Hesiod and LDAP maintained by OIS.
- Instant Messaging and Chat Rooms utilizing Zephyr and Jabber maintained by OIS and ISDA.
- Single Sign-On utilizing Kerberos maintained by OIS.
- Maintenance and Renewal of Spaces utilizing staff in FSX.
- Fee-based hardware renewal utilizing staff in FSX.
- Phone, E-mail, and Walk-in Support utilizing student employees in Service Desk and FSX.
Also, while it's not a specific line-item feature one could point at as part of the install, security, scalability, and flexibility have always been part of the design of Athena and an important consideration in the services we provide. We've led the world in developing mechanisms to provide secure access to online services, and the combination of secure but usable access to the services above continues to be a critical goal for Athena.
Additional Details
Alex's write up on Software
(incorporated into bulleted list above)
Next Steps
- Report back to CSS Leaders on 10/14/2009