Computer Facilities

The Environmental Computing Center contains several supercomputer-class machines, including SGI Altix, IBM P5, Sun and Apple workgroup Clusters. 20 Sun Enterprise-class file servers provide file, application, print, and scratch services. The digital media laboratory contains a variety of computers including SGI and Sun Unix workstations, Intel Pentium CPU-based PCs, and high-performance G5 Macintoshes. High-quality black-and-white and color printers are also located in the digital media laboratory. A CD-ROM mastering and etching device is available for producing CD-ROMs, as well as a digital slide-making station and scanners.

The visualization laboratory contains exceptional computing and video gear to produce data visualizations and complete video presentations of research projects. An advanced geographic information system (GIS) running on dedicated equipment is also available.

An extensive Gigibit installed network that connects computing equipment within COAS is linked externally for electronic communications and remote computing. In the COAS local network domain, 12 buildings are connected together via single mode optical-fiber cabling with high-speed routing and switching to the desktop. More than 2,000 devices are connected to this COAS network, along with laser printers and plotters. From this local network domain, COAS is connected to the OSU campus network, which in turn is connected to the Internet, where vast computing resources (such as the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and University of California-San Diego) can be accessed and world-wide electronic communication is possible.

COAS students can use scientific and productivity software applications and peripherals in three laboratories dedicated for student use. Unix, PC, and Macintosh platforms on approximately 30 machines are available, as well as laser printers. Students can also log on to the COAS computing facilities and to the Internet. Applications available in the student laboratories include common productivity applications for word processing, spreadsheets, and graphics, and more specialized software such as statistical analysis, compilers, and relational database management systems.