Ref: 022303
These goals can be achieved only by developing a sophisticated system of servers and communications.
The LANET center was created to achieve effective utilization of computing and networking hardware within UL. It is actively involved in the education of students as well as in creation of the necessary environment for scientific work at UL. It provides all UL students and staff with computing hardware resources and INTERNET access. The LANET center also helps to create and run networks within other institutions of higher education in Latvia; to plan, create, and run the project of SKOLANET (a computer network of high schools in Latvia) and educate teachers about INTERNET resources; as well as to develop and maintain the UL management information system.
All registered LANET users can utilize not only the INTERNET resources but also other resources of the LANET node like servers.
The capacity of LANET is determined by the system of servers at LANET and by communications networks. That is why we paid much attention to server system development. Issues about the server system became vital to us when in 1996 we exchanged an IBM donated mainframe 4381 with two processors for a UNIX based four processor server RISC/6000 model G30. At the beginning, the G30 had the necessary capacity, but the growing number of users (over 2000) of INTERNET pushed us to consider more sophisticated and powerful servers for LANET needs. The need to acquire a bigger server was determined also by an objective of UL - to provide its students and staff with an opportunity to use INTERNET services and other computer resources in their daily work (there are more than 16 000 students at UL); by usage in education of software that requires enormous amounts of computer resources (Oracle, DB2, SPSS, Lotus Notes, GIS, WWW, and others); by the growing number of personal computers and local networks; by the increasing speed of connections to LANET (connections to FDDI ring and 128 kb/s connections using leased lines); etc. Comparing many possible solutions, we came to the conclusion that the best choice would be an IBM RISC/6000 model SP. The advantages of the solution using IBM RISC/6000 SP server and high speed communications lines are: a) the ability to administer the network, b) centralized file and date base storage, c) there is no necessity to have separate servers with local computers. These advantages are important because network and date base administrators should be highly qualified and well-paid specialists and it is easier to administer a centralized database as well.
Besides the main server of LANET's main node, there are also other servers that perform specific tasks. In particular, the SUN computer should be pointed out because it is used as a server for SUN users. This server contains files with all necessary software for SUNs and is available to any user (see fig. 1).
Schools can access INTERNET resources in three ways. First, schools can access the LANET center in dial-up mode using regular phone lines. Dial-up mode is the most common connection mode among schools. There are 114 registered teachers who work in dial-up mode at the LANET center. Second, students and teachers can access INTERNET from INTERNET classes in the University of Latvia. Last year about 170 teachers and students used this option regularly. Third, schools can access the LANET center using leased line connections in on-line mode. Currently there are 7 schools in Valmiera, Cesis, and Kuldiga connected via leased lines to the LANET center.
Oracle Case* Method and Oracle Case tools (Designer /2000, Developer/2000, and others) are used to create LUIS.
UL professors, teachers, and students are developing this project.
In the educational system, information technology is being used in very limited ways. There has been started development of informatization infrastructure in the educational system. The infrastructure is upgraded constantly. Effective utilization of the infrastructure is slowed down by lack of educational programs, methodology and software. The reasons of the pure utilization of existing infrastructure are the lack of co-ordination in developing information technology in educational system and the low priority to develop the infrastructure.
Ministry of Education and science ordered to specialists from UL to perform strategic analysis of the educational system. Also, the specialists were asked to develop requirements of complex and complete informatization of the system. These requirements are analogical to the requirements developed by the U.S. National Coordinating Committee on Technology in Education and Training. (“The National Information Infrastructure: Requirements foe Education and Training” , March 25,1994). UL and IBM-Latvia offer a complex solution to the problem.
Realization of the project will computerize education system, its management and services. The development of the information systems infrastructure is subject to several preconditions: it has to be developed on the basis on modern science and technology; common infrastructures have to be used for the various functionality's (education, administration, informative cervices), existing infrastructures of the education system have to be used if they correspond to the objectives and needs of the project; integration of science and education has to taken into account.
Project foresees installation of hardware only to the educated and informed user how to run the hardware and software. It means that the first step is to develop software and educate users, and only then the hardware can be introduced.
In this project we propose to use ATM technology, rather than FDDI. Both types of networks will coexist in the initial phases of the project. In collaboration with Lattelekom (Apollo), favorable conditions have been obtained for INTERNET access and LATNET developments between towns where Universities are located. In further collaboration with Lattelekom we hope to form ATM links between these sites.
The project has to be finished by the year 2000.
Copyright EUNIS 1997 Y.E.