infrastructure – IT Connect

OIT and Earth Sciences Department Test Distributed Acoustic Sensing on SMU Campus Dark Fibers

With Special Reporting from Chris Hayward, Department of Earth Sciences

In the past several months, SMU’s Earth Sciences Department and SMU’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) networking have collaborated to test a new fiber optic interrogator that can measure tiny strains, the result of seismic noise from traffic, along with up to 100km of fiber optic cable. This technique is called Distributed Acoustic Sensing (or DAS). The first round of testing, which started just before the beginning of the Fall 2023 semester, viewed changes in the seismic noise as a result of students returning to campus and of the seismic noise generated as a result of the semester’s first football game. Continue reading OIT and Earth Sciences Department Test Distributed Acoustic Sensing on SMU Campus Dark Fibers

Infrastructure Improvements for Research and Learning Continue in 2024

The work of installing and maintaining network infrastructure for world-class research and education is a never-ending endeavor. As web services become more and more sophisticated and research data sets become larger by the day, SMU’s network must grow and improve alongside them. 2024 will see both wired and wireless network improvements in many buildings on campus, in addition to other major projects that will enhance services for our entire community. Continue reading Infrastructure Improvements for Research and Learning Continue in 2024

Campus Irrigation System Doubles as Research Data Source

With special reporting from Brad Floyd and Tabitha Motley.

Example of the weather station

The Rainbird Irrigation System on campus – operated by longtime SMU employee and current Southern Botanical employee Brian Martin – has a weather station that provides weather data to control irrigation schedules across The Hilltop. The weather station was originally installed at Ford Stadium, but due to the construction of the new Weber End Zone, OIT Infrastructure Engineer Scott Rice had the station temporarily moved to an area just outside of the northwest corner of the Tennis Complex. Its final (and current) location is in an open area just to the South of the Fondren Science Building. This is where it caught the attention of Chris Hayward and Cathy Chickering from the SMU Earth Sciences Department. Continue reading Campus Irrigation System Doubles as Research Data Source

GlobalProtect VPN Service to End on March 20

In March 2020, in preparation for remote work during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, GlobalProtect VPN was introduced to help handle the significantly larger need for secure connections to campus resources. GlobalProtect and our Cisco AnyConnect VPN played a significant role in streamlining campus operations’ sudden and unexpected closure. As we begin 2023, VPN service usage has gradually decreased to near pre-pandemic levels. Because of this, and to simplify the management of VPN platforms, GlobalProtect service will be discontinued on March 20, 2023, and Cisco AnyConnect will once again be our sole VPN client. Continue reading GlobalProtect VPN Service to End on March 20