Information Technology News Archive

1996 - 2017

Web Accessible Disk Space

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Update: i-drive service was discontinued in December 2001. NACS now offers WebFiles as a web disk space service.

i-drive is a commercial outfit that offers free web-accessible storage space to UCI students, faculty and staff. Using your UCInetID and password, you can store and retrieve up to 50 megabytes of files all through a Web browser.

Network & Academic Computing Services (NACS) is sponsoring a campus assessment of the capabilities of this service, its ease of use, and its value to the campus community through the 2000/1 academic year.

The i-drive user interface provides download and upload capabilities, file sharing, and web publishing. These are some of the primary features we are interested in testing and comparing with other companies that are emerging.

Other California universities running similar projects include UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and Stanford.

UCI’s i-drive site [was] located at http://idrive.uci.edu. Please share your experience and assessment with us at nacs@uci.edu.

Computing Labs at Local Campuses

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NACS sponsors regular bimonthly meetings of Computer Lab Coordinators (CLCs), UCI staff who manage academic computing labs, to help them address mutual problems, to establish campus standards, and to improve services.

A recent CLC meeting included computing support staff from several nearby campuses, including Irvine Valley College, Saddleback College, Chapman University, Cal State Long Beach, and UCI.

Representative(s) from each school described the computing situation at their respective campuses. Topics discussed included number of faculty, staff, and students supported, operating systems and software supported, classroom use of computing, printing, replacement cycles, user authentication, and other pertinent issues.

Chapman University is starting a notebook computer program in which all incoming freshmen will receive a notebook computer next year. Cal State Long Beach gives all their students an ‘all-in-one’ card, which acts as both a student ID card and a debit card. The campus tracks student usage and provides increased security by requiring students to swipe their cards when entering and leaving any computer lab on campus.

Learn more about the computing situation at the other campuses by viewing the meeting minutes athttp://www.nacs.uci.edu/support/clc/meetings/2000.11.29.notes.html

Wireless Networking

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What are WLANs?

WLAN (or WiLAN) is an acronym for Wireless LAN. A Wireless LAN is a local area network which enables a computer to act as if it is on the physical network yet have no network wires attached to it.

The topic is hot, because wireless network cards are becoming ever more affordable, and one type of wireless networking has achieved shared Ethernet speeds. This means that it is now conceptually possible for one to walk down the hall from one’s office to a conference room while carrying one’s laptop computer and remain online all the while.

What is the UC Irvine campus policy on wireless networking?

Campus policies for the existing campus data network apply to extensions of that network also, including wireless networks. NACS manages UCInet (the campus data network) on behalf of UCI, and is responsible for strategic planning, maintenance, and 24/7 operation of it. It is clear that wireless networking will have an impact on UCInet network planning and operations, and that NACS will need to provide guidelines regarding aspects of wireless networking not covered by the existing policies.

Wireless, however, adds a new level of complexity. WLANs create new security risks for all network users when placed in or near areas accessible to the public. Also, if departments deploy local Wireless solutions, there is the potential that “air space” conflicts may result in unintentional interference by one department in another department’s efforts. Local solutions might also prove incompatible with a campus-wide solution which was implemented at a later time.

To forestall problems that could be created by early adopters of this important and exciting new technology, NACS is coordinating with departments for whom implementing Wireless solutions is a priority.

NACS is working on a method of authenticating users centrally for public networks. In the meantime, NACS recommends use of the built-in MAC address authentication features of wireless access points. We also encourage departments to contact NACS (nacs@uci.edu or x6116) for help in understanding the issues.

A full discussion of this issue and UCI plans for deploying and supporting wireless technology can be found athttp://www.nacs.uci.edu/doc/wireless.html

New Electronic Educational Environment Workshops

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Electronic Educational Environment’s (EEE‘s) new Internet Web Design workshop has been a great success in assisting faculty with their course web pages. In this workshop, instructors learn the principles of effective web page layout and design that enhance organization and presentation of instructional materials. The topics covered include establishing layout and navigation, effective use of typography and color, using graphics and images on the web, utilizing tables in design, and an introduction to frames.

Individuals who are interested in taking this workshop can attend every 3rd and 8th week of each quarter. To sign up and view the available workshops, go to http://e3.uci.edu/workshops/

UCI EEE staff also is available to meet with individuals on a one-on-one basis or to teach the workshop for specific departments. To make an appointment or to schedule a workshop within a department, send e-mail to eee@uci.edu.