Calar Alto Computer News for 2009

We have to start speaking about the network. Among other things, this year we have nearly completed the new network deployment, continuing with all jobs done last year. The next graphic shows the general arrangement of our network at the end of present year:

As you can see, we have important improvements if we compare it with the past. Now we have a core STP ring totally implemented with single-mode fiber optics, that is running at 10 Gbps. Together with this, we have started to create a semi-meshed network that will prevent the main buildings to stop working in case of network problems on other buildings. The increase of main lines bandwith (up to 1-2 Gbps) is also close to be finished.

But one of the main new features is  the new link with Almería's University, our natural Internet way out. Until this year, our external bandiwdth was 8 simmetrical Mbps. From beginning of this year, we have upgraded it to 200 simmetrical Mbps.

Continuing with network, I have to tell about the new VLAN model. Until now, we haven't a real VLAN, as it was not separated from the main network (both were sharing the same broadcast domain). This was not good. For fixing this, we have bought a new router that, together with our switches, allows us to create real VLANs (logical grouping not limited to a physical lan segment, but with different broadcast domains). At present we have our main network and a main VLAN (VLAN 222). But for the future we will probably prepare new VLANs as the future needs will require. The main job, however, is already finished.

All these network jobs allowed us to start with a new project: the 1.23m telescope remote operation. Since this year, this telescope can be operated in remote, from outside our installations. At the same time, we have prepared the needed infraestructure for giving safe remote connection that allow observation. This include the creation of a particular server that is listening to such remote connection and is giving access to the observations.

Other important task we have started is the Main Observing Archive. Now we are archiving the observations on a special equipment (a server plus a cabin up to more than 50 TB of information). This is a preliminary project but, for the future, we are developing a much more ambitious project with this new archive.

A really important and successful job has been the creation of a TVG spare computer. This has been carried out last weeks. Now we are much safer concerning this important facility. This spare computer can be used in any of the three main telescopes if needed.

I also consider very important the preparation of a totally new machine for the 2.2m telescope, together with a spare one. The main computer of this telescope was already old.

We have installed also a powerful computer that allows data reduction for our site astronomers.

Also, a computer for running cafos upgrade is working since beginning of the year. For this we have an spare machine too.

Our mail boxes are now stored on a RAID 1, so we have a more secure system than before.

Finally, I'd like to mention the new virtualization project. We are now at a very early stage. Only some investigation and some contacts with hardware companies. But the idea is to improve dramatically our present virtualization system, giving Fault Tolerance, High Availability and some other features to the main services. This will be probably  achieved during next year.