Page 19 - 2021 OIT Progress Report

SERVERS AND SUPPORT
Our Linux and Windows server environments, which host hundreds of critical applications, were maintained through regular system patches as well as several major upgrades. Changes to our backup servers, storage, telecommunications platforms, and secure transport services occurred with little to no impact to campus users. The team also focused on key platform changes for both environments.
OIT continues our cloud adoption journey with the deployment
of Microsoft’s Azure IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
and PaaS (Platform as a Service) offerings. This cloud platform,
with its close integration with our existing Microsoft-based services, will serve as a foundation for many future solutions. In the near term, Azure will provide resilience, business continuity, and improved disaster recovery capabilities for critical services. Utilizing flexible Azure cloud services also forms a foundation as we look to migrate existing on-premises workloads to a cloud-only or hybrid model, which will help drive improved efficiency. It will also be valuable in delivering computing resources that facilitate high-impact research across campus and promote excellence
in academic quality. Azure-based “elastic” applications that leverage the dynamic nature of cloud resources can help achieve research initiatives and academic goals such as virtual labs or research computing environments. “SMU continues to invest in foundational technologies, enabling our students to have access to the right resources at the right times,” shared David Nguyen.
The Linux support team introduced several new applications such as Clowder, Rancher, Xwiki Evaluation, and Grouper. They provided
critical infrastructure to many of the large projects including the phone system replacement and major enhancements of our virtual server environment. This year, in collaboration with SMU CAPE, we deployed the COmanage platform for simplified management of accounts and resources allotted
to them. This platform will
serve as a critical component for
the larger Identity and Access Management implementation. They also provided data storage and support for the Libraries’ Rosetta digital preservation project while continuing to upgrade, patch, and support the various Linux desktops across campus.
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