NETWORKS AND THE WORLD-WIDE WEB

ACF's Distributed Computing Group Helps Smooth the Road to NYU-NET

David Ackerman and Amy Hernández

[Ed: Links to web pages and/or e-mail addresses which have become inactive since the publication of this article have been enclosed in curly brackets { }. Replacement links have been provided where possible.]

In departments and offices all over NYU, people are eager to become part of the Internet. Suddenly it seems that nothing less than full Internet connections will do. Such a connection allows members of the NYU community to view information on NYU Web and contribute to it, perhaps one of the strongest reasons to get connected.

Among many benefits, a direct connection, as opposed to the slower NIU or modem access, enhances the speed at which you currently use NYU-NET services. With NIU connections, you are limited to text-based applications such as e-mail and Telnet. A direct connection provides a variety of services for more advanced e-mail and graphical World-Wide Web access via Netscape Navigator. These services will dramatically improve the way your department handles the flow of information among its faculty, staff, students, and the NYU community in general.

If you are interested in being a part of NYU-NET, contact us - the ACF Distributed Computing Group. Our aim is to help departments planning to join NYU-NET and to serve as their central point of contact with ACF, coordinating and following up on each project.

What Do You Need?

Before your department connects to NYU-NET, it should assess its current hardware and its network needs. That's the first place where the ACF Distributed Computing Group can help you. We'll be glad to discuss your situation with you and help you assess your needs:

Is a direct connection to NYU-NET available in your building? The NYU-NET II program is progressing steadily, with the aim of having direct connections to all NYU buildings. (For more details, see the Summer 1995 issue of Connect.)
What computer programs do you now use? What developing software will you benefit from? The ACF will supply all the software you need for managing the NYU-NET connections and browsing the World-Wide Web, while other applications may help manage your information better.
Does your department already have a local network (LAN)? Most are compatible with NYU-NET; some are not.
Do your computers have Ethernet cards? Your computer needs Ethernet capability before it can connect to NYU-NET. Some newer machines have this capability built in; in most cases, a card has to be inserted.
Do they have enough memory (RAM) and hard-disk space? Typically, NYU-NET software requires between 4 and 8 megabytes of RAM and 10 to 15 megabytes of free hard-disk space on either a PC or Mac. All PCs should have 486 processors or higher, and must be running Windows 3.1 or Windows 95.
Will new machines be necessary?
What will it cost to get the department connected to NYU-NET?
How will the faculty and staff be trained in the use of NYU Web and e-mail?
Does everyone in the department have individual Internet accounts? They will need them if they are to take full advantage of the Internet.

At ACF, we have specialists in the areas of hardware, networking, software, operating systems, Internet applications including e-mail and World-Wide Web, computer security, software training, and computing in the sciences, social sciences, and arts. We can assemble the team you need to advise your department and ensure a successful transition.

Getting Started

The first step is to fill out a Request for ACF Distributed Computing Services. This form can be obtained at the Help Center, the Innovation Center, or the ACF Business Office (Warren Weaver Hall, 2nd and 3rd floors).

While you are filling out the form, you may want to call us for clarification at 998-3100 or send e-mail to {distributed@nyu.edu} Replacement address: its.clientservices@nyu.edu.

Once we have your form, we'll send you a packet of information about the services provided by ACF. A member of our Data Technician Group will install the hardware and software necessary for access to NYU-NET. On the first Wednesday of each month, we offer sessions in which faculty and staff of newly connected departments can get instruction in using our services.

We hope the new Distributed Computing Group will ease your transition onto NYU-NET. Instead of leaving each department to deal with technical issues involving several ACF groups, the Distributed Computing Group will now help you deal with these complexities, freeing you to concentrate on your department's current and future needs.

Davis Ackerman was Assistant Director for Distributed Computing and Information Services at the time of this article's publication. Amy Hernández was the ACF coordinator for Distributed Computing.
david.ackerman@nyu.edu :: {amy.hernandez@nyu.edu}
Posted 20 May 1996. Revised 24 May 2004.