The School of Library and Information Science recently purchased a new Dell server cluster to replace our previous and outdated Gateway-brand servers. This new hardware provides roughly 4 times more computing power and 8 times more memory than our previous equipment. This new server cluster is designed to be as highly available as possible with each server having redundant networking and storage, as well as the ability to completely survive the failure of a host with minimal disruption in services. And while we cannot control when the power goes out in Kresge (as happened several times over the summer), we can make sure that the LIS services you need are available as soon as possible with our powerful new battery backup.

This new hardware offers us the exciting opportunity to provide powerful virtual servers to professors for their classes, such as SQL Server 2008 Enterprise for LIS 7460, as well as specialized "virtual labs" for student use. This means that students won't have to travel to Kresge in order to make use of specialized software such as Cindex. The new hardware also allows us to transition our older hardware to a developmental role, allowing us to better test and update our production server environment.