SENS Unix Server Facilities

Topics: Introduction | Core Services | Web Services | Specialized Services | Fault Tolerance

Introduction

SENS maintains many Unix-based servers, which form the heart of our infrastructure. These servers provide critical network services, email access, web page access, disk sharing, and a multitude of similar functions. Most of our "core" systems are from Sun Microsystems, but we also have servers from SGI, Dell, and Hewlett Packard to meet the diverse needs of our community.

In the context of this page, we use the term "Unix" to also include Linux, an open-source, Unix-like operating system.

This page is a work-in-progress.

Core Services

There are a set of machines that provide "core" infrastructure services to all the clients in our Node. These servers include:

Fate: Fate is the server that's responsible for Engineering user login authentication, DNS services, and email services.; Fate is a Sun Ultra 2 with one 300 MHz processor and 768 MB of RAM. It has two 4.2 GB disks, mirrored, for the operating system, and two 36 GB disks, mirrored, for email "inboxes".
Destiny: Destiny is the server that's responsible for software licensing and software disk sharing. Its copy of the "/util" directory is mounted on all Engineering clients and servers, and the "/eng/tools" software directories are available throughout our Node (and elsewhere).; Destiny is a Sun Ultra 2 with two 300 MHz processors and 384 MB of RAM. It has two 4.2 GB disks, mirrored, for the operating system, ten 9.0 disks configured as five pairs of software disks, mirrored, and two 18.0 GB disks, mirrored, for "/util".; Destiny acts as a backup system for the Node servers, and has a StorEDGE L400 (Exabyte EXB-220) tape library system attached. This library can hold 20 "Mammoth" format 8mm tapes, for a total capacity of 280 GB of unattended backup space.
Providence: Providence is the server that holds all Engineering user home directories, and serves them via the NFS and CIFS (Microsoft Windows) protocols, the latter being done through the use of the Samba software package.; Providence is a Sun 220R with two 450 MHz processors and 2 GB of RAM. It has two 36 GB disks, mirrored, for the operating system, and twelve 18.0 GB disks in a StorEDGE A1000 chassis, configured as a 173 GB RAID 5 array, for the Engineering home directories (eleven "live" disks plus one hot spare).
Kismet: This is the Engineering server that holds all Node shared class and research disks.
Pinky: This is the server that holds all Natural Sciences and Mathematics user home directories, and serves them via the NFS and CIFS protocols, the latter being done with the Samba software package.
TheBrain: This is the server that's responsible for Natural Sciences and Mathematics user login authentication, DNS services, and email services.

Web Services

When you visit one of the many web sites hosted by SENS, the data is probably coming from one of these systems:

Confucius
Willrogers
Motherhen

Specialized Services

Wallace (JumpStart, Samba), Glbasin, Fluids, Discovery, etc.

Fault Tolerance

Click here for a discussion of our fault tolerance procedures.

University at Buffalo - State University of New York