Computing And Network Environment

The Systems Support branch of Computing Services provides centralized support for personal computers and other systems on the campus-wide network:

• Tablet PC's with Windows XP
• Computer Labs in most buildings
• HP and Gateway servers running a variety of operating systems including Windows 2003, Windows 2000, RedHat Linux and FreeBSD.
• Access to the Regents Information System mainframe

All systems are connected through a campus-wide computer network that has existed since 1987. In 1993, Computing Services expanded the network cabling to every dorm room, switched the network backbone to fiber-optic cable and decommissioned the on-campus IBM mainframe.

Recent improvements include:

• Added Cyber Cafe with computers donated by Gateway 
• Single mode and multi mode fiber connections between campus buildings and the server room
• Category 5 wiring in all campus buildings
• Wireless access points in all the buildings
• Gigabit fiber backbone to the main academic buildings with switched 100 megabit to the desktop
• Packet Shaper to control bandwidth usage
• Firewall and intrusion detection system
• The server room has uninterruptible power supply and (soon) a backup generator
• Student e-mail on Exchange 2003
• Faculty/Staff e-mail on Exchange 2003
• Microsoft Active Directory as part of the SD Board of Regents System-wide single sign-on system
• Storage Area Network (SAN) with 2.8 terabytes of storage housing Student and Faculty home directories among other things
• Off-site server backup over fiber channel

DSU connected to the MIDNET regional NFSNET provider with the help of a two-year NSF grant in November, 1991, and in the summer of 1994 installed a DS-1 (1.544Mb/sec) link to the Internet via the SDnet South Dakota state-wide network. Upgrades have been made since then to the 10 Mb/sec bandwidth we have now on Internet 1. That Internet connection now goes through the Digital Dakota Network operated by the State of South Dakota's Bureau of Information Technology. On April 1, 2002, DSU officially became an Internet 2 member with a 5 Mb/sec connection through the Great Plains Network.

Computing Services maintains a common user environment for all of the personal computers, so users can easily use all of the services no matter where they are on campus.