Office of the CIO Annual Achievement Report

2007 Achievements

Research Administration and Infrastructure Initiative
Part 1  Encourage the Ohio State University administration to ensure that all administrative and financial systems upgrade and implementation goals include the need for such systems to minimize the administrative burden on research faculty and foster an environment that is in compliance with pertinent laws, rules and regulations that govern sponsored research.
Part 2  Establish a universitywide data storage strategy in support of interdisciplinary research.

Since 2004

Completed the PeopleSoft Grants System; replaced OSU Research foundation’s asset management system with PeopleSoft; added Payment and Outstanding Receivables data to the PI Portal; connected the OSU network to the Third Frontier (now OSCNet); purchased, with the Ohio Supercomputer Center, multiple optical fiber pairs within Chicago; joined the National Lambda Rail network; and added 170 terabytes of storage to the SAN (Storage Area Network) for a total of 255 terabytes, setting aside 10 terabytes for research.

Since 2007

• Migrated the PeopleSoft SAN environment to EMC disk array to allow for better performance and full protection.


• Implemented a new IBM tape server robot that improved backup performance while taking up less computer room floor space; converted 28,000 tapes.


• Began the OSUNet Next Generation Project to deliver world-class network and service solutions that incorporate the core network and local and wide area networks. The availability and reliability of the network infrastructure is critical to the continued and future success of Ohio State with LAN and WAN infrastructure potentially impacting every aspect of university business.


• Installed Google search engines to power and improve the university’s ability to search its online resources.


• Upgraded the university’s central web servers with new hardware and enhanced data storage and a file system to improve reliability, capacity, and performance. The central facility, known as NextWeb, hosts almost 650 university web sites including the university’s main web pages and a number of student organization pages.


• Introduced undergraduates to research through TELR’s fourth annual Research on Research Grants program (see full description under the eLearning initiative).


• Explored ways to integrate research into teaching and learning through a grant from the Ohio Learning Network (see full description under the eLearning initiative).