EDUCAUSE | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses

Enhancing the Security and Stability of the Internet’s Domain Name and Addressing System: Notice of Inquiry

ckeller — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:01:00 -0500

Federal Register notice of inquiry concerning DNSSEC. The Department of Commerce (Department) notes the increase in interest among government, technology experts and industry representatives regarding the deployment of Domain Name and Addressing System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) at the root zone level. The Department remains committed to preserving the security and stability of the DNS and is exploring the implementation of DNSSEC in the DNS hierarchy, including at the authoritative root zone level. Accordingly, the Department is issuing this notice to invite comments regarding DNSSEC implementation at the root zone.

Comments are due on November 24, 2008.

Building the Green Data Center: Towards Best Practices and Technical Considerations

ckeller — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:39:13 -0500

Designing and building green data centers can have a significant impact on the environment and a company's bottom line. A green data center is a repository for the storage, management, and dissemination of data in which the mechanical, lighting, electrical and computer systems are designed for maximum energy efficiency and minimum environmental impact.

The green data center has moved from the theoretical to the realistic, with IT leaders being challenged to construct new data centers (or retrofit existing ones) with energy saving features, sustainable materials, and other environmental efficiencies in mind.

This tutorial will survey the wide variety of options and issues that the data center designer must keep in mind in these matters, as well as illustrate how government regulation and certification will be affecting the data centers of the future. Analysis will include the US Green Building Council LEED standard, as well as other regulatory standards that are driving green data center construction.

Learning Objectives:

The construction and operation of a green data center includes advanced technologies and strategies. Learning Objective #1 is to identify and describe 10 different technology options for a builder to consider
Delineation of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental design (LEED) Green Guilding Rating System. LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality
Highlight other considerations to keep in mind with designing and bulding green data centers, and the assembly of a "best practices" resource link for Green Construction on the SNIA Green Storage initiative website

From Blue Books to Secure Laptops

ckeller — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:08:52 -0500

Some colleges are experimenting with software that turns laptops into digital blue books, which could spell the end of the dreaded exam scribble.

Helping Community College Students Beat the Odds

ckeller — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:58:37 -0500

Hudson Valley finds that combining and coordinating various student services yields unusually high retention rate.

2 New Digital Models Promise Academic Publishing for Profit

ckeller — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:04:09 -0500

"Scholarly publishers are well aware that more and more readers and libraries want to get hold of monographs in electronic form. The trick has been how to deliver content digitally without going out of business. Two new models—one with an open-access component, one without—should help publishers test out ways to adapt and, maybe, thrive."

Cellular Phone Service and Communications Devices – Guidelines & Policy

ckeller — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:13:45 -0500

This Seattle Pacific University policy institutes an institutional stipend to cover presumed business use of personal cell phones for certain employees.

E-Textbooks for All

ckeller — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:38:13 -0500

A pilot at the University of Texas at Austin will replace printed textbooks with electronic versions for all students in certain classes, free of charge.

B-Schools in Second Life: It’s more than just Fun and Games; It’s the Confluence of Playing, Learning, and Working

ckeller — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:15:30 -0500

"A few months back, at the beginning of the semester, National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) made an award to Babson College and the Sloan Consortium to develop a virtual (business) incubator in Second Life. Students in this class would engage in research and development that had the potential of making a significant difference in the field of entrepreneurship globally."

Putting What Works to Better Use

ckeller — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:09:56 -0500

Colleges have proven techniques to improve student learning, but too few students — especially from at-risk populations — have access to them, study finds.

Repurposing Open Source Software for Agile Digital Image Library Development

ckeller — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:17:44 -0500

In 2007, the University of West Florida Department of Digital and Learning Technologies was charged with the task of rapidly developing a digital image library focusing on the university's upcoming 40th anniversary. This project was to highlight a spectrum of the university's archival holdings with special attention to images and linking to them permanently from the libraries' web site and University Special Collections and Archives.