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Hardware and Software Services and Support

Mirror sites at your disposalSpieëlwebwerwe tot jou beskikking

Friday, June 8th, 2012

Did you know there are selected websites you have free access to? These websites are known as mirror sites.

In computing, a mirror is an exact copy of a data set. On the Internet, a mirror site is an exact copy of another Internet site. Mirror sites are most commonly used to provide multiple sources of the same information, and are of particular value as a way of providing reliable access to large downloads. Mirroring is a type of file synchronization and a  live mirror is automatically updated as soon as the original is changed.

But why the need for more than one version of the same website. A few reasons are:

  1. To preserve a website or page, especially when it is closed or is about to be closed.
  2. To allow faster downloads for users at a specific geographical location. For example, a U.S. server could be mirrored in Japan, allowing Japanese Internet users to download content faster from the local Japanese server than from the original American one.
  3. To provide access to otherwise unavailable information. For example, when the popular Google search engine was banned in 2002 by the People’s Republic of China, the mirror elgooG was used as a way of effectively circumventing the ban.
  4. To preserve historic content. Financial constraints and/or bandwidth prevent the maintainers of a server from keeping older and unsupported content available to users who still may desire them; a mirror may be made to prevent this content from disappearing.
  5. To balance load. If one server is extremely popular a mirror may help relieve this load this server may become overloaded with demand. Alternative download points allow the total number of download requests to be spread among several servers, maintaining the availability of the distribution.
  6. As a temporary measure to counterbalance a sudden, temporary increase in traffic.

SOURCE: www.wikipedia.org

Therefore, before you download huge files from an international server and run up an exorbitant internet account, check whether there is a local version available. The following websites are available to you free of charge:

A large amount of software downloads are available at http://support.sun.ac.za

MIT OpenCourse Ware: http://ocw.sun.ac.za

Mirror server for linux: http://ftp.sun.ac.za

Mirror services available for free via TENET: http://www.mirror.ac.za

The most popular Linux distros are available (Ubuntu,Debian, Fedora, Opensuse, Mandriva etc.)

Complete programming language mirrors are availabla at:

CPAN (perl): http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/

CTAN (Tex/Latex): http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/ftp.dante.de/tex-archive/

Python: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/ftp.python.org/

Mathematical languages:

SageMath: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/www.sagemath.org/

Scilab (http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/scilab/www.scilab.org/

R http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/cran.za.r

Octava http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/octave

Opensource software:

sourceware.org: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/sourceware.org/pub/

Free Office packages:

LibreOffice: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/libreoffice/

OpenOffice: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/openoffice/

Downloadable antivirus updates:

Mcafee: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/ftp.nai.com/

Symantec: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/ftp.symantec.com
/public/english_us_canada/antivirus_definitions/norton_antivirus/

Adobe Reader: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/ftp.adobe.com/

SOURCE:  www.wikipedia.org

Het jy geweet daar is sekere webwerwe waartoe jy plaaslik toegang na kan kry sonder dat jy nodig het om Inetkey te gebruik? Hierdie webwerwe staan bekend as spieëlwebwerf, of te wel `n “mirror site”.

In die rekenaaromgewing is `n “mirror” `n presiese kopie van `n datastel en op die internet is `n “mirror site” die presiese kopie van `n ander internetwebwerf. Spieëlwebwerwe word gereeld gebruik om veelvuldige bronne van dieselfde inligting te verskaf en is veral voordelig as betroubare toegang tot groot aflaaibare leêrs. “Mirroring”  is in kort dus `n tipe leêr sinkroniseringsproses waar die aktiewe spieëlwebwerf opdateer word sodra die oorspronklike webwerf verander.

Maar hoekom is dit nodig dat daar meer as een weergawes van dieselfde webwerf is? Enkele redes hiervoor is:

  1. Om die bestaande weergawe te bewaar, veral as dit gesluit is of gesluit gaan word.
  2. Sodat gebruikers vinniger inligting kan aflaai as dit plaaslik is. (`n Amerikaanse bediener kan byvoorbeeld `n spieëlbeeld hê in Japan sodat Japanese internetgebruikers vinniger data kan aflaai.)
  3. Toegang tot andersins onbereikbare inligting. (Google is byvoorbeeld verban in China in 2002 en `n spieëlwebwerf elgooG is daargestel om steeds toegang te gee.)
  4. Om ouer inligting te argiveer wat te duur word om te huisves op die hoofwebwerf.
  5. Om die lading in internetverkeer te verlig.

Voordat jy dus groot leêrs en sagteware aflaai vanaf `n internasionale webwerf en jou internetrekening opjaag, maak eers seker dat daar nie `n plaaslike weergawe is nie. Die volgende klompie webwerwe is teen geen onkoste beskikbaar vir jou:

`n Verskeidenheid sagteware is beskikbaar by http://support.sun.ac.za

MIT OpenCourse Ware: http://ocw.sun.ac.za

Mirror server vir linux: http://ftp.sun.ac.za

Mirror dienste gratis beskikbaar via TENET: http://www.mirror.ac.za

Bekendste linux distros is beskikbaar (Ubuntu,Debian, Fedora, Opensuse, Mandriva ens.)

Volledige Programeringstale mirrors is beskikbaar by:

CPAN (perl): http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/

CTAN (Tex/Latex): http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/ftp.dante.de/tex-archive/

Python: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/ftp.python.org/

Wiskundige tale:

SageMath: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/www.sagemath.org/

Scilab (http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/scilab/www.scilab.org/

R http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/cran.za.r

Octava http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/octave

Oopbron sagteware:

sourceware.org: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/sourceware.org/pub/

Gratis Officepakket:

LibreOffice: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/libreoffice/

OpenOffice: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/openoffice/

Aflaaibare antivirus opdaterings:

Mcafee: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/ftp.nai.com/

Symantec: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/ftp.symantec.com/public/

english_us_canada/antivirus_definitions/norton_antivirus/

Adobe Reader: http://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/pub/mirrors/ftp.adobe.com/

BRON:  www.wikipedia.org

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IT: Geared for the futureIT: Gerat vir die toekoms

Friday, March 9th, 2012

Until recently the common perception on campus has been that IT’s main responsibility is the maintenance and support of computers on campus. The people you call when your frustration levels have reached new heights and you have the urge to throw your pc out the window. Fortunately things are changing.

Previously two of IT’s departments, IT Technical Services (ITTS) and IT User Services (ITUS) functioned as two separate entities. However, to ensure that Information Technology stays at the forefront of technology and operates in line with the University’s key aims, the need arose to merge the two departments.

ITTS and ITUS will henceforth function as one department – IT Infrastructure and User Support. The main focus will primarily be Research and Development, Network Infrastructure and Telephone Systems and Hardware and Software Services and Support.

Zenobia Davidse, Hoof: IT Infrastruktuur en Gebruikersondersteuning The responsibility of managing the successful integration of services and continuous support on campus rests on the shoulders of Zenobia Davidse and her team of 26.

With the restructuring the range of focus will also be broadened and moved away from the traditional IT functions. Thanks to technology we can now look at differently at datastorage on clouds in stead of conventional storage on harddrives. More attention will be given to testing of new hardware and software, analysis of users’ technological needs, consultations and selfhelp guides for staff.

IT Infrastructure and User support will become your one stop for any enquiries on e-waste, phone issues, the installation of WAP’s, purchasing and much more.

To improve communication with the rest of campus, faculty representatives will be nominated to speed up problem solving within departments. The additional functions and specialist areas of the various members of the IT staff will also be introduced in Bits & Bytes from now on.

Tot onlangs was die afdeling Informasietegnologie se gesig op kampus hoofsaaklik slegs die van `n diensverskaffer. Die mense wat jy bel as jou rekenaar gekalf het en gemoedere hoog loop van frustrasie. Min mense weet egter presies wie of wat IT is en dat hulle meer doen as om te sorg dat jou rekenaar elke dag werk en jy jou email en internet kan kry.

Voorheen het twee van IT se afdelings, IT Tegniese Dienste (ITTD)en IT Gebruikersdienste (ITG), gefunksioneer as twee aparte eenhede. Om egter te verseker dat Informasietegnologie  in lyn met US-doelwitte en aan die voorpunt van nuwe tegnologie bly, is besluit op die integrasie van die twee afdelings.

Die vorige afdelings word een integrale afdeling wat bekend sal staan as  IT Infrastruktuur en Gebruikersondersteuning met die fokus op drie verskillende areas – Navorsing en Ontwikkeling, Netwerkinfrastruktuur en Telefoonstelsels en Apparatuur- en Programmatuurdienste en ondersteuning.

Zenobia Davidse, Hoof: IT Infrastruktuur en Gebruikersondersteuning Die groot verantwoordelikheid om die suksesvolle integrasie van dienste en voortdurende ondersteuning aan kampus te bestuur, rus op die skouers van Zenobia Davidse en haar span van 26 personeellede.

Met die herstrukturering sal wyer gefokus word op nuwe tegnologie en wegbeweeg word vir meer tradisionele IT-funksies. Daar sal, onder andere, anders gekyk moet word na datarugsteuning op kampus deur gebruik te maak van “cloud”-berging in plaas van rugsteuning op hardeskywe, toetsing van nuwe apparatuur en programmatuur,  analise en konsultasies van gebruikers se behoeftes ten opsigte van tegnologie, sowel as selfhelp-gidse vir personeel.

IT Infrastruktuur en Gebruikersondersteuning word dus die een-stop-plek vir e-waste, enige telefoonnavrae, installasies van WAP’s, aankope, bystanddienste en vele meer. 

In `n poging om kommunikasie met kampus te verbeter sal daar binnekort fakulteitsverteenwoordigers aangewys word wat probleemoplossing binne departemente sal bespoedig. Addisionele funksies en spesialisareas van die onderskeie personeellede word ook voortaan in Bits en Bytes bekendgestel.

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