Centralized computing facilities

For more than two decades the usage of centralized computing facilities had been the most economic approach in the application of computers within a company or an institution. Grosch s law - named after one of the early pioneers in the field -described this situation the price of a computer increases with the square-root of the compute-power. In other words for twice the price a central computer with four times the CPU- power could be purchased thus, a centralized big computer system was more cost-effective than a number of smaller computers with equivalent total power. Furthermore, the connection of individual systems to form a network was a difficult task no accepted standards for the required hardware and software did exist. In most cases rather low-speed connections only, via asynchroneous RS 2320-lines, could be implemented. 

In fact such support may be essential if the next generation of computers is to see rapid and widespread installation and use in universities. With these thoughts in mind. .. we urge universities to ensure that truly first-rate central computer facilities are available as a means to this end we urge funding agencies to accept substantial charges for computer time as a normal expenditure for chemical research. ... 

The most common "disasters" are a power failure and a hard-disk failure however, other disasters also need to be considered, if appropriate. A Disaster Recovery Plan should be available for each system as well for the central computer facilities. Such a plan (or SOP) should describe all activities required to restore a system to the conditions that prevailed before the disaster. If applicable, actions to be taken in case of a disaster should be described at the departmental level. Disaster recovery procedures should be tested initially and, if applicable, also periodically. 

A natural extension of analytical automation is some means of data processing all the results that are generated. This usually takes the form of a central computer which accepts information from different analysers for presentation in a useful manner. The identification of a sample and the tests performed are typed in using a keyboard and the computer collates all the data on each sample. As well as collecting information, computing and statistically assessing results, an important facility of the computer lies in its ability to store information for future recall via a visual display unit. 

The computer is now the preferred vehicle for solution of many heat-transfer problems. Personal computers with either local software or communication links offer the engineer ample power for the solution of most problems. Despite the ready availability of this computing power I have resisted the temptation to include specific computer programs for two reasons (1) each computer installation is somewhat different in its input-output capability and (2) a number of programs for microcomputers in a menu-driven format are already on the scene or soon to be available. The central issue here has been directed toward problem setup which can be adapted to any computational facility. 

Unmanned satellite laboratories are a possible alternative to a central laboratory facility. To demonstrate the practicality of such an approach, investigators at the University of Virginia have developed remote automated laboratory systems- (RALS) designed to automate POCT in hospital intensive care units. The results from the analytical instruments in each RALS are sent to a central monitoring workstation several floors away from the satellite laboratory by a network interface, where results are viewed and either accepted or rejected by a trained medical technologist before being released for clinical use. Error codes built into the analytical instruments are also passed to the main laboratory by the computer netw ork. Technologists in the control center can also shut down the satellite laboratory when necessary, as in the case of instrument failure. Patient information is downloaded from the hospital information system in real time so that users can select their patients and the tests to perform from a fist presented on the computer touchscreen. 

Figure 6.1. The increasing need for centralized simulation and modeling to understand biology. The biology community requires extensive, integrated computational facilities to handle the wealth of data generated by, for example, cDNA micro array analysis [Refs in 301].

Audit the use of the systems, central computer services facilities and suppliers (if applicable). 

In order to verify the compliance for those parts of systems that are controlled by the central computer services group, facility audits have to be performed of these facilities at regular intervals. 

The role of QA must be properly defined and implemented QA should at least be involved in vendor reviews and/or audits and the change control process and perform system-specific audits and audits of the central computer services facilities. 

Technology infrastructure warrants independent planning cycles. It refers to infrastructure that is designed to support the introduction of new technologies in the present and the future. Infrastructure includes computer facilities, telecommunications, information technology networks, and centralized server and database support. Examples of technology infiastmcture and listed in Table 37.3. 

Textile antennae can be incorporated into clothing systems for long-distance communication (Salonen and Rahmat-Samii, 2006). They can be directly printed onto a textile substrate or a micro-patch anteima attached to a vest. Depending on the environment, such antennae can operate in the range of 10-100 m. Longer-distance communication can be achieved by improved technology and the use of laptop computers or mobile phones. Very short distance connections can be made by wireless links using induction. Data can also be transferred by Bluetooth modules if the soldiers are located close to a central control facility. 

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