ECTS credits ECTS credits: 6
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Student's work ECTS: 61.5 Hours of tutorials: 1 Expository Class: 25 Interactive Classroom: 25 Total: 112.5
Use languages Spanish, Galician
Type: Ordinary Degree Subject RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: Electronics and Computing
Areas: Computer Architecture and Technology
Center Higher Technical Engineering School
Call: First Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable
The goal of this course is presenting the different alternatives offered by the current state of technology regarding the setup of data centres or, more generally, any medium-large sized computer facility. The different configurations of servers (racks, blades …), storage systems, buses and networks will be studied. Also, a number of mechanisms will be analyzed for measuring performance and maximize resource utilization. Finally, different standards for installation and maintenance of computer facilities will be studied.
Block 1. Server formats: Racks and Blades:
a. Server formats
b. The Mainframe concept
c. Advantages of Blade technology
Block 2. Introduction to Data Centres:
a. Data Centre design
b. Infrastructure planning and management
c. High availability
Block 3. Virtualization and consolidation
a. Virtualization of servers: containers
b. Virtualization of storage and networks
Block 4. Technology and networks for data storage:
a. Hard disks: technology and standards
b. RAID
c. Storage networks
d. SAN and NAS
Block 5. Backup and archiving
a. Backup
b. Archiving
c. Removable media management
Block 6. Management and performance monitoring
a. Management tools
b. Monitoring
Practices:
-- Visit the Data Center at Altia headquarters, Vigo.
- Kailash Jayaswal. “Administering Data Centers: Servers, Storage, and Voice over IP”. Wiley. ISBN 978-0471771838. 2005.
- Barb Goldworm & Anne Skamarock. “Blade Servers and Virtualization: Transforming Enterprise Computing While Cutting Costs”. Wiley. ISBN 978-0471783954. 2007.
- Ulf Troppens & Rainer Erkens & Wolfgang Müller. „Storage Networks Explained: Basics and Application of Fibre Channel SAN, NAS iSCSI and InfiniBand”. Wiley. ISBN 978-0470861820. 2004.
Complementary:
- W. Curtis Preston. “Backup & Recovery: Inexpensive Backup Solutions for Open Systems”. O'Reilly. ISBN 978-0596102463. 2007.
- René J. Chevance. “Server Architectures: Multiprocessors, Clusters, Parallel Systems, Web Servers, Storage Solutions”. Digital Press. ISBN 978-1555583330. 2004.
In this course, students should develop both global and specific skills directly related with the names:
CG1, CG2, CG4, CG6, CG7, CG9, CG10 and CG11;
TR1 and TR3;
FB5;
RI1, RI2, RI4, RI5, RI9 and RI11;
TI2, TI4 and TI5;
in the report of the USC entitled "Memoria del Grado en Ingeniería Informática". Students should also develop skills from the "Ingeniería de Computadores" module:
- To understand the different technological alternatives of a high performance computing facility (servers configuration, storage area networks, I/O buses and networks, and also how to measure the performance of the installed facility).
With this goal the student will learn about the technologies involved in the design and maintenance of medium/large sized computer facilities. The student should be able to study the requirements in order to decide the size of the facilities and evaluate the performance. The student will be able to assess the impact of each piece of technology, and take decisions about the organization of a data centre.
The student work material for this subject includes a list of recommended books that are available in the library; also a copy of the slides used by the lecturer and information gathered from different sources about the evolution and availability of different technologies. On-line support will be widely used (https://cv.usc.es).
Lab lessons will be held in the Computer Room, using simulators and other teaching resources available in the net.
With respect to the skills the student have to get with this subject, in the theoretical classes in the classroom the the student will acquire the CG1, CG2, CG4, CG6, CG9, FB5, TI2, TI4 and TI5 skills; and in the practical classes in the lab the student will acquire the CG1, CG2, CG9, CG10, CG11, TR1, TR3, FB5, RI1, RI2, RI4, RI5, RI9, RI11 skills.
Ordinary Exams (May-June)
- 60% of the mark will be obtained by doing a written test. The test will deal with theory topics, numerical exercises, and use cases as those tackled in the lecture room labs.
- The remaining 40% of the mark will be calculated by assessing the work carried out in the labs. Attending those labs is mandatory. The lecturer will track the attendance by circulating a paper to sign on, or collecting the works done during the session. The students should also solve the proposed exercises and write and present some assignments.
- In order to pass this subject, the overall mark should be at least 5 points out of 10. Moreover, the student will fail if less than 4 points out of 10 are obtained in any of the 2 sections mentioned above.
- If the student does not attend the written test, it will be considered as “no presentado”, so that the student does not waste an attempt to pass the subject.
- Those students that do not pass labs and before the June exams, are not allowed to pass the July exam.
Second chance (July)
- 60% of the mark will be obtained by doing a written test. The test will deal with theory topics, numerical exercises, and use cases as those tackled in the lecture room and labs.
- Regarding the labs, the mark obtained during the course will be considered. If the student did not pass this part of the subject, it is not possible to pass the July exam.
- In order to pass this subject, the overall mark should be at least 5 points out of 10. Moreover, the student will fail if less than 4 points out of 10 are obtained in any of the 2 sections mentioned above.
- If the student does not attend the written test, it will be considered as “no presentado”, so that the student does not waste an attempt to pass the subject.
Competences:
- With the final exam (60% of the final grade), the CG1, CG2, CG4, CG6, CG9, FB5, TI2, TI4, TI5 skills are evalauted by means of several questions and exercises.
- The practical part (40% of the final grade) the marks of this part will take into account if the student has acquired the CG1, CG2, CG9, CG10, CG11, TR1, TR3, FB5, RI1, RI2, RI4, RI5, RI9, RI11 skills
Additional Exam ("convocatoria extraordinaria")
- 60% of the mark will be obtained by doing a written test. The test will deal with theory topics, numerical exercises, and use cases.
- 40% of the mark will be obtained by delivering the same exercises and works that have been delivered by the students in the labs of the subject during the same academic course.
- In order to pass this subject, the overall mark should be at least 5 points out of 10. Moreover, the student will fail if less than 4 points out of 10 are obtained in any of the 2 sections mentioned above.
- If the student does not attend the written test, it will be considered as “no presentado”, so that the student does not waste an attempt to pass the subject.
The total times of in-person work and homework are 50 hours and 100 hours respectively, divided into:
Lectures: 25 hours in-person classes, and 50 of autonomous work by the student.
Problems-based Learning: 5 hours in-person classes, and 25 hours of autonomous work by the student.
Labs: 20 hours with the lecturer, and 25 of autonomous work by the student, focussed on solving the labs and other assignments.
Attending the lectures and the labs. Keep the work up to date in order to be able to fulfil the labs and assignments. Developing an active attitude towards gathering and analyzing information from different sources. It is required to be familiar with the topics taught in "Fundamentos de Computadores", "Arquitectura de Computadores" and "Redes".
Langauges: spanish and galician.
Juan Carlos Pichel Campos
Coordinador/a- Department
- Electronics and Computing
- Area
- Computer Architecture and Technology
- Phone
- 881816437
- juancarlos.pichel [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Lecturer
Alvaro Ordoñez Iglesias
- Department
- Electronics and Computing
- Area
- Computer Architecture and Technology
- Phone
- 881815508
- alvaro.ordonez [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: LOU (Organic Law for Universities) PhD Assistant Professor
Cesar Alfredo Piñeiro Pomar
- Department
- Electronics and Computing
- Area
- Computer Architecture and Technology
- cesaralfredo.pineiro [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: Intern Assistant LOSU
| Tuesday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30-13:30 | Grupo /CLIL_03 | Spanish, Galician | IA.04 |
| 17:00-18:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | IA.S1 |
| Thursday | |||
| 10:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLIL_02 | Galician, Spanish | IA.04 |
| 17:00-18:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | IA.S1 |
| Friday | |||
| 09:30-11:30 | Grupo /CLIL_01 | Galician, Spanish | IA.04 |
| 11:30-13:30 | Grupo /CLIL_04 | Galician, Spanish | IA.04 |
| 01.20.2025 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | IA.S1 |
| 01.20.2025 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLIL_01 | IA.S1 |
| 01.20.2025 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLIL_02 | IA.S1 |
| 01.20.2025 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLIL_03 | IA.S1 |
| 01.20.2025 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLIL_04 | IA.S1 |
| 01.20.2025 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | IA.S2 |
| 01.20.2025 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLIL_01 | IA.S2 |
| 01.20.2025 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLIL_02 | IA.S2 |
| 01.20.2025 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLIL_03 | IA.S2 |
| 01.20.2025 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLIL_04 | IA.S2 |
| 06.27.2025 16:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom A3 |
| 06.27.2025 16:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLIL_01 | Classroom A3 |
| 06.27.2025 16:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLIL_02 | Classroom A3 |
| 06.27.2025 16:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLIL_03 | Classroom A3 |
| 06.27.2025 16:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLIL_04 | Classroom A3 |