Annual Report 2003–04

資訊科技服務 科研系統及網络服務全面提升 二零零一年添置的 IBM RS/6000 SP 超級電腦，已 為多項涉及複雜且密集運算的科硏項目帶來突 破。這台配備六十四組中央處理器的系統，運算 速度較先前使用的超級電腦大幅提升，敎硏人員 因而在多個領域都取得進展，已發表如計算化 學、計算物理、都市發展模擬等題目的論文數十 篇。 大學提升了與香港學術及硏究網路 (HARNET) 和中 國敎育及科硏計算機網 (CERNET) 的連接線路， 網絡的傳送速度由 2Mbps 大幅提升 155Mbps ， 更促使香港與內地科硏網絡的合作進入新里程。 網络服務新進展 為配合硏究及敎學的發展，校園網絡於本年度伸 展至座落吐露港畔的香港生物科技硏究院；生物 安全第三級實驗室和工程學大樓二期已鋪設千兆 以太網接駁校園主幹網絡。 由中文大學創辦的香港互聯網交換中心 (HKIX) ， 本年的網絡資訊增長了三倍，由 5Gb p s 飆升至 20Gbps 以上。為進一步鞏固 HKIX 的服務，大學 於二零零三年十二月安裝了一台 Cisco Catalyst 6 5 1 3 網絡交換器，可傳送多達 2 5 6Gb p s 的頻 寬，足可應付非常時期的需要， SARS 肆虐期間 的網絡擁塞現象將不復見。另外， HKIX 亦於二零 Computer and Information Technology Services Enhanced Computer and Network Facilities for Research Since its implementation in 2001-2, the IBM RS/6000 SP 64-processor high- performance computing cluster has successfully supported numerous calculation-intensive research projects. Taking advantage of this greatly enhanced computing power, professors and postgraduate students have published dozens of research papers and theses, covering topics from computational chemistry/physics, to urban growth simulation. Research users have experienced a substantially faster network connection to the China Education and Research Network (CERNET) since the network link was upgraded from 2Mbps to 155Mbps in February 2004. The upgrade represents a major milestone in the collaboration between the research networks in Hong Kong (HARNET) and mainland China (CERNET). Major Progress in Networking Services The campus network was extended to the Hong Kong Institute of Biotechnology to cater for research and teaching needs. Network services were also made ready for occupants of two new buildings, namely, the Prefabricated Physical Containment Lab for SARS Research and the Engineering Building Phase 11, both of which were connected to the Campus Network with Gigabit links. HKIX registered a remarkable 300 per cent growth (from 5Gbps to over 20Gbps) in network traffic exchange. In view of this, a new Cisco Catalyst 6513 network switch was installed in December 2003 to keep up with the increasing network traffic. With a capacity of up to 256Gbps, the new network switch also served to brace for challenges like the sudden network traffic surges during the SARS outbreak. Besides, HKIX also announced the support of IPv6 in March 2004, the first of its kind in Hong Kong. I T Applications Targeted at Students and Staff Teaching and learning benefited significantly from the web-based teaching platform (WBT). Designed to provide a satisfying and dynamic learning experience, the WBT platform reached over 75 per cent of the entire student population in the past year. Over the last four years, hostings on WebCT and CU Forum had seen a significant annual growth of 30 per cent and 23 per cent respectively. As a result of increasing dependence on the platform, the average number of visits per day also increased by 54 per cent and 49 per cent respectively. 香港中文大學年報 CUHKAnnual Report 2003-2004 82