Monday, May 21, 2012
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Andy Palms walks through the modular data center as he explains the plan to use outside air to cool the server.
Modular data center
opens on campus
Center aims to
accommodate
researchers
efficiently
By LIANA ROSENBLOOM
Daily StaffReporter
The University is opening a
Modular Data Center in an effort
to increase data capacity in a cost-
effective, environmentally-friend-
ly way on campus.
Andy Palms, executive direc-
tor of communication systems and
data centers for Information and
Technology Services, said this
"high-performance" site will be
used by researchers on campus to
streamline data storage in a man-
ner that is more cost-effective but
slightly less reliable. The site will
be tested and running by the end of
It's hot, do you have AC?
The Daily does.
Write for us!
E-mail annaroze@michigandaily.com
For updates throughout the week follow
@michdailynews
July, according to Palms.
He said modular structure
gives the center more flexibility to
expand its data capacity as needed
by researchers.
"By using a more modular
approach, we don't have fo build
a whole lot of capacity and have it
sitting there waiting," Palms said.
"We can deliver the capacity on a
more on-time basis."
He explained that the data cen-
ter will not always be needed and
therefore the site is more cost-
effective and practical though it
is slightly less reliable. Though
the center is a "Tier 1" - the least
reliable type of site - the center is
only expected to crash once every
five years at most, according to
CHILDCARE
From Page 1A
and the University, like was done
last summer with GEO's contract
negotiations.
"This wasn't a negotiation pro-
cess," Fitzgerald said. "This was
not an 'us versus them."'
Per the agreement, $150,000
will be used over the course of the
next two years to fulfill the recom-
mendations. Specifically, $37,500
will be allocated to each of the
respective fall and winter semes-
ters. The amount is fixed and more
funds will not be made available if
the subsidies requested exceed the
funds available.
Rackham student Emily How-
ard, the GEO communications co-
chair, said she was pleased to see
more students become eligible for
the subsidy.
"While we weren't able to just
efiminate that work requirement
Palms.
Maria Sheler-Edwards, mar-
keting communications special-
ist for the Office of Research
Cyberinfrastructure, said part of
what distinguishes the MDC is
its shared computing feature that
will allow researchers to pur-
chase the appropriate amount of
data time and space for their par-
ticular projects. Palms said this is
ideal for storing computer equip-
ment, which can be easily restart-
ed and also allows researchers
to store the equipment at a much
lower cost.
"High-performance computing
is becoming much more in demand
by many researchers on campus,
so the lower their cost of acquiring
that ability, the more research they
can do," she said.
Sheler-Edwards said she is
hopeful about the success of this
new technology.
"What we're doing is really very
new and cutting edge, and we have
very high hopes," Sheler-Edwards
said. "We'll wait and see what hap-
pens, but if this works then we
could expand with this technology
in the future."
Prof. Kenneth Powell is an aero-
space engineering researcher who
plans to use the new MDC for com-
puting. He said he thinks the cen-
ter will positively impact research
on campus.
"I'm happy to see the University
taking a proactive step with data
center activities in a bigger, stra-
tegic plan," Powell said. "I think it
is going to be a good move for the
University."
entirely ... hopefully (the new
agreement) will catch a lot of peo-
ple who have fallen through the
cracks," Howard said.
The current plan covers GSIs
and GSSAs, though it does not
include Graduate Student Research
Assistants. Currently, only GSIs
and GSSAs can be members of
GEO, but GEO can bargain on
behalf of GSRAs.
Howard said GSRAs are
often excluded from agreements
between GEO and the University,
but she hopes that they will even-
tually have the same access to the
childcare subsidy as other graduate
students.
"It's my hope that, as with
many things in the past, this will
be extended to GSRA's," Howard
said.
Howard said the next most
important issue for GEO to tackle
is to spread awareness about the
newly available childcare subsi-
dies.
420 Maynard Or.
AnnArhor, MI 48109-1327
www.michigandaily.com
JACOBAXELRAD MERYL HULTENG
aerdlmcindiyom mhultengm~michiadiyo
CONTACT INFORMATION
Newsroomfrice hours
734-763-2459 opt3
News Tips newsmichigandaily.cm
Corrections corrections@michigandaly com
LetterstotheEditor tohea ivmchigandai.co"m
or vsit ir.chigndailcomlletters
Photo Department photo@micgansaily com
ArtsSection arts@michigndaila.com
EditoriallPage opinion@ichigandaily.co"'
SportsSection sports@michigandaily.com
Advertising rhone:734-764-0554
Department spc cay.iigandailcycom
Clasifieds P on. 73474
Department claasifid@aiciandailycom
EDITORIAL STAFF
Giacomo Bologna ManagingEditor
bolognacmichigandail com
Ana R*aenber ManagingNewsEditor
annarca,@micSimandailyc.m
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR: Steve Zoski
Adrienne Roberts EditorialPageEditor
adrirobe@'.,,uigandaily.com
SENIOR EDITORIAL PAG EDITORS:
Sarah Skaluba, Michael Spaeth
Colleen Thomas Managing Sports Editor
tolthornm ich iga nda ly< io
SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR: Matt Slovin
AnnaSadovskaya Managing ArtsEditor
asado michigandaily.com
SENIOR ARTS EDITOR: Kelly Etz
Terra Molengraff Managing Photo Editor
photo@m ich igandai ly. cons
AliciaKoaalcheck ManagingDesignEditor
sENrARscaDcoRus teprhaniey ve c
By.
Burs
stand t
under
The 91
versary
Nichols
tum Pe
tival ca
* this ye
March
warmer
flowers
up the
time.
"The
Monday, May 21, 2012
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
COMMUNIT i eCLTURE FEATURE
.Peonies bloo m n nnual festival
Nic
com
hols Arboretum the peony itself and the bloom
time of the garden," said Joseph
imemorates 90th Mooney, Matthaei Botanical
Gardens & Nichols Arboretum
anniversary marketing & communications
manager. "This year it's been crazy
ANNA SADOVSKAYA because March was so warm and
ManagingArtsEditor the peonies actually moved the
festival date up from early June to
ting with color, the peonies the middle of May."
all in their rows, blooming Peonies are historically cool-
the sun. climate flowers. Native to Europe
0th anni- Peony and Asia, they captured the inter-
of the Festival est of breeders and now have a
Arbore- long-standing history of varied
cony Fes- Through breeding. Combining and cross-
ame early June 5 pollinating different flowers
ar as the allowed the breeders to create
weather13m 0 newly colored and structured
d the p.m. daily buds.
and sped Focusing on the inimitable flow-
blooming Free er, the Peony Garden in Nichols
Arboretum will be going through a
festival really centers on renovation, allowing for the flowers
I E0 GAIM'E [ EVIEW
to get the attention and awareness
they once had.
"The garden is undergoing a
multi-year renovation during which
we're bringing in advisors and tak-
ing care of the plants to make sure
they survive, seeing if they have
various diseases," Mooney said.
Donated by Dr. W. E. Upjohn of
the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Com-
pany in 1922, the Peony Garden fea-
tures more than 270 historic buds
and some that are still alive from
their original'20s planting.
Visitors will be able to walk from
flower bed to flower bed, discover-
ing various forms and types of peo-
nies in the process.
"People can learn about peony
form, names, where they're from
and what importance they
have in not just European and
American culture, but also that
they're very important in the
asian culture, literature and art,"
Mooney said. "Since the garden
is an antique variety, people can
also learn about the top-ranked
peonies and why they were cham-
pions and the prices people have
paid for (them) in the past."
Along with the flower history,
people can enjoy a variety of events
held in honor of the peony blooming
season. Artworks and photographs
are on display in the Reading Cen-
ter of Nichols Arboretum, featuring
local artists.
A concert is also scheduled for
Wednesday, with local singers cel-
ebrating the various historical con-
notations of peonies in the Chinese
culture.
"There will be a concert of Chi-
nese flower songs," Mooney said. w
"A series of Chinese traditional,
contemporary and modern songs
about flowers and their roles in
Chinese culture, and they're going
to be sung in Chinese."
The garden is home to the larg-
est collection of heirloom peonies
in North America and the festival
celebrates these flowers for a month
every year. Despite time changes
and blooming set-backs, the festi-
val's focus has always stayed on the
flowers.
"It's a celebration of the guest of
honor, the main event, the peonys
themselves," Mooney added. "It
usually lasts for a month, so we
encourage everyone to come out
and see this incredible garden."
KendraFurry
copydesk* ichgadily. m
Copy Chief
As University of Michigan Alumni,
We've been supporting the
UM Community since 1939...
ByAppointment -a
304 1/2 S. STATE ST
Above Ben & Jerry's
734 668 9329
WWWDASCOLABARBERSCOM
WALK-INS WELCOME!
BUSINESS STAFF
BrettBergy SalesManager
.oe Crim Classified's Account Executive
ConnorByrd FinanceManager
The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is
published Monday through Friday during
the fall and winrter tams by students at the
University of Michigan. One copy is available
tree of charge tu all readers. Additional
copies may be picked up at the Daily's office
for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting
iSeptember, cia U.S. mail are $110. Wirter
termlJanuarythroughApr il)s $115, yearlorg
(September through Aprl)is $195. University
affiliates are subect to a reducedcsubscription
rate. On-campus ubscriptions for fall term
are $35. Subscripiers must hr prepaid. The
Michigan Dailyis a member of TheAssociated
Press and TheiAssociated Collegiate Press.
By JULIAN AIDAN
DailyArts Writer
The third installment of Bliz-
zard's "Diablo" series arrives after
12 years of development, promis-
ing an intense
and unforgiv-
ing dark fan- *
tasy adventure DiabloII
and delivering a
single- and mul- Blizzard
tiplayer expe-
rience whose PC
chaotic combat is
second to none.
Players find themselves thrust
into the world of Sanctuary as one
of five highly differentiated class-
es: the archetypal Barbarian and
the Wizard as well as the ranged
vigilante Demon Hunter, the voo-
doo practicing Witch Doctor and
the holy Monk. Sanctuary has the
misfortune of finding itself right
in the middle of an eons-long war
between angels and demons. The
Diablo universe is rich with lore,
and players find snippets seam-
lessly integrated with exploration
and conversation. The game's plot
unfolds at a reasonable pace and
overcomes some grossly subpar
writing with world-class voice act-
ing, including voices from "Avatar:
The Last Airbender" and "Kung Fu
Panda" and a character can completely
With 12 years of development, change his loadout in no time
the team at Blizzard had more than before engaging the next swarm of
enough time to create a game that demons. This allows for innovative
looks and feels alluring. With an and complex play both in the solo
incredibly intuitive user interface, and multiplayer campaign, and the
menu navigation is logical and absence of retraining costs com-
character customization options pensates for the unforgiving diffi-
are literally in the trillions. The culty of higher levels.
graphics are stellar, the cutscenes Gameplay is, in a word, cha-
absolutely gorgeous, the heads-up otic. Dozens of monsters swarm
display isn't too overbearing and the screen at any given moment,
there are multitudes of options to with the character having to
customize the viewingexperience. react to multiple hazards rang-
ing from wasps that shoot more
wasps to pink lasers known to
Long xvait not wipe out entire groups of heroes.
As the player progresses from
in vain: third Normal difficulty onto Nightmare,
Hell and eventually Inferno, dif-
installment ficulty ramps up exponentially,
with run-of-the-mill enemies
delivers, gradually becoming fire-spewing,
semi-invulnerable beacons of frus-
tration.
"Diablo III" is an absolutely
As far as the players are con- insane hack-and-slash game with
cerned, characters unlock new a learning curve just slight enough
abilities and secondary abilities as to make players try for an eighth,
they level up, having simultaneous ninth or tenth time before finally
access to six primary abilities and crushing their way through a spe-
three passive abilities - allowing cific area. It looks sweet and plays
each character to be played with better, and will only improve with
different focuses or situations in time as more and more people set-
mind. Swappingoutskills and items tle in to its specific brand of balls-
takes a minimal amount of effort, to-the-wall insanity.