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. 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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.