Illustration by Ellen Wilkinson
Physics Research Computer Facility
The Physics Research Computer Facility (PRCF) is a `network' of people and
machines that support BU's Physics Department researchers, labs and
technical facilities, academic staff, scientific collaborators,
visitors, Physics students and support personnel. The
PRCF staff performs the following functions:
- (1) Computer Operations
- including daily backups of the user storage records and system
images for the Department Computers, repair and maintenance
service calls for computer nodes, printers and terminals;
- (2) Software and hardware management
- of all departmentcomputer resources of general usage described above: these functions
include hardware and software procurement, installation, and upgrade,
user and security administration, network support and equipment
planning;
- (3) Programming and Development
- of general usage software, such as administrative databasing and document preparation
applications, system monitoring and source porting for public domain
and physics specific applications;
- (4) Consulting and User Support:
- answering user questions or helping users locate documentation or
people who can help them find the answers to their questions---
we also consult frequently with faculty and staff interested
in acquiring and installing their own computer equipment ---
and finally gathering and writing...
- (5) Documentation
- of interest to the physics user population---the present
Mosaic/WWW server serves as a primary example of this effort.
The PRCF Resource Guide
is another one. Ask us for a hard copy! We now have a
a fully hypertextualized
version of it on line!
The Facility is "us": Dave Searls,
Facility Wizzard and Joao Leao, Facility Director
BU Physics Research Computer Facility, October 1994
The Computer Research Facility staff is supervised by the
Physics Computer Committee
which sets the current Computer
Access and Utilization Policies.
Return to:
[Physics Home Page] ; [BU Home Page]]