Syracuse University School of Information Studies (iSchool) Professors of Practice Dave Dischiave and Susan Dischiave were quoted in IBM Systems Magazine about how the recent venture between Syracuse University and IBM to build the largest eco-friendly data center will create new educational opportunities for students learning about mainframe technologies.
“IBM’s Academic Initiative program and the System z Professor Seminar provide the resources and training the academic community needs to effectively implement enterprise technology in the classroom,” Susan Dischiave was quoted as saying.
IBM provided more than $5 million in resources to help construct the Syracuse University Green Data Center (SU GDC), a 12,000 square-foot facility containing a 6,000 square-foot data floor designed to be up to 50 percent more energy efficient than the university’s previous data center. The Syracuse University IT team in conjunction with IBM and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to implement innovative features, including 12 micro-turbines powered by natural gas that generate electrical power on-site and the System z10 mainframe. At roughly the size of a large refrigerator, the IBM z10 operates as “a data center in a box” by replacing more than 1,400 x86 servers with intelligent software.
Professors David and Susan Dischiave have partnered with the System z Academic Initiative to develop a curriculum concentrating on maintaining these mainframe technologies and how Fortune 1000 companies rely on the technology.
“Having the System z as an integral part of the Syracuse University’s state-of-the-art Green Data Center initiative allows professors to introduce students to the large complex problem-solving capacity of mainframe technology—a capability we didn’t have with our small, commodity computers,” David Dischiave said.
David Dischiave is an assistant professor and the director of the graduate Information Management Program in the iSchool, where he teaches information management and technology courses. Susan Dischiave is a professor of practice at the iSchool, where she teaches courses database management and is an advisor for Women in Information Technology (WIT).