Bar-Ilan University Enhances Computing Ability for Diverse and Rapidly Growing Student Population
 
 

Bar-Ilan University Enhances Computing Ability for Diverse and Rapidly Growing Student Population

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Bar-Ilan University is the fastest growing University in Israel, with a student population of 34,000. The University aims to excel in research and has a particular focus on fields at the forefront of science, such as computational biology, biotechnology, and nanotechnology.

 
 

 
 

Challenges

A word from Bar Ilan University

  • “Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure and Oracle VM provide us with an easy-to-manage, flexible, and cost-effective solution for our students’ computing requirements. We are now able to confidently offer a reliable service to a rapidly growing number of students.” – Shmuel Mekler, Computing Manager, Bar-Ilan University

  • Implement a cost-effective, flexible solution that will allow students of mathematics and computer science to access desktop computers in their lessons
  • Enable mathematics and computer science students to choose whether they use Windows or Linux operating systems according to their specific requirements
  • Ensure that there are enough terminals available to accommodate a rapidly growing student population
  • Simplify administration, reduce the time required to apply updates, and offer a reliable network for students to access in class

Solutions

Oracle Product and Services

  • Worked with Oracle Partner 4Net Plus to design and implement a flexible virtualized environment―using Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, Oracle VM, Oracle’s Sun Fire X4140, and Oracle Solaris―to provide a greater number of students with workstation access and enable students to choose which operating system they use
  • Increased the number of terminals available to students in a class environment from just 20 in 2005 to 200 in 2011
  • Enhanced performance and enabled 200 students to work on terminals simultaneously without the prohibitive cost of implementing 200 separate personal computers (PCs)
  • Decreased the time required to implement universitywide upgrades from days to just minutes by applying the updates just once on the server rather than separately at each PC
  • Reduced electricity requirements by as much as one-fifth, eliminating the use of air-conditioning in a room previously used for PCs
  • Prevented many of the administration problems previously experienced by introducing a closed system to prevent students from connecting their laptops or notebooks to the university network as they did prior to the virtualization project

Partner