Now, a POSTECH professor, performing a national research project, does not have to worry about the submission of reports even if there is an international symposium at the same time. Using the Desktop Cloud service offered by the university, he can store and manage all his data on clouds, and there he can prepare and revise articles. Because all data is stored in servers, there is no possibility of hacking or data spill.

A POSTECH student does not need to go to his departments’ computer rooms. Instead, he can access the Desktop Cloud service through smartphone, operate programs and do assignments.

POSTECH announced the first real operation of the Desktop Cloud service on Sep. 27. The construction of the Desktop Cloud service aims to tighten research security and help Postechians using a variety of equipment for research and education. Within the Desktop Cloud service, personal computers of members will be managed centrally, and users can access personal computing environments through other desktops, smartphones, tablet PCs, as well as labtops.

The Desktop Cloud service is one of the outcomes of cloud computing. The term ‘Cloud’ refers to a non-physical infrastructure offered by central servers. Details are abstracted from users to the‘Cloud’ and then they can be accessed by individual equipment. Some major IT companies have developed their own cloud computing environments, and other organizations are starting to introduce various forms of cloud computing, including the Desktop Cloud service. Among Korean universities, POSTECH is the first to adopt cloud computing.

POSTECH has reinforced protection of intellectual property rights and security of research works such as making national projects and academic-industrial research projects under control of central server from individual controls. Based on it, high performance computing environments will be provided to individuals on demand.

In addition, cloud computing will be used for the proper education of undergraduates using practical software such as providing optimized user environments. The supply of virtual desktop environments easily seen on public computers in the library is a good example of an application of the Desktop Cloud service.

Reporter Lee Sang-min