Support world-class research and teaching using frictionless interfaces to data and computation.
The following accomplishments represent how departments within Information and Technology Services (ITS) successfully met this pivotal 'Area of Focus.' Accomplishments listed may appear in more than one area of focus.
Click on an ITS department title to view all their accomplishments for fiscal year 2024 (FY24).
High-Performance Computing: Powering Research Institutions
ITS Academic Research Computing (ARC)
ARC’s high-performance computing cluster, Great Lakes, provides researchers with access to 123 terabytes of RAM to process incredibly large datasets, often leading to new discoveries and research advancements. Great Lakes is a computational powerhouse, capable of speeds more than 15,000 times that of an average laptop, a necessity for the 1,600+ researchers who used Great Lakes last year and beyond to draw important conclusions based on data trends.
Sustainability & Data Storage
ITS Academic Research Computing (ARC)
Data Den, ARC’s archival storage service, uses a Linear Tape-Open format storage system to store large volumes of data for an extended period of time, often supporting researchers in meeting grant requirements. The use of Data Den upholds U-M's commitment to environmentally responsible operations, saving over 1,200 tons of CO2 each year when compared to an active storage system.
Impressive Infrastructure
ITS Academic Research Computing (ARC)
ARC's services offer incredible speeds and space for storage, allowing researchers to reimagine what is possible when it comes to analyzing and storing data. Data Den Research Archive contains 1,580 tapes, each containing 960 m of tape. The 1,600 km of tape housed by Data Den is enough to cover the distance between Ann Arbor and Jacksonville, Florida.
The Great Lakes high-performance computing cluster specializes in incredibly fast data processing. The cluster is so fast that it would take 300 million people processing two numbers per second for 38 days of non-stop input to process what Great Lakes can process in one second.
Turbocharged Data Access
ITS Academic Research Computing (ARC)
Serving over 2,000 researchers, Turbo Research Storage is ARC's active storage system, allowing researchers to access stored files via a local computer in a lab, office, or ARC's high-performance computing clusters. Turbo offers high speed processing, averaging a read time of 6.6 gigabytes per second over a 24 hour period, a speed which would consume more than half the university's bandwidth, if allowed. The next generation of Turbo will quadruple in speed, helping to increase research productivity as a crucial storage tool.
Comprehensive Research Package
ITS Academic Research Computing (ARC)
The U-M Research Computing Package is a comprehensive suite of resources, offering high-performance computing hours, secure enclave services, replicated storage, and extensive archive capacity at no cost to members of the U-M community. Designed to meet the diverse needs of researchers, instructors, student teams, including Michigan Medicine, this package demonstrates ARC's dedication to nurturing an innovative research community.
Advancing Technological Capabilities and Services
ITS Administration & Operations
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Integrating GitHub Copilot with U-M GitHub to expedite the coding process using AI. This groundbreaking tool streamlines code generation, ushering in a new phase of efficiency for university developers.
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The Pantheon web hosting service was adopted to serve Drupal and WordPress users starting in 2025, signaling another leap forward in website management services.
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On a parallel track, the team initiated Phase 1 of the AFS Retirement, marking the beginning of a transition to more advanced data storage solutions, while also embarking on the AFS Website Upgrade Project to enhance the security of university websites.
Cloud Strategy and Cybersecurity Investments
ITS Administration & Operations
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The cloud infrastructure received a significant boost with the Container Service Platform Upgrade, leading to a modernized hosting environment on AWS through a partnership with Red Hat.
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Proactive defense strategies included the implementation of Cloudflare as a web application firewall, reinforcing the protection of university digital services against external threats.
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To further secure IT operations, Drupal was updated on ITS websites, ensuring adherence to the highest security standards.
Data-Informed Decision-Making and Systems Modernization
ITS Administration & Operations
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An Enterprise Data Catalog Pilot was set in motion to facilitate a university-wide data catalog, enabling more informed decision-making processes.
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The Administration and Operations team also applied focus on internal communication improvements for managing major incidents with a revamp of the IT On Call Paging Solution.
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Progress in modernizing reporting platforms was marked by the completion of the M-Reports Modernization Project Phase I, significantly enhancing the user interface and aligning with U-M branding.
Bringing Generative Artificial Intelligence to U-M
In August 2023, the University of Michigan marked a milestone as the first major university to launch generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) platform specifically designed for the campus community. This innovative suite of AI tools aims to enhance learning, streamline administrative tasks, and uphold stringent standards of security, privacy, accessibility, and equitable access.
This platform was conceived and built by ITS’ first-ever Emerging Technology team, a new group dedicated to exploring ways to integrate groundbreaking technology into higher education and the daily lives of our community.
Their innovative GenAI platform includes U-M GPT, U-M Maizey, and the U-M GPT Toolkit, three powerful AI tools tailored to meet the unique needs of the Michigan community. U-M GPT provides access to popular AI models such as GPT-4 Turbo, GPT-3.5 Turbo, Llama 2, and DALL-E 3, enabling users to leverage advanced language processing and image generation capabilities. U-M Maizey offers personalized AI assistance and tutoring by being trained on university and classroom-specific documents. The U-M GPT Toolkit is designed to support custom AI model development and deployment, allowing users to create tailored AI solutions for their specific needs.
Evolving Security and Privacy Technology
Cosign, a web-based single-sign-on solution, developed at U-M in 2001 and widely adopted across academia, was officially retired in fall 2023. In partnership with all U-M units and many ITS colleagues, tens of thousands of sites were transitioned away from Cosign. “Cosign retirement is a significant milestone that paves the way for the implementation of advanced IAM functionality in the future,” said DePriest Dockins, Director of Identity and Access Management.
Following the university’s 2020 adoption of CrowdStrike Falcon as the enterprise enhanced endpoint protection service for U-M devices, IA continued to add capabilities, such as CrowdStrike Falcon Complete. This capability provides 24/7 managed detection and response support from CrowdStrike, with their analysts acting as an extension of the IA Security Operations Center. The CrowdStrike service has been deployed on over 120,000 machines across all U-M campuses, including Michigan Medicine.
In February 2024, IA completed a smooth transition to enable U-M Weblogin to use the Duo Universal Prompt for two-factor authentication. The new prompt delivers a more streamlined, intuitive, and accessible login experience.
In line with U-M’s commitment to protecting and respecting privacy, IA, in collaboration with The Office of the Vice President for Communications (OVPC), released a new cookie consent and preference management solution for U-M websites in February 2024. The solution allows users to opt in or out of analytics and advertising cookies and has been deployed on a number of U-M websites.
Implementation of New Services
ITS Enterprise Application Services (EAS)
In this past fiscal year, EAS significantly expanded the suite of services available to the university community by launching several key initiatives:
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Among these was the adoption of MiCORES and InfoReady, which are administrative research systems designed to expedite and organize research administration workflows. These platforms have been integrated to enhance the research experience across the campus by providing streamlined processes and improved access to research-related resources.
Strategic Partnerships and Cloud Transition Planning
ITS Enterprise Application Services (EAS)
Along with Business and Finance, UHR, and Michigan Medicine, EAS participated in a Ross Performance Excellence program to discuss initial strategy and collaboration opportunities in anticipation of the ERP Cloud effort. A small leadership working group continues to meet to coordinate any work that can be accomplished in this pre pre-planning phase. Learning sessions with peer institutions to learn and roadmap both ERP Cloud and Research Administration occurred at multiple meetings and events including the BTAA Academic Alliance, Alliance/HEUG, and the Huron User Group conference. These initiatives aim to modernize the university’s administrative systems, showcasing U-M's forward-thinking approach and commitment to operational excellence.
Fueling Innovative Education
In addition to Canvas and other platforms, Teaching & Learning has been instrumental in ushering in a new era of educational strategies by harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence. Notable accomplishments last year included:
GenAI Workshops and Training
A series of 10 GenAI workshops were conducted throughout FY2024, garnering extensive participation and sparking a technological transformation in pedagogy. Tailored individually for staff and faculty, these workshops fostered an appreciation for AI-driven education, as evidenced by the positive feedback from participants. By addressing practical implementation and theoretical concerns, the workshops generated excitement about AI's possibilities in revolutionizing teaching and learning.
Evolving Services and Strategic Improvements
Last fiscal year, Teaching & Learning's dedication to service enhancement was reflected in:
Decommissioning and Evaluation
The strategic decommissioning of services such as MWrite Peer Review and the Unizin Data Warehouse has streamlined the technological framework, paving the way for enhanced tools like the Unizin Data Platform. These calculated decisions are indicative of a forward-thinking and adaptable approach to technology management.
Service Expansion in FY2024
One of the most exciting aspects of FY2024 has been the launch of the U-M Gen AI Services, including U-M GPT and U-M Maizey, which were able to be created by the ITS Emerging Technology team thanks in large part due to the organizational and technical support provided by ITS Support Services.
MACC Data Center Network Replacement
The implementation of the new MACC Data Center network topology is in progress. The ITS Infrastructure project team is migrating the unit switches to the new data center backbone which is now in production. The Advanced Research Computing (ARC) switches have already been moved. Infrastructure is targeting LSA, School of Dentistry, and Business School migrations to be completed before September 2024.