REPORT : CICT

Report of Centre for Information and Communication Technology (CICT)

Date: 20 OCTOBER 2019

SECP1513-09 : Technology in System

To: Dr. Adila Binti Firdaus

School of Computing (Computer Networks and Security)

_______________________________________________________________________

Introduction:

          This visit was carried out based on our assignment that was given to us. We must write an industrial report on job specification needed for career in IT correspond to Centre for Information and Communication Technology (CICT). In a group of three to four people, the report must base on the criteria that was stated in the Industrial Visit 1-CICT SEM II 1920 rubric. The report should not exceed 1500 words and not less than 1000 words long. A copy of our report must be submitted via e-learning and one in e-portfolio. We would like to thank Dr. Adilah Binti Firdaus and Centre for Information and Communication Technology (CICT) for the industrial visit that was held on 20^th of October 2019. The industrial visit was held at Perpustakaan Sultanah Zanariah (PSZ), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. It was supposed to be held at CICT’s main building at D07, but there was some problem that led us to the galerium at PSZ. There are no CICT facilities inside PSZ, but there is a gallery about fields that are correspond to CICT. More information about CICT can be found at https://cict.utm.my/ .

Details of Journey:

CICT a short form for Centre for Information and Communication Technology (CICT) that were located at D07 which located near to School of Computing (N28 & N28A). CICT act as a support unit which provides and delivers ICT services for UTM (staff and students) mostly in ICT infrastructure, system development and administrative activities. CICT offers Internet & Wi-Fi, CRM, web management, infrastructure & security, ID accounts & access, application development, multimedia, software and ICT facilities. Their vision was Digital University Driver. Their mission was Strengthening academia-centric service delivery through data driven digital ecosystem. They claimed that there are committed about their services that will lead to a high impact on ICT and will performed continues improvement for UTM.

The visit originally started at 3.30 pm but because of unexpected weather it started to rain and some of the student did not manage to come on time. Despite that, everything went well as scheduled.

Organisation Structure:

Prof Madya Dr. Mohd Shahizan Bin Othman was CICT’s director and there were six units which were Strategic Management Unit (SM), Application Development Management Unit (ADM), Infrastructure and Operation Management Unit (IOM), Corporate Management Unit (BPK), CICT Kuala Lumpur and IT Academic Fellow CICTJB.

Achievements:

During our tour at Galerium,PSZ about CICT, Encik Mohd Zahari Abidin (Abang Zahari) , Asst. IT officer as CICT’s representative told us that CICTJB protects that they called as “Gerbang Selatan”. This meant that CICTJB protects our Ministry of Higher Education server from south attackers while north gate was protected by Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). About CICT’s achievement or products related to ICT, they developed an application named UTMSmart. UTMSmart was an application that fulfil the student needs such as registered course, QRscan for attendance and result for each subject. CICT also provide their students with services and information that they develop by them self. For instance, application and security.

For infrastructure and security, UTM CICT provide: ID account and access, Email, UTM Hosting, UTM-Ads, ICT Security, Computing for High Performance, Video conferencing and Video streaming, Wi- Fi, and Virtual Private Network in other word VPN. There was also application for development, such as: System Development, Mobile Apps, Multimedia Development, Web Development, Intranet Portal, and crowd funding.

Detailed description:

During the visit at PSZ, Abang Zahari give us a tour and tell us about the technology that were used a long time ago. There were many of them and they all were stored inside Galerium CICT and still in good conditions.

First of all, mainframe. There were 2 types of mainframe:

First Mainframe was produced by IBM on 1952. In the 60’s and 70’s, IBM controlled the large computer market. Mainframe act as the brain (processing unit) and as the main memory for early computer. In the early 1970, UTM used mainframe as their main data storage. The model of the mainframe was IBM (9345B22). This mainframe was first used at Computer Centre, UTMKL. It holds all students and staff information. UTM used the mainframe for almost 20 years that performed various functions such as processing, securing and printing all UTM’s documents.

Second mainframe was Mainframe Tape Subsystem with the model number IBM 9309. This tape also acts as a backup for the mainframe. It also holds the information about students and staff as well as other university’s information. This tape was used from 1987 until 1995. This subsystem also used square shaped tape after the circle tape was no longer in used.

            Other than mainframe, there were also some backup or another alternative that has been used as explained below.

Magnetic Tape Unit with the model number IBM (3420). The magnetic tape act as a backup for the mainframe. All information data (students and staff) and also others university’s information data have been backed up and store inside this magnetic tape unit. UTM used this unit from 1976 until 2010. In the early days, this magnetic tape unit were a round shaped tape before it converted to the rectangular shape tape.

IBM Power Server model type 550 was also used in UTM for the application of the library management system which was operated on a mainframe. These Power Server also seen as the starting point of the information technology evolution and it was also played a substantial impact on UTM library’s history. Because IBM Power Server type 550 boasted a wonderful performance with its fastest chip in the world during the 1990’s technology.

Then there were 4 types of computer that UTM library provided for personal and other purposes:

First, IBM Personal System/2 (model 70 386) has a featured high-density memory technology and a range of integrated features. The system inside the computer supported UTM library outstandingly in performance development for desktop operation that were also compatible with most of the software products that available for personal usage purposes.

Second, IBM Personal Computer 300GL. This computer being an all-inclusive and affordable computer. It also helped incremented the productivity and reduced the cost UTM library ownership. Using Dynix for the system application in 10 years.

Third, IBM P70 (model 6554-673) was used in early 1998 inside the UTM library to provide a good work performance. UTM library have many modules, and databases. With the great ability from the software operations and data accessibility and able to support up to 16MB on disk storage which was a huge number at that moment. With that capability, this computer able to improve the performance of desktop operation.

Forth, Apple Macintosh Classic Computer was equipped with 1MB software memory of RAM and hard disk with 2MB up to 40MB. With the large capacity at that time, this computer was in used in UTM library in the early year of 1990 with the Lotus 123 and Word Star applications for work and simple calculation.

Typewriter is a device of mechanical or electromechanical type machines for writing. They provided alphabetical characters and other keys. These machines were a movable type by meaning that after finished typing in one line the person need to move it to another new lines. The very first commercial typewriter was introduced in year 1874. For UTM, the staff of the library used typewriter during the 1970s until early 1980s. There were 3 types of typewriter that has been used in UTM. The IBM Typewriter, the Olympia Typewriter (originally from German), and the Olivetti Et 116 Typewriters.

Computer mouse. It’s were wired an attached to computers. Mice (in the other hand) help the computer users to point on their computer display to choose or to pick something. There was various type that UTM provide for student and staff since year 1980s until now. For example, IBM mouse, Fujitsu mouse, hp mouse, and etcetera.

Impact Printer with model IBM 4245 or in other word, Dot Matrix Printer. The printer able to print in high volumes also non-stop for 48 hours. It was used in UTM during the 1990s until 2011 to print data and information of the students and staff of UTM.

Multi TV-VCR Combination was a medium telecommunication or a television with VCR or DVD player that were combined together into a single unit. These TV/VCR combination sets have monaural sound though that also equipped with stereo soundtrack compatibility. The device was used in UTM library since 1990s until the early year of 2000.

There was also movie camera that used for library media services to record every activities or programmes that were held inside the library or in other places. These where two or more types of movie camera already used by UTM since 1990s until early 2000s. the movie camera types were Panasonic M 9000 and Hitachi.

Projector were equipped by UTM since year 1980s until now. The equipment was used by library staff and also to support the teaching and learning activities for students. For example, UTM have been used EIKI LC Data-Grade Projector LC-5200, OverHead Projector (OHP) Cabin-OHP 24F, Film Projector 16MM Hokushin, Tragbarer OverHead Projector Anders Kern Portable, Plus Direct Projector (DP-10), and Paxiscope Lara Projection.

There was also slide projector and film projector. For slide projector, there were couple of machines that support the projector. The Slide Mounting, it is a tool that used to produces frames for slide films. An edited film was placed into a special adhesive frame. And then Slide Projector, it was used to display the slide shows. For film, the Silver Film Duplicator was used to produce copies of positive and negative microfilm.

What is microfilm? Microfilm is media item that was heavily used as a learning and reference medium or a source of information in the form of a flat film sheet that contained text and images. For the processor, the Kodak Prostar II Processor was used by UTM to cleanse the 16mm and 35mm sized microfilm that able to process microfilm 10 feet per minute within the speed.

‘Recordrak’ and ‘Zeutschel OK 102’ are model of microfilm machine which were used to capture small images and after that it will be recorded into a microfilm or in different word, microfiche. This model has a huge capacity and that was why UTM used it to provide it for the students.

Image magnifying machine with Dunco 67C model was a tool that used to enlarge image to produce photo prints from negative films and it could be modified according to the users preferred size of the image. This machine only can be used in the darkroom to prevent the light from entering because it would disturb and could made the product failed. As the process happened in the darkroom, a timer would be needed. So, there was also a tool for it and was called the Time Control Device and at that time UTM used Gralab model. This device was carried out during the soaking the microfilm process to controlled the period according to the procedure. If not it would likely effected the quality of the image in the microfilms.

Lastly for displaying or reading the content, there were also machines that can read the microfilm according to the order of the letters on the sheets and would be expanded when needed. This machine was called Microfiche Reader and UTM used Micron 750 model.

The KODAK Prostar Replenisher machine was used in UTM to mix two types of chemical compound and would be in used during the microfilm washing process. Firstly, the mixture of two chemical compound was named Kodak Developer and Kodak Fixer from the Kodak Replenisher would be transferred to Kodak Prostar II Processor for the final used as mentioned in the previous paragraph.

            Radio PYE model Cambridge, England was produced in year 1950s and was used by the technical students of UTMKL. This device was used to be a medium of information dissemination and also for supporting teaching and learning activities purposes.

Task of each member:

CICT visit : All group members.

Photo : Hafizh Herti.

Report : Muhamad Adli Hanis, Arif Suhaimi, Fathimah Hasanti.