About the IT Group

The Information Technology Group (ITG) manages all hardware and infrastructure at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). The IT Group ensures that VTTI systems provide the highest percentage of uptime and efficiency available to researchers and data services.

VTTI boasts the following hardware and technology: 250+ DELL brand business class desktops, laptops, workstations, and servers; external Wide Area Network (WAN) speeds equal to an OC-3 (45 Mbps); top of the line WatchguardT firewall appliance which restricts unauthorized access to/from all servers and data reduction workstations; all network connections at VTTI are high-speed Ethernet. VTTI is the first research center at Virginia Tech to implement this Gigabit technology to every portal.

The IT Group designed, implemented, and continues to maintain the VTTI Data Center, which includes the following technology: 20+ high availability, high performance DELL PowerEdge servers; Over 65 Terabytes of redundant high-speed storage, including approximately 6 TB of Fiber- Channel storage for SQL data; all network connections are high-speed Gigabit Ethernet; large capacity and modular tape libraries capable of backing up over 12 Gigabytes of data per minute; two 600 sq ft high-security data reduction labs connected on an isolated network to provide inaccessibility to the outside world.

The state-of-the-art Data Center also features elevated flooring, secured/monitored access, steel mesh reinforced walls, dedicated HVAC, monitored climate control, and an on-site diesel generator which supplies backup power and emergency lighting.

Data Services

Once data has been uploaded to VTTI servers, Data Services facilitates researchers in viewing and maintaining their data sets. Data reductionists use a data viewer, which was developed in-house, to reduce data. The data viewer supports the synchronizing of video and performance data.

Data reductionists undergo a rigorous training process before they are allowed to reduce data. Reduction tasks are limited to 20 hours per week per person due to the computer intensive nature of the tasks. A series of testing protocols are also in place to ensure that data reduction is consistent both between reductionists and within a single reductionist over time.