CACTI – IT Living Lab

This project taught students that CACTI is a complete network graphing solution designed to harness the power of RRDTool’s data storage and graphing functionality. CACTI collects periodical data through Net-SNMP which is an application suite to implement SNMP. Through the CACTI Operation the students also learned how to perform data retrieval, data storage, and data presentation.

Student Team Members: Jin Hong, Kashif Rauf, Patrick Ownens

Testimonials

The Living Lab experience has helped me better understand my abilities and what I need to work on. I worked with others in a team and also learned to lead others when my project needed help. In a previous IT job, I did similar tasks to those in the Living Lab, and it shows just how good an experience this can be to help others be better prepared when they graduate. Justin Tanner Andrew

I have gained a lot of useful experience with Mac OS X administration, such as performance monitoring, maintenance, user and group creation, remote and command line administration, and load testing. It has challenged my skill set, and it will be very beneficial for me in the future. Joseph Warren Balazs

FreeNAS is an open-source, Linux based freeBSD, network storage operating system. It can be installed on virtually any hardware platform that allows it to share data over a network. In this project, FreeNAS is being used to house multiple virtual machines for a virtual training program. FreeNAS utilizes a Web-GUI that enables a remote connection through a browser using the assign IP address for the FreeNAS server. This connection is initially insecure and needs a certificate of authority to be e… Read more Creating a secure CA connection for FreeNAS to use with ESXi 6 Virtual Environment

The Living Lab has given me vital insight into what a career in the IT field could potentially look like. From learning to manage my time, deal with unforseen problems, and work with others, to completing group projects and meeting deadlines, the Living Lab has provided me an opportunity to learn and grow as a future IT professional. Matthew Smerdel

The Living Lab was a great opportunity to gain different technical experience in the IT field. The projects were all challenging and simulated a real-world environment to deliver upon. Nick Barnett

The Living Lab has been a great experience for me throughout the semester. I worked with some technologies that were previously unfamiliar and consulted with a client to develop a good solution to implement for them. Working in many unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations truly pushes you, and I believe it’s the best way to foster growth in any profession. So for the Living Lab to give that opportunity is a great thing. Nathanial William Adams

The Living Lab has been very educational for me this semester. I gained experience in collaborating with a client in order to install a Polycom Videoconferencing system, to provide a new way of communication for the client. Paul D. Bailey

The Living Lab has taught me innumerable lessons about IT professionalism, the importance of collaboration and communication, and the need for breadth and depth in technical subjects. I wouldn’t have been able to progress so far without the help and guidance I’ve received from the Living Lab. Devan Douglas Hardwick

I have definitely determined that this class could be just like a real life IT position. You never know how long a project might take, even a simple task. I’ve had some tasks take only a couple of hours, and I worked on one project for 36 hours straight. But I feel that Living Lab is helping to prepare me for what will come in the professional world. Eugene Gephart

The Living Lab provided me with a unique, real-world experience that other classes cannot. This class enabled me to use the skills that I have acquired from my previous classes and apply them to a real-world setting. Kris Westermann