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 has provided a great learning environment to improve my technical skills, build my ability to work in a team, and establish my communication skills. Lindsay Hamstra

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

Living Lab is a great class to gain experience that you can apply to the real world. The small class means there is more one-on-one time with the lab instructor. The Living Lab also lets you get your hands dirty with hardware and not just focus on exams and homework. I can apply what I learned in other classes to real-world scenarios. My favorite thing about Living Lab is that I can put everything that I achieve in class on my resume, which puts me ahead of the curve with potential employers. Bhaumik Yashesh Pandya

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 an enjoyable experience. It has provided new skills while strengthening old ones and has given me insight into the technical workplace. Wendell Matthew Klene

The work is challenging and exercises a broad set of soft skills as well as technical skills. In working as a webmaster, the Living Lab challenges your ability to communicate, delegate, and prioritize your projects as new issues occur. Definitely a valuable set of skills for any kind of work. Michael Thomas Draper

The Living Lab experience has helped me see what it can be like in the real world. David C. Bryant

The Living Lab has given me the chance to work on a project that I have yet to encounter in my six years of IT experience. It’s broadened my horizons and given me a great chance to work with other students in my field. I have also been able to pick up information from other fields of IT that I wouldn’t have been able to learn in my current job. Jerry Henderson

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 didn’t know what to expect when I signed up for the Living Lab. It has been a long and difficult journey this semester, but I got hands-on experience with Linux. I hoped to cover more networking material, but setting up an intrusion detection system and troubleshooting commands did make this seemingly impossible task for a student with no prior experience more approachable. I also got to make network cables for the first time, which was an added bonus. Nelson Soriano