Research Facilities
Our Laboratories
Discover the state-of-the-art instruction and research facilities at SIU's School of Computing Computer Science Program. From specialized laboratories in networking, cybersecurity, machine learning, and more, to an on-site data center, these facilities provide an advanced environment for both teaching and groundbreaking research.
Explore the cutting-edge facilities that make SIU's Computer Science Program a hub of innovation and learning. Engage with technology in our dynamic labs and research centers.
Research Labs
XLAB
- Location: Engineering Building Room A0321.
- Equipment: 1 Dell Server, 6 Dell Workstations, 12 x 34" LCD Screens, and Prusa 3d Printer.
- Functionality: Research Lab for students working with Dr. Sajedul Talukder.
- Hours: 24 hours for permitted students.
- XLAB Website
Extreme-Scale Computing and Data Analytics
- Location: Engineering Building Room A0309B.
- Equipment: 6 Dell Workstations, 12 x 34" LCD Screens, and HPC Cluster in Wham Data Center.
- Functionality: Research Lab for students working with Dr. Chun-Hsi Huang.
- Hours: 24 hours for permitted students.
Cloud Computing and Big Data Laboratory
- Location: Engineering Building Room A0307E.
- Equipment: 4 Dell Workstations, Dell Server with Nvidia A6000, 10 x LCD Screens.
- Functionality: Research Lab for students working with Dr. Daren Che.
- Hours: 24 hours for permitted students.
Learning, Optimization, and Analysis from Data Lab (LOAD)
- Location: Engineering Building Room A0405C.
- Equipment: 6 Alienware R15 Workstations, 1 AI workstation, Qty x 12 x 34" LCD Screen, 12 drones, 10 set of IoT kit, one VR set (Meta Quest Pro).
- Functionality: Research Lab for students working with Dr. Ahmed Imteaj.
- Hours: 24 hours for permitted students.
Big Data and Software Engineering Laboratory
- Location: Engineering Building Room A0409B.
- Equipment: 4 Dell Workstations, 4 x LCD Screens, and server in Wham Data Center.
- Functionality: Research Lab for students working with Dr. Khaled Ahmed.
- Hours: 24 hours for permitted students.
Peer 2 Peer Network Laboratory
- Location: Engineering Building Room A0405A.
- Equipment: 4 Dell Workstations, 8 x LCD Screens.
- Functionality: Research Lab for students working with Dr. Bidyut Gupta.
- Hours: 24 hours for permitted students.
Bioinformatics and HPC Research Laboratory
- Location: Engineering Building Room A0407C.
- Equipment: 5 Dell Workstations, HPC Cluster in Wham Data Center.
- Functionality: Research Lab for students working with Dr. Xiaolan Huang.
- Hours: 24 hours for permitted students.
Complex Networks and Applications Laboratory
- Location: Engineering Building Room A0407B.
- Equipment: 6 Workstations, several laptops and wireless equipment.
- Functionality: Research Lab for students working with Dr. Koushik Sinha.
- Hours: 24 hours for permitted students.
Control, Command, and Communications of Networked Systems Laboratory
- Location: Engineering Building Room A309A.
- Equipment: 2 FRED Forensic Workstations, 3 Dell workstations
- Functionality: Research Lab for students working with Dr. Henry Hexmoor.
- Hours: 24 hours for permitted students.
Instructional Labs
Computer Networking and Linux Laboratory
- Location: Engineering Building Room A0410.
- Equipment: 20 Dell Workstations with 24" LCD Screen, HP Laser Printer and HP Document Scanner.
- Functionality: General computer Lab for all CS students and instructional Lab for all courses.
- Hours: Monday through Friday 8 AM ~4:30 PM, 24 hours for graduate students.
Instructional Computer Laboratory
- Location: Engineering Building Room A0408.
- Equipment: 27 Dell Workstations with 19" LCD Screen, Digital Projector, SmartBoard System, Multimedia Camera.
- Functionality: Instructional Lab for all courses.
Instructional Computer Laboratory
- Location: Lindegren Building Room 18.
- Equipment: Digital Projector, SmartBoard System, Multimedia Camera.
- Functionality: Instructional Lab for all courses.
Tutoring Center
Tutoring Center
- Location: Engineering Building Room A0409.
- Equipment: 6 iMac Workstations.
- Functionality: Instructional Lab for all courses.
- Hours: By each course schedule. To access the Lab at other times, please contact CS Main Office.
Data Center
On-Site Data Center
The School of Computing at Southern Illinois University is proud to house over 26 state-of-the-art servers within the Wham Data Center. These servers support a diverse array of computational needs, from advanced machine learning applications to high-performance compute clusters designed to tackle complex research challenges. Our robust infrastructure ensures that students and faculty have the necessary resources to drive innovation and excellence in computing, making SIU a hub for cutting-edge technological advancements.
The image to the left showcases a section of the Wham Data Center's server rack, featuring high-performance servers with robust configurations designed to handle intensive computing tasks. These servers are integral to supporting machine learning projects and complex data analysis, ensuring that the School of Computing remains at the forefront of technological research and innovation.
A closer look at the server rack within the Wham Data Center, highlighting the sophisticated infrastructure that powers the School of Computing. The neatly organized servers, equipped with cutting-edge hardware, are optimized for high-performance computing applications, enabling students and researchers to push the boundaries of computational science.
Ups and Generator
- Location: Wham B23
- Two 100kVA UPS units: Liebert 300 and Liebert NPOWER
- All server racks/power distribution units are set up in an A/B input configuration, so that the loss of power on one UPS “side” will not result in a total loss of power to a server and/or rack of equipment.
- Outside Generator:
- Kohler 450 kW 480V diesel generator, with 72-hour full load capacity (3500 gallons). We are currently running at about 30%, so we would have 9 – 11 days of run time on a fuel load.
Air Conditioning Units
- Location: Wham B23
- Equipment: Scheider Electric Uni-flair units
- Two redundant CRAC down flow units installed on a raised floor.
- 30-ton capacity each, DX (gas) based cooling units.
- Four compressors, temperature and humidity sensors.
- Humidifier for dry conditions.
Fire Suppression System
- Location: Wham B23
- Equipment: Sinorix 227 Fire Suppression System
- Functionality:
- Wham B23 server room is completely outfitted with, gas agent (Sinorix 227), also known as clean agent. It is human safe, in that it does not remove oxygen from the room on dispersal. The system is set up with head and smoke sensors, and tripping any two sensors will result in a discharge of the gas after a 30 second countdown. There are manual activation stations available, which results in the immediate dispersal of the gas. There are manual abort stations available (cancellation) to halt the discharge during the 30 second countdown.
High-Performance Computing Facility
The BigDawg High Performance Computing Cluster (HPCC) is among the University’s top research resources. This lightning-fast computing cluster supports computationally intensive research activities, and radically reduces the time needed to process and analyze information. Using BigDawg allows researchers to complete tasks that once required days of processing time, in just hours. Although BigDawg is not as large as some of the mega-clusters at other academic institutions, this computing cluster processes information with speeds comparable to any HPCC available today.