Division of Information Systems

Ronit Segal Head of Division of Information Systems

The Division of Information Systems, located in the Dr. Karl and Leila Ribstein Center for Information Technology, provides networking, communications, computer system services and support, applications developing and implementation, and internet and library services to Institute scientists, students and administrators. It oversees the smooth implementation of an integrated computing environment, as well as maintaining the infrastructure upon which these information technology services are delivered. The role of fast communication (data, voice and picture) facilities is constantly expanding, with ever-increasing demand for easy multi-platform access, to facilitate the retrieval and free flow of continually updated information.

The Division consists of three Branches:

• the IT Infrastructure Branch
• the Applications Branch
• the Libraries Branch

The homepage of the Division of Information Systems is: http://www.weizmann.ac.il/DIS/

Gershom Martin (until June 2010)
Senior Academic Advisor to the Head of Information Systems Division

Prof. Martin acts as the academic advisor to the head of the Division, and also as advisor for IT affairs to the WIS President. The main focus of his activities is to articulate the special requirements of the academic sector to the division and to improve the quality of service for IT services that are essential to the scientists (email, internet access, end-user support, etc.).

Another focus is investigating future-proof next-generation technologies for the division in general, and the Computing Center in particular.

A third area of attention is nurturing practical expertise in research computing (particularly HPC).

Fourth, he acts as an integrator for problems where the solution requires bringing together expertise from different subspecialties of IT, and bridging the gaps between them.

In addition, Prof. Martin serves as the academic overseer of the WIS Library System.

IT Infrastructure Branch
Ofer Aaronson, Head

The IT Infrastructure (ITI) Branch (previously known as the Computing Center) strives to provide an advanced and efficient communications and computing environment for the Institute's faculty, students and staff. ITI is a member of the Inter University Computing Center (IUCC), popularly known by its Hebrew Acronym MACHBA http://www.iucc.ac.il. The eight member universities share technology and services, to the benefit of all. From the smallest personal computer to powerful multi-processor servers, ITI supports and facilitates the campus computing and communications infrastructure, together with providing the network-intensive applications necessary for the pursuit and advancement of science at the Weizmann Institute.

• Fully backed-up Open Enterprise Server, Linux, UNIX and Macintosh file and print systems are now available for the thousands of personal computers at the Institute.
• The Tivoli Storage Management backup system has been upgraded and now runs on Linux servers. TSM backup system has been enhanced to allow faster processing, by storing backed-up data on high performance disk storage and on faster and higher-capacity LTO4 tapes.
• Support is provided for approximately 4000 personal computers running Windows, Linux and Mac OS X operating systems. Currently, about 60 new personal computers are installed on campus each month.
• The old IBM mainframe, which served administrative data processing, has been phased out.
• The Institute communications infrastructure has been upgraded with a fully redundant 10 Gb network in the core and in the main buildings, and with dedicated 1Gb bandwidth to every workstation on campus. The network is based on state-of-the-art networking technologies, and enables complete integration of the security policies on the campus. The entire Weizmann network, starting with our connection to the IUCC network and including almost the entire remaining network, is fully redundant. The network grows at a rate of 15% every year.
• The connection to the Internet via the IUCC network has been upgraded, and our main connection is now 1GB with a backup line of 300Mb.
• We have deployed a centrally-managed Institute-wide wireless network. We have deployed new Wireless Technology, 802.1n, that allows greater coverage and mobility. This allows all users to access the same wireless environment, regardless of where they are located in the Institute, and allows roaming between wireless access points without disconnecting from the network. Wireless service is available for general Internet Web access and Secure Internal connection for those scientists who need such a service. We have launched a new Secured authentication system which seamlessly allows Wireless mobile devices (i.e. Laptop computer) to connect to the Institute's internal network, while still maintaining maximum security to our network. We also provide Wireless Guest Network service to visitors who need external access isolated from our Network, thus allowing extended applications (e.g. Client VPN and others) that cannot traverse the Weizmann firewall.
• The IT Infrastructure branch has built a new Data Center with a high density water cooling system to host HPC (high-performance clusters) systems per the scientific departments’ needs. We support 30kW cooling per compute node’s cabinets that typically hosts hundreds of compute cores, Infini-band inter-connect switches and Terabytes of storage. The ITI Data Center is a state-of-the-art hosting facility with raised floor, water cooling fabric for both HPC systems and room environmental, designed for optimal airflow rack layout. It supports power distribution for 3-phase outlets on an upper ladder rack and runs with 24x7 monitoring by Weizmann facility for all critical systems.
• The IT Infrastructure Branch oversees the implementation, integration and administration of HPC in various scientific departments. We have integrated Lustre file systems to be used in Linux clusters. Lustre file systems can support several thousand servers (Petabytes of storage) and can have hundreds of Gigabytes per second throughput. We are taking an active part in planning large HPC clusters in various scientific departments: in the Faculty of Mathematics two main clusters have been added, the Physics cluster has been rebuilt, and the compute cluster of Bioinformatics has been redesigned. The Servers Section is also taking an active part in managing the cluster of Molecular Genetics, assisting scientists in choosing the optimal compute cluster for their needs. ITI is also in the process of exploring new paradigm in HPC technology, the use of GPU technology for high core density and significant cost optimization. We are starting a pilot of GPU based computing and its applicability in specific scientific applications.
• The Server Section has created a dedicated High Performance Cluster based on Linux servers at ITI. Scientists are invited to add their own servers to that cluster so that all the computing resources of the High Performance Cluster can be shared. In this way we can achieve optimal performance from the computing resources. Job management of the cluster is based on SGE (Sun Grid Engine) job management technology.
• The Microsoft Exchange 2010 mail system has been chosen to become a single unified mail system for Weizmann. ITI has launched a program to migrate all users from OCS and GroupWise to Exchange. This program is underway from its inception, planning, design and build of the core system and a detailed planning of the migration process. We are planning to complete the migration throughout 2011. The new Exchange mail platform will have better mobility integration options based on ActiveSync and Blackberry Enterprise Server, will provide enhanced and secured Web mail access using Microsoft Outlook Web access and will enhance everyone's collaboration with unified access to calendars, conference room resources, address book, etc.
• The Oracle Collaboration Suite (OCS) mail server platform will continue to support its users through the migration until the end of the year.
• The GroupWise mail system will continue to supports its users through the migration until the end of the year.
• The IT Infrastructure Branch supports mobility on both GroupWise and OCS mail servers, using a NotifyLink mobile server to provide wireless access and management of Email, Calendar, Contacts and Tasks. We will migrate all mobile devices to Microsoft Exchange throughout the migration process of our mail system.
• The security system for the Institute network continues to be upgraded with the latest available technologies. We have improved and expanded our Firewall and Intrusion Detection and Prevention systems. We have enhanced our state-of-the-art anti-virus/anti-spam system, which monitors and filters all incoming mail, and have added several new levels of anti-spam protection. We continue to improve our security systems, balanced by scientific needs, and to add new technologies to protect our network and resources. We also have completed the implementation of full high availability for all the security systems. This will ensure continuous operation of all the systems and will minimize, if not totally eliminate, maintenance downtimes.
• We continue to support the recent releases of the Macintosh OS X operating system, including OSX 10.6, as well as the new Intel Macintosh platform. All new machines come with our supported software installed. We support several solutions for Windows operating systems on the Macintosh and are developing a more rigorous backup system for the Macintosh. At this point, the Macintosh OSX system is widely used and supported in the Institute, although we continue to support the older system as needed.
• The EMC CX3-40 Storage Array has been extended. The Storage Area Network Infrastructure is being upgraded to two Cisco 9509 Storage Directors, which will offer more bandwidth, higher capacity and load balancing. The Network Appliance file server has been replaced, and we now have a clustered FAS3070 filer which provides NFS and CIFS services to servers and workstations on the campus and can be part of our SAN Infrastructure as well.
• The Meta-Directory has been expanded to manage and synchronize the identities of our users on a wide range of systems, including the e-Tafnit ERP system, the Oracle Collaboration Suite email system, the Aleph Libraries System, the Human Resource System and others.
• Another directory connected to the meta-directory contains the contact information for all staff and faculty members. This is used by the Internet Services Unit for publishing in the intranet. This contact information can also be accessed by a convenient application at http://uinfo.weizmann.ac.il.
• Athens is a joint Institute project of the Library and the IT Infrastructure Branch. Using Novell Access Manager, Weizmann users can now gain access to information resources throughout the world, regardless of where they are located. Many information service providers in Europe and other parts of the world use a special authentication infrastructure, called "Athens", through which a user’s identity is verified before granting access to any given resource. The project at Weizmann integrates "Athens" and Weizmann's Identity Management infrastructure, so that when our users need access to external information resources, the user identity and access rights are verified against Weizmann's local Identity Management infrastructure, without exposing the user's passwords and other sensitive information to any external resource provider.
• We have centralized a Helpdesk function (Moked) that answers all end-users calls, in an attempt to provide immediate first call support. Support calls details are entered into our Helpdesk ticketing system for tracking, dispatch and resolution. The IT Support Section monitors the Helpdesk ticketing system and resolves tickets in the order they are entered into the system. Our Support group consists of three discrete sub-groups with related expertise: PC, Mac and Linux. This diversity allows us serve the Weizmann heterogeneous computing environment efficiently and effectively.
• We organize computing training programs for Office applications, Windows and other topics, as requested by specific departments in our computer classroom in the Division of Information Systems building. These programs are taught by certified trainers from key training partners.
• On an ongoing basis, we are working toward guaranteeing the fastest way to supply a fully-installed new PC. We continue to update the CD ROMs (containing our supported software) which we prepare and distribute to our authorized PC dealers. The dealers use these CD ROMs to install our computing environment on PCs they sell to the Institute. These PCs are then delivered directly to the end user, ready to be connected to our network. Our supported software can also be installed from a menu on PCs which are already connected to our campus network. This is enabled by a product called Zen Works for Desktops. Today we keep images of most of the standard PCs supported by the IT Infrastructure Branch, and instead of installing or re-installing Windows on users’ PCs from Microsoft distribution CDs, we re-image them via the network. In most cases we can have a new copy of Windows up and running in 15-20 minutes. We have introduced Windows 7 and Office 2007 as standard in our imaging CD ROM, so that any new PC comes with the latest software.
• Administrative PCs: For 2010, the Weizmann Institute again selected a single PC and a single dealer for administrative PCs for a period of one year. Standardizing on a single PC allows us not only to negotiate a fair price with the vendor, but has also led to increased satisfaction from the user standpoint, and labor savings from the standpoint of the IT Infrastructure Branch. Standardizing on a single administrative PC allows us to utilize a standard "image" for the PC. If at any time there is a problem with the current copy of the system on the computer, we can ask the user to restart the computer and a fresh copy of the system will be downloaded over the network.
• Scientific PCs: we are constantly reviewing the scientific computer hardware configuration for PCs which should satisfy the needs of most scientific departments. We have elected and certified Intel motherboards in various configurations and manage our selection for price performance in tandem with Intel announcements. We have also established an Authorized Supplier program that requires our supplier to provide 3-years on-site support for all PC hardware we purchase from them. This ensures best price and service level for the Scientific PC hardware.
• We have upgraded our range of supported Windows software to improve service and security, we use Windows 7 as our standard operating system.
• The Telecommunications Services unit provides and maintains all telephone communications on the Institute campus. The hub of its activity is the central switchboard installation, managed by four operators and one supervisor. The switchboard is a "Coral" product of Tadiran, supporting over 3,000 extensions throughout the campus. It has been recently upgraded to version 15, allowing for IP-telephony and Soft phones.
• The Telephone Communications Services unit is responsible for the smooth functioning, maintenance, and (the constant) transfer of these lines, as well as the addition of new extensions as needed. The unit works closely with Bezeq, and is also responsible for implementing the infrastructure necessary for remote (off-campus) connections to the Institute's computer network, such as fast Internet ADSL lines. This includes international connections as well, in conjunction with the various Israeli international telephone service providers.
• The Telecommunication team has joined forces with international telephone service partners to provide international phone service. Weizmann scientists can subscribe to regional Cellular phones from the Telecommunication section office for reduced roaming Cellular service while traveling abroad. Similar service is available with an international calling card.
• The unit oversees and maintains all cellular telephone activity on campus, together with the local cellular service providers. To date, there are over 400 cellular phones under the management of the Telecommunications Services unit. The unit now supplies cellular modems to the scientists, either by purchasing or by borrowing, to enable wideband connection from laptops to the internet. In 2011 following Weizmann decision to participate in the Accountant General's (Ministry of Finance) tender for Cellular Phone services, a tender which is performed for all government services, we are planning a migration of the cellular service to the newly elected prpovider, Pelephone. It is expected to provide significant savings in telecommunication costs as a result of this tender.
• We have completed a comprehensive ,b>mapping of all the telephone cables
on campus, radiating from the central switchboard to every single structure with a telephone. This information is an invaluable tool in maintaining the smooth running of the Institute's extensive telephone system, and enables the most efficient use of this cable network when installing new phones.
• The unit works tirelessly to provide and maintain the most efficient service possible in all areas of communication on the Institute campus that pertain to telephones.
• The home page of the Telecommunications Services section is: http://www.weizmann.ac.il/telecomm/

The home page of the IT Infrastructure Branch is: http://www.weizmann.ac.il/CC/

Research Staff

Senior Staff Scientist

Morton F. Taragin, Ph.D., George Washington University, Washington, United States

Engineers

Shlomit Afgin, M.Sc., Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Camille Botaz, M.Sc., University of Bucharest, Romania
Yehezkel Bialik, B.Sc., Yeshiva University
Issak Kopp, M.Sc., Novocherkassk Polytechnic Institute
Boris Lourie, Ph.D., The Weizmann Institute of Science
Iris Mersel, M.Sc., Tomsk University, Tomsk, and M.Sc., Moscow University, Moscow
Jerry Mersel, B.Sc., Hunter College, NY

Applications Branch
Mirit Katz-Shilo, Head

The Applications Branch is responsible for the activities previously carried out by the Data Processing Department and the Internet Services Unit. It is responsible for the development and maintenance of data systems used by Institute scientists and administrators. An additional focus is the creation of departmental web sites, as well as individually customized applications. All systems have been, and are currently being, developed in accordance with Internet/Intranet technology, in which a client-user is connected to an Internet web server via multi-platform-compatible web browser software. In such an environment, the client is not bound by any specific desktop platform, and can communicate freely with any international Internet or local Intranet site.

The Internet Services Section:

Since its inception in 1999, the Internet Services Section has played an integral role in the Division’s principal goal of improved communications and the dissemination of information. While the Internet Services Section maintains the Institute’s central web servers, its primary function is the creation of departmental web sites, as well as a wide variety of individually customized applications.

As the focus of web sites has shifted from static web pages to dynamic interactive ones, the unit has made great progress in this area. Internet Services is concentrating on integrating the Human Resources database with the dynamic resources of the web, making even the smallest change in the data immediately visible and retrievable via the Internet.

In the past year the section has been engaged in the following projects:

• A CMS (Content Management System) tool was developed, using the FCK editor. This tool enables the website owner to independently manage the content of the website.
• New platforms for website development have been implemented: Drupal, WordPress and SharePoint. These tools include capabilities of interfacing databases and other software tools. The platforms enable the website owner to independently update the content of the website.
• Designing and developing the new Weizmann web site, especially improved search engines, as part of the effort toward building a new website for the Institute. The new Weizmann web site will be ready in 2011, supplying a professional and efficient interface, and ensuring a dynamic reflection of a particularly multi-faceted campus.
• A new system to present tenders information to the public was developed, as part of the organization's readiness for implementing the new Tenders law and regulations of August 2010.
• An "Internal Form" in the Research Grants and Projects (RGP) Office web site was presented online. The submission of every grant application by a Weizmann Institute researcher, accompanied by completion and submission of a declaration, has been computerized and is now available online.
• The Internet Services section continues to modify applications to enable retrieving data from the HR system, which has been designated as the sole source of all Human Resources data at Weizmann. This ensures that all Human Resources data at Weizmann originates from the same source and is, therefore, totally uniform.
• The section continues to create web sites for any scientist or research group interested in this service. These sites are created in a way that allows the scientists themselves (or their students) to easily update their data, and to take real advantage of the web’s capabilities. We have built automatic systems for a picture gallery, for a group calendar and for group announcements. In addition, there is now a user-friendly process for uploading files and displaying information about presentations given by group members at group meetings or scientific conferences.
• In addition, the section maintains important systems whose development is ongoing. These include:
  • The highly successful online Directory, which includes pictures, phone numbers, room numbers, email addresses and home pages of Weizmann personnel.
  • The integrated online calendar, which is updated by many authorized personnel and displays information about all Weizmann events.
  • The Email Distribution System – M2G, which enables authorized personnel to send email to selected groups on campus.
  • The Interactive Campus Map, which enables visitors and staff alike to easily navigate the campus.
  • We have brought the online updating of the annual Scientific Activities report to the point where it is now automatically produced. This provides both for creating the online file, as well as for a simpler, significantly cost-saving, method of printing the annual report.
  • The Current Research Activities is also produced on line and is updated weekly. This is an essential document, referred to by many (e.g. FGS students) as a primary and concise source of information about the scientific activities of research group leaders at the Institute.
  • At the request of the Directorate for Research and Academic Affairs, the Internet Services section has created an online system to manage the Minerva-Weizmann Projects program. Information about the projects is displayed on line, enabling young German researchers who are interested in coming to Weizmann to learn more about working with the scientists involved in the project.
  • Managing a continually evolving Weizmann web site, ensuring the rapid flow of up-to-date information via a professional and efficient interface, the section ensures that the Weizmann web site remains a dynamic reflection of a particularly multi-faceted campus.

The ERP Section:

The extremely successful ERP system, based on Tafnit software, has been functioning smoothly since 2007, and is constantly being upgraded and expanded.

The system includes the following main modules: Finance, Budgets, Travel, Research Grants, Purchasing & Logistics, Construction and Salary Accounting, as well as an interface with the existing HR Oracle Applications module. The reporting and management of Grants and Financing has been upgraded to one integrated system, providing information transparency and automatic data control, according to accepted procedures and financial protocols. Data regarding where, when and by whom different operations were performed is stored and readily accessible. The whole process of a transaction, beginning with the request from the scientist and ending with the payment process and its connection to the research, is accomplished within one system.

The ERP enables data retrieval and integration of data and processes from all information systems in the Institute, thus providing the complete and transparent information necessary for informed managerial decisions. This web-enabled system has had a campus-wide impact on documents workflow, control and reminders, where needed.

Further improvements that have been completed during 2010 include:

• Pursuant to the Tenders Law ("Chok ha'Michrazim") and regulations recently applied to institutes of higher learning in Israel, an initial response has been offered within the Tafnit system for the purchase of scientific goods and services. The declaration that needs to be approved by the initiator when submitting a purchasing request has been integrated within the purchase demand. As the automatic control process is developed further, more elements will be added to the Tafnit system, to provide a more inclusive answer to the requirements of the law and regulations.
• Enhancements in the Queries for Scientists now enable scientists to submit budgetary queries which return information on budgetary balances, as well as updates about personnel in the scientist's group.
• Development and implementation of an Inventory module, in Tafnit, for enabling Inventory control.
• A Suppliers portal has been introduced, which enables the Institues's suppliers to view the financial status and the approval of the invoices in the accounting department.

The Human Resources System, based on the Oracle Applications Human Resources software package, has been in production for nine years. This system has been instrumental in centralizing all the human resources information and activities of the Institute, as well as providing, at long last, a single updated source of tabular information to be accessed by the entire campus. The Oracle Human Resources module serves as the single source of information for most of the Institute's online services, including LDAP, Internal Services, Feinberg Graduate School, and future portal-designed web sites.

The integration of the Academic Affairs Office into the larger Oracle data base has been completed. This new, comprehensive system monitors all administrative aspects of the scientific community, including sabbaticals, appointments, and organizational structure. Department administrators are now able to access the application to produce reports on their own, which include all relevant information about their department members. In addition, the Safety & Environmental Compliance Unit can also access relevant information in order to maintain the highest standards of safety on campus.

Additional modules and reports, which help systematize the Institute's organizational structure, are added regularly according to requests by the Division of Human Resources. The HR data base serves as a basis for campus-wide salary computations, the creation of individual employee information files, individually authorized entrance to campus buildings, and many other procedures. The system also enables total internet web-based interfacing with MS Office, Adobe Acrobat and other widely-used applications.

During the last year the following modules were implemented:

• A workflow tool of Oracle Application to support the process of reporting time effort and eligibility criteria for scientific grants by the scientists.
• An employee recognition system: Phase 1, which has been completed, manages the administrative part of the process. Phase 2, which will be implemented in the future, is planned to oversee entire workflow process, from the initial request for employee recognition, through all the approval levels until its final entry.
• Letters Production System: the old ADE system, which had no support, was replaced by a module in the HR system, which enables creating letters combined with information from the HR database. We are working toward sending the letters by email, instead on paper.

The Applications Developing Section:

During the past year we have initiated the following projects:

• The successful Internal Services project, which has been running smoothly in production for over ten years, is constantly being upgraded and expanded. This web-enabled system, which monitors all in-house transfer of goods and services, has had a campus-wide impact on internal campus communication. Its current roster of approximately one hundred services provides an on-line catalogue of items available from various Institute departments (providers), and a user-friendly interface for placing, processing, and tracking internal orders. Most importantly, the system automatically debits and credits the department budgets or projects for these transactions. The systems is updated with new services all the time.
• The Feinberg Graduate School (FGS) system, which has successfully been in production for almost nine years, enables students to register for laboratory time according to availability, to view their grade scores on line via the web, to register on line for equipment and rooms, online registration for rotations and post-docs, course evaluation and scheduling, and an improved archive of graduate students. In order for students to view their grades, they must first award a grade to the lecturer of the course, and to the course itself.

  A complete menu of online interaction among students, lecturers, and the administration includes the automatic production of student cards, online questionnaires, a dynamic exchange and updating of grant reports, and the tracking of student and alumni awards.

  Another service in the system, PAC (Ph.D. Approval Committee), assists the committee which awards Ph.D. degrees. It includes information on the committee members, dates, scheduling and candidate status, and oversees the smooth passage of all relevant forms and evaluations.

  The system also includes improved logistical options and flexibility for the FGS staff, computerized systems for student and lecturers' salaries and student attendance, complete computerization of admissions procedures, early registration for exams, a grant system for outstanding women scientists, a follow-up system for Feinberg graduates (coordinated with the Ministry of the Interior), an improved travel system for students, registration of visiting students, automatic production of reports, and a greatly improved group email system which allows sending announcements/instructions/reports to specific population groups as needed.

  Other recent enhancements include a user-friendly interactive reporting system, based on the interactive report Apex tool. a friendlier user interface developed in Oracle new tools (html/apex), which has improved the student-lecturer interface in the FGS system. Lecturers can now view the students' course evaluation for their courses. Application forms to FGS for different degrees/fellowships (M.Sc.,Ph.D.,Post-Doc) have been rewritten, and acceptance/rejection letters can now be printed on line. The forms and letters for the evaluation committee of the Women Scientists Fellowships, as well as Student Absentee reports, are presented via an html/web interface.

  A new on-line course material system has been developed, which greatly assists Feinberg Graduate School students. The system allows students to view and download their course material, as well as providing an efficient method for professors to upload their syllabi and communicate with students.

• The Lab Manager system: (an html product, using Oracle APEX), for management of materials and orders for labs at Weizmann. The use of this product has been expanded to include 22 different laboratories.
• Many changes have been made in the administrative system for the Davidson Institute of Science Education and Tsemed systems, to support the union of those units.
• Scientist housing: this system, which handles the housing provided to the scientists at Weizmann, has been rebuilt and it now integrates all the information regarding the housing of visiting scientists, permanent scientists and students. New modules, such as of inventory household, family members' care and interface to the ERP system were added.
• A new HelpDesk Reports system: provides Business Intelligence on the Helpdesk system at the IT Support Section in Weizmann. The reports analyze received tickets by departments, supporters, requests topics, etc.
• Kesher: an internal management system for the Research Services Division, which allows this unit to maintain time schedules and regulate the work of each member of the group. The system was implemented successfully during this year.
• Alumni: a new web form site, which allows all alumni to get in touch with former students of the Institute, including the option of having an institute email for life for alumni has been developed.
• DNA Manufacturing Process System, for Prof. Ehud Shapiro's lab. This system manages the tasks and projects during the manufacturing stage, encorporates Matlab's results of the process, and creates a file for production use by the robot.
• In addition to the new projects described above, the Applications Branch maintains and upgrades important systems whose initial development is complete. These include:
  • LIMS: Laboratory Information Management System, requested by the new Israel Structural Proteomics Center housed on the Weizmann campus and run by Weizmann scientists. Researchers submit targets (DNA or purified protein) for cloning and expression of the target genes and purification, crystallization and 3D structure determination of the target proteins. The new system tracks all of the scientific stages along the way: from primers, PCR experimentation, cloning, mini-prep, expression, production and purification, to crystallization and 3D structure. We are now upgrading the system to a new html format.
  • An Administrative Assemblies Management System for the Department of Resource Development: enables group visit tracking, flight information, tours and events scheduling, nametags, place cards, and all other aspects of important group assemblies at the Institute.
  • A touch-screen system for the Levinson Visitors' Center that funnels information automatically to the Department of Resource Development.
  • The Telephones Billing Management system.
  • The young@science system, which monitors after-school science activities offered by the Institute to Rehovot children. A new addition to this system manages a multifaceted program of organized school outings to the Clore Science Park. The same system also manages all activities in the Garden of Science.
  • The IACUC (International Animal Care and Use Committee) system, which enables scientists to submit applications for veterinary resources via the Internet, replacing the previous email/telephone system. This is one of the department's most successful smaller systems, and since it went into production in November of 2002, a wide array of new features has been added every year.
  • The system to monitor the working hours of the private Security Service personnel the Institute employs.
  • A Safety Services system, which monitors reports submitted by Heads of Research Groups about the levels of their biological, chemical and radiations hazards/data, student exposure, and vaccinations.
  • The transportation system, which enables the ordering of transportation services and movement of goods via the campus Intranet.
  • A management system for controlling the schedule of the Wix and Ebner auditoriums.
  • A scholarships system which interfaces between the Feinberg Graduate School and the Donors system. Every FGS student receives a donated Scholarship every year, and the new system maintains these relationships.
  • CAMP and KAMATZ projects of the Davidson Institute of Science Education. This system includes a data base of students and counselors who participate in these projects, as well as follow-up data on project management, programs, and student attendance. The system also includes many report options, as well as mailing list management.

The BI Section (Business Information and reports): BI is a methodology that creates a better view of the data in an organization. The platform usually includes tools that enable easy access to many sources of information, from several databases and formats, in different operational systems. BI also has the ability to display the combined data from different systems in a clear, graphical view, and to analyze the data by various categories and parameters. Due to BI’s manifold abilities, issuing reports or presenting important data in a clear and precise way has become easier for any type of user, with any type of data.

The process of mapping the systems and data that exist in our organization, and of potential users and their needs has been completed. A BI technology (ClikView) was selected and the implementation of 2 screens, displaying a variety of information, graphs and reports regarding budgets and donor contribution has also been was completed. Other screens regarding different issues are in progress are.

Electronic billboards: 30 billboards were installed around the campus in 2009. The electronic billboards display events from the Institute calendar, in order to enhance awareness and multi-disciplinary cooperation between the scientists. A new feature of automatic loading of a lecture poster' to be presented on the billboard screen, was implemented.

The Applications Branch is moving steadily toward its goal of a completely web-enabled environment, using a variety of cutting-edge tools to build the most integrated applications possible.

The website of the Applications Branch still includes two websites (of Data Processing and the Internet Services unit), which we plan to merge into one combined website: http://www.weizmann.ac.il/DP/ and http://www.weizmann.ac.il/IU/

Libraries Branch
Hedva Milo, Chief Librarian

The Libraries are responsible for acquiring, collecting, processing, distributing, and storing all printed material (books, journals, patents, articles, etc.) needed by the Institute faculty and staff, as well as for purchasing, licensing, implementing, maintaining, managing and ensuring online access to digital resources such as e-journals/series, e-books, databases, etc. The Library staff provides users with up-to-date techniques for locating and using library material and for searching the Library's online catalog, supports the Institute's personnel with sophisticated use of online resources, and performs intermediated scientific literature searches upon request.

The Libraries are comprised of books and bound volumes of periodicals, of current periodical and book series subscriptions in hardcopy or in combined printed and electronic form, many electronic databases, and access to aggregated electronic collections. We maintain a constantly growing collection of thousands of electronic journals/series and e-books. A considerable portion of the electronic resources collection is a result of MALMAD consortium agreements.

The Institute's Archives document the history of the Weizmann Institute and its scientific, educational, and cultural contributions to the world of scientific endeavor, from its beginning to the present day.

The Libraries' home page is: http://www.weizmann.ac.il/library

Innovations during the past year include:

Library's New e-Resources

Following a trial period, the Library has subscribed to the following e-resources:

• Scopus
• BrainNavigator
• Reaxys
• SpringerImages
• JoVE - The Library's first journal in video format.

  Encyclopedias

• Encyclopedia of the Eye
• E-ROS - Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis

The Library has enabled access to the following Open Access resources:
PE'ER - Open Access to Hebrew Textbooks and Study Material

PubGet - A New Life Sciences Search Engine

Additions & Updates to e-Resources:
JoVE: Additional sections have been acquired to be included in the Institutional subscription.

Henry Stewart Talks: New presentations are constantly becoming available.

Reaxys: Features updates, new software, and techniques for drawing structures and more.

SciVerse: Elsevier has introduced its new platform for ScienceDirect Journals, Scopus, and new Science Applications.

Library Services' brochure
The Library has published a Library Services' Brochure. The brochure is available in English and Hebrew.

WISPUB – Weizmann Publications Database
The Library has broadened WISPUB by adding earlier published items. The database now covers publications from 1973 onwards.

Automatic Creation of a Publications' List at the Scientist's Site
Weizmann scientists can now create an automatic list of their publications, the fruits of their research at the Institute. The list is derived from the Weizmann publications database, where all the material is stored. It is updated automatically, in correspondence with monthly updates of the database. The Central Library is responsible for updating this database and maintaining its accuracy.

The list can be displayed on any site with the typical template of all other pages of that site. The automatic creation and updating of the list is overseen by the Internet Services' Unit.

WIS Library Cited for High-Standard International Cataloging
A Weizmann Institute Library sample file of 7,538 catalog records was transferred to OCLC's (Online Computer Library Center) World Catalog. All records were accepted without any rejections.

1,266 Weizmann records were unique for OCLC. The remainder consisted of holdings that were added to already existing records.

This places the Weizmann Institute Library as the only academic library in Israel with no rejections, and with the highest cataloging accuracy.

A New Q&A Service
We have added a trial Q&A service, which allows the user to search for answers to questions regarding Library resources and services by using the floating bubble on each of our web pages. If no information is found, a question can be forwarded to the Library staff with the "Ask a Representative" option.

eBooks' purchase
The Library has signed agreements for acquiring single eBooks. The purchase can be for a single license or a multi-user license, depending on the aggregator's agreement conditions. Full text of those eBooks can be accessed by all WIS staff from the Library Catalog or the eBook Manager.

Special Collections in the Central Library
The Weizmann Institute's Central Library collections have been reopened to the WIS public, after being restored and then reorganized on the shelves in the Fromer Building.

Dissertation Project
During 2010 we scanned about 500 old dissertations and their PDFs were added to the catalog. We have sent the hard copies to ITTI and they have provided us with a DVD which contained all PDFs. These PDFs were mounted to the ALEPH server and linked to the catalog.

Computerized self-lending – in all Faculty Libraries Self-lending of books is now available in all Faculty libraries by a card reader and a barcode reader. We have placed dedicated computers in all libraries to enable patrons to check out books independently 24/7.

Weizmann Institute Archives The WIS Archives is continuing the scanning process of historical material into a digital format for the purpose of preservation and backup of essential material.