As the principal information technology unit of the university, the Bilkent Computer Center is responsible for operating the campus network, internet-working equipment and all its related services. The BCC provides support to students and staff for their IT-related needs and problems.
The majority of BCC offices are located on the 3rd floor of the “B” building on Main Campus. Some BCC support staff are also stationed in the dormitories and other campus buildings.
Hardware Resources – Facilities
BCC maintains a variety and collection of high-performance file and computation servers and workstations distributed around the campus as well as general-purpose labs equipped with personal computers. Most of the powerful and high-capacity servers are located in the system room in the B building. All computers located in offices, laboratories and dormitories around the campus are connected to BILNET, Bilkent University’s internet provider.
Workstation and PC Laboratories
There are approximately 4,500 personal computers distributed in classrooms, laboratories, dormitories and offices throughout the campus. All users have access to laser printers and to the internet. In addition to the BCC labs, many departments, schools and institutes maintain their individual educational and research labs.
There are 21 general-purpose computer labs at Bilkent, populated with over 800 computers for student and staff use. BCC operates most of the computer labs and main servers in the university. There are 10 PC labs in the B building and 11 labs are located in the EB, EE, FADA and G buildings.
“Free” labs in the B building are open 24 hours, 365 days and are available to all students and staff. A valid Bilkent account is needed to log into the computers in these labs. Labs can be reserved for special events, examinations, seminars, etc. by contacting the BCC hotline (
) in advance. Reservation requests will be processed based on availability and need.
When using the PC labs please follow the lab and services rules.
B Building Classrooms
There are 21 large amphitheater style classrooms in the B building which have between 58 to 64 seats. BCC administrative staff handle the reservations, scheduling and the hardware in these classrooms (e.g. screen projectors, instructor PCs).
Current classroom schedules can be seen and reservations made through the DAIS and AIRS systems:
- DAIS: click “Classrooms” and then “Classroom Browsing” on the menu
- AIRS: click the “Classroom Browsing” item on the left-side menu
Networking Capabilities
The campus network is built on a Gigabit Ethernet backbone. This star topology backbone connects all the faculties and buildings to the central switch via fiber-optic cables. Wireless network access points are scattered around the campus providing hot spots for mobile users. All students and faculty are authorized to have accounts for their email and access to the network and lab resources.
Bilkent provides eduroam (education roaming) services which allows students, researchers and staff from participating institutions to get internet connectivity across campus and also when visiting other participating institutions.
DormNet
Bilkent University’s networking facilities extend to dormitories. All campus dormitory rooms are wired for the Ethernet and students living in the dormitories can connect their computers to the campus network and the internet by using the Ethernet connections or through wireless access.
Software Resources
BCC provides and maintains a wide variety of scientific tools at the users’ disposal. These include statistical, mathematical, simulation libraries and packages together with various VLSI and graphics design tools and imaging tools. All modern and classical programming languages and development tools are available in various hardware platforms. State-of-the-art word processors, spreadsheets, database application software and presentation graphics software are available in most of the labs. See software licenses for more details.
Software developed in-house by BCC is used by faculty, students and staff. The most widely used applications are under the umbrella of STARS (Student Academic Information Registration System): AIRS (Academic Information Review System), SRS (Student Review System), and DAIS (Department Academic Information System). These tools help faculty and students in tasks such as planning course loads and academic preferences, online registration, etc. The information system for the university’s administrative departments is BAIS and handles tasks for units and personnel.
Services Provided
- Hotline team – PC and software support
- STARS team – Application support for STARS modules
- PC hardware/peripherals maintenance
- Classroom technical and equipment troubleshooting
- Dormitories internet connectivity
- Campus housing internet connectivity
- Email accounts management
Personnel
The BCC staff list and phone numbers can be reached from the directory.