Infrastructure

 

I – Laboratories 

The PPCIC students have the following structure of laboratories: (i) two research laboratories (LEIC and LP); (ii) five teaching laboratories, (iii) server room; (iv) study rooms with wifi. Each of the laboratories listed in (i) and (ii) has approximately 20 computers.

The laboratories indicated in (ii) are multipurpose for Computer students with space for multimedia projection and use of a whiteboard. The computers in the laboratories indicated in (i) have several programming environments (Python, R, Scala, Java), Database (PostgreSQL, MySQL, and NoSQL), free tools like Libre Office, LaTeX and specific software to support disciplines or researches. The computers present in the LP lab have software infrastructure to make them a Beoulful cluster with 20 nodes.

The server room contains ten servers dedicated to research and a cluster for high-performance processing with six primary nodes. The Beoulful cluster complements the primary nodes, totaling 30 nodes. PowerEdge servers that serve as backend (database and application servers) for the machines present in the laboratories and are 100% dedicated to teaching and research activities. The five laboratories indicated in (ii) are of shared use between the PPCIC, the graduation in Computer Science and the secondary-technical education in Computer science. Two of these laboratories rely on interactive whiteboards (smart frames), enabling the use of more sophisticated didactic resources.

Over the past few years, these laboratories have received investments that have allowed the acquisition of high-performance server and new multimedia equipment, the upgrading of computers and the exchange of furniture and air conditioners (splits). The updating of the CEFET/RJ laboratories infrastructure has been done with CEFET/RJ’s resources (either by direct request from CEFET/RJ or by request via a research group) and with resources from research projects financed by such as FAPERJ and CNPq.

For the development of research activities, PPCIC professors and students can use resources of a computational cluster available at CEFET/RJ that was implemented from a project involving the European Community through the GISELLA Project.

II – Computer Science Resources

Teachers of the Program can make use of the Moodle Platform in support of the on-site courses offered by the PPCIC. This feature, which is installed on the Research Laboratory server, has also been used in undergraduate and high school-technical disciplines and has been widely used by the PPCIC teachers during the disciplines.

It is worth mentioning that all the classrooms and auditoriums provided by DIPPG and used by the Program are equipped with fixed multimedia resources. The computer infrastructure for administrative support has also been improved by the acquisition of new machines (computers, scanners, multifunction printers). The teachers of the Program have individual rooms and recently updated computers through CEFET/RJ’s own financing.

PPCIC students have space (Room of Studies) in the DIPPG with several computers at disposal. In this environment, students have internet access and access to the CAPES Portal of Periodicals. Resources for academic papers printing are also available in this same environment.

The PPCIC has a teleconferencing system available, which is installed in the meeting room of the Research and Post-Graduation Department – DIPPG. The teleconferences have also served as support to the activities developed in the Collaborative Work Lab, providing greater autonomy to ongoing research.

This infrastructure is essential since, since 2017, distance defenses of dissertations and theses have been approved. These standards are in line with the standards of internationalization support for Postgraduate Programs that enable texts and defenses in English.

III – Libraries

The Central Library of CEFET/RJ works on the fourth floor of Block E. In addition to the individual reading space, it has a study room, two mini-auditoriums, a larger auditorium, multimedia, audio, and video sector and a sector for a virtual consultation. Since 2010, when the Phoenix System of Libraries was implemented, it is available the online consultation to the collection of the libraries that make up the CEFET/RJ system (Central Library and Campus Libraries). Over the last years, the Library has been counting on constant investments to expand its collection.

With specific reference to PPCIC demands, the titles can be acquired from requests made by the Program, graduation coordination and research groups of CEFET/RJ. It should be noted that the funds allocated to research in CEFET/RJ are distributed among the various research groups, based on criteria established in the edict, enabling the groups to acquire bibliographies, equipment, and services necessary to carry out the research activities. It should be noted the CAPES Portal of Periodicals that has supplied many of the bibliographic research needs of the course and can be accessed from the students’ room or any other computer of the Institution.

In all, there are more than 18,052 titles, 64,123 copies, of which 497 are computer specific. Regarding access to journals and conference articles, all major Computer Science databases, IEEE, ACM, Scopus, Science Direct, Springer and Wiley are accessible from any computer within CEFET/RJ or remotely via the CAFe network from CAPES portal.

The Library of CEFET/RJ has been promoting courses and lectures on the Capes Journal Portal aiming at a better use and use of the available tools.

IV – Other information

Regarding administrative support, the PPCIC has an Administrative Secretariat with staff to attend students/teachers and operation of the academic system of the Program. The administrative space has a meeting room.

In addition to meeting room space, the Program also has the infrastructure of a large Auditorium with capacity for 80 people and equipped for video conferencing.

CEFET/RJ provides a Communication Sector and TV CEFET/RJ whose services may be requested by the PPCIC to provide support and publicize events and actions promoted by the Program.

The Program can still rely on the infrastructure of institutions with which the PPCIC has partnership relationships (see section on exchange and covenant).

It should be noted that the laboratory structure, computer resources and libraries serve both the current scenario and the growth scenario expected by the Program for the long-term goals previously established.