The Importance of Open Source Software

Source: Freepik
Open source software (OSS) has become a cornerstone of modern IT and plays a crucial role in the development of technology and software. Open source code enables innovation, flexibility and cost efficiency.
But what exactly is open source software and why is it so important?
How Many Programmers Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb?

Source: Freepik
Today we have some light fare and something to make you smile. We’ve dug deep into our box of jokes for you and are providing you with entertainment at the highest level today! What are your best-known IT jokes? We look forward to a funny bunch of jokes in the comments!
Let’s get started:
HPC: Shutdown of the Windows Front End

Source: Freepik
The IT Center has been operating one of the fastest high-performance computers in Germany for years. The current high-performance computer CLAIX-2023 was recently put into operation with state-of-the-art technology such as Intel Xeon Sapphire Rapids processors and NVIDIA H100 accelerators. This enables the execution of a wide range of applications from engineering to artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Changed Opening Hours

Source: Freepik
Due to internal events, the IT-ServiceDesk will only be available to you during limited opening hours on June 14 and June 21, 2024.
Secure Access to the Institute VPN at RWTH Aachen University
In order to be able to access the RWTH network from anywhere in a secure, encrypted way, the academic institutions of RWTH Aachen University can provide a VPN instance to a restricted group of people if required. This allows users to securely access their resources at their institution. As part of the introduction of multi-factor authentication at RWTH, the security requirements for these VPN instances have increased.
There are various options for managing and enabling VPN access, which we would like to introduce to you in the following blog post.
Reinventing HPC: IT Center@ISC24

Source: ISC High Performance
Like last year, the IT Center and NHR4CES were delighted to be part of the NHR Association’s joint stand at ISC High Performance 2024. The HPC group complemented this year’s ISC with tutorials and presentations. The Hamburg conference attracted 3,227 participants and offered many opportunities for exchange and further education.
Europe Day 2024: United in Diversity
Europe Day took place on 14 May this year, when the Berufsschule an der Lindenstraße (BKAL) organized a project day for students, teachers and interested parties. Our trainee Yasin Kalem gave several presentations about his time in Malta to show other trainees and interested parties the possibilities of an internship abroad. He already reported on his experiences in Malta in an earlier blog post. To allow others to benefit from his findings, he shared them at the Europe Day.
RWTHmoodle – From Version 4.1 to 4.3

Source: Own Illustration
On May 23, 2024, RWTHmoodle was updated from version 4.1 to Moodle 4.3. The update includes numerous improvements and adjustments based on feedback from the user surveys, among other things. In this blog post, we would like to inform you about the most important new features.
Innovative Learning: MoodleCafé begins
This semester, the Center for Teaching and Learning Services (CLS) is offering the new digital exchange format “MoodleCafé” for the first time via Zoom, which focuses on a selected Moodle topic with best practice examples from RWTH teaching practice. This semester’s topics include the Moodle activities “StudentQuiz” and “Peer Review“.
The first MoodleCafé will take place on June 12 from 2pm to 3 pm and will focus on the collaborative StudentQuiz. This offers numerous didactic advantages by enabling students to create, answer and evaluate quiz questions together, while at the same time integrating gamification elements to increase motivation. Read the rest of this entry »
Ethical Decision-Making in IT

Source: Freepik
From automated decision-making to data protection and privacy issues, technological developments have a significant impact on society. Today, information and communication technologies have become a matter of course and indispensable in all areas of life. Ethics has long been an issue in business and the world of IT is also increasingly concerned with moral issues. In the context of artificial intelligence (AI) in particular, such conflicts are becoming increasingly prominent. In today’s blog post, we want to shed light on ethical influences in the IT sector.





