⚠️ Internal Reference Document
This page provides general infrastructure information for staff reference. For detailed technical
documentation, please access the internal IT wiki via the Staff Portal.
IT Infrastructure Overview
NCIS IT infrastructure supports research operations across multiple facilities. Our systems are designed for reliability, security, and performance.
Service Assurance Profile
24x7 NOC Monitoring
Automated event ingestion and escalation workflows for critical systems.
Tiered Access Controls
Segregated administrative and operational network privileges.
Routine Security Review
Periodic hardening and control checks across infrastructure services.
Network Architecture
Our network is segmented into zones to ensure security and compliance:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ INTERNET │
└────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌──────▼──────┐
│ DMZ Zone │
│ ───────── │
│ Web Portal │ ◄── You are here (web-prod-01)
│ Mail Relay │ mail-relay.northstar.internal
│ VPN Gateway │ vpn-gw.northstar.internal
└──────┬──────┘
│
┌──────▼──────┐
│ Firewall │ fw-cluster-01/02
│ Cluster │
└──────┬──────┘
│
┌───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┐
│ │ │
┌──────▼──────┐ ┌──────▼──────┐ ┌──────▼──────┐
│ PubSub │ │ PvtSubA │ │ PvtSubB │
│ 10.10.1.0/24│ │ 10.10.2.0/24│ │ 10.10.3.0/24│
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ Webserver │ │ Dev1/Prof1 │ │ │
│ VPN Gateway │ │ Chatterbox │ │ FTP Server │
└─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘
Key Systems
| Service | Description |
|---|---|
| Web Portal | Public website (this server) |
| Active Directory | NORTHSTAR domain authentication |
| File Services | SMB shares for departments |
| Exchange-based mail system | |
| VPN | Remote access for staff |
Support Contacts
-
IT Helpdesk
x4200 | helpdesk@northstar-research.org -
Infrastructure Team
j.walsh@northstar-research.org -
Network Operations
d.kim@northstar-research.org
Development Environment
Note
The development network (DEVNET) operates on a separate subnet with modified security controls to
support rapid prototyping. Production promotion follows standard change management.
Services on DEVNET include:
- GitLab instance for source control
- Jenkins/CI build servers
- Test database clusters
- Sandbox environments
Legacy Systems Notice
Migration in Progress
Some older systems are running legacy software pending migration. These include certain research
workstations and specialized lab equipment. Contact IT Infrastructure for compatibility questions.
Last reviewed: September 2024 | Document owner: IT Infrastructure Team