University's E-mail system stable but slow

The 'u.arizona cluster' system was sluggish from 2:15 to 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, said Viji Muralidharan, computing manager at the Center for Computing and Information Technology.

Muralidharan said they are not sure what is causing the system to run slower.

"We are focused on fixing the problem, it is just a matter of time," she said.

Muralidharan said users on the 'u.arizona cluster' may have had to wait a few minutes to reach their 'inbox' from the main menu while trying to access e-mail.

Despite the slow down, the server's maximum capacity of 800 simultaneous logins has not been exceeded, she said.

Computing manager Linda Drew said that other programs, like Internet access and webpage creation, could be the cause of the slow down.

While major problems like a complete system crash or an inability to handle large numbers of logins have been solved, the slowed system remains a problem, Muralidharan said.

Drew added CCIT has created a team to address the long-term problem of a slowed server.

A team of five CCIT information technology specialists and five other University of Arizona employees hopes to have a concrete plan by the beginning of next semester, she said.