public:it_resources:recommanded_tools_for_make_projects

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public:it_resources:recommanded_tools_for_make_projects [2025-02-25 09:26] Julien Delislepublic:it_resources:recommanded_tools_for_make_projects [2026-02-27 11:27] (current) – [5. Internet of things IoT] Alessandro Crespi
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 //– good practices and recommendations// //– good practices and recommendations//
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 ====== Purpose of this document: ====== ====== Purpose of this document: ======
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 ==== Reminder of what is an interdisciplinary project: ==== ==== Reminder of what is an interdisciplinary project: ====
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 Interdisciplinary projects are well known by the student community at EPFL today. These projects, also known as “MAKE projects” regroup students from different disciplines working together towards a common goal. The AVP-Education is supporting these projects with financial support (partial), access to infrastructures like makerspaces of the SPOT and SKIL. Each project is supervised by a professor and a coordinator. Interdisciplinary projects are well known by the student community at EPFL today. These projects, also known as “MAKE projects” regroup students from different disciplines working together towards a common goal. The AVP-Education is supporting these projects with financial support (partial), access to infrastructures like makerspaces of the SPOT and SKIL. Each project is supervised by a professor and a coordinator.
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   * **The number of students in a single team**: interdisciplinary teams tend to involve 20 to 100 students. Therefore, they need to organize themselves using collaborative tools to communicate.   * **The number of students in a single team**: interdisciplinary teams tend to involve 20 to 100 students. Therefore, they need to organize themselves using collaborative tools to communicate.
   * **The lifespan of a MAKE project** goes from an entire academic year including the summer (12 months of work). Sometimes a project can even be spread over several years. Therefore, knowledge management becomes very important for the student teams.   * **The lifespan of a MAKE project** goes from an entire academic year including the summer (12 months of work). Sometimes a project can even be spread over several years. Therefore, knowledge management becomes very important for the student teams.
-  * **Specific softwares**: Because interdisciplinary projects usually involve building a physical prototype, they also require the use of **specific software licenses** not used in other “typical” EPFL projects. They sometimes require high computational power as well.+  * **Specific software**: Because interdisciplinary projects usually involve building a physical prototype, they also require the use of **specific software licenses** not used in other “typical” EPFL projects. They sometimes require high computational power as well.
  
 In other words, interdisciplinary projects have similar needs to those of a small company (PME). In other words, interdisciplinary projects have similar needs to those of a small company (PME).
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 ===== What are the identified IT needs: ===== ===== What are the identified IT needs: =====
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 === 1.a The existing solution supported by EPFL is Microsoft teams.  === === 1.a The existing solution supported by EPFL is Microsoft teams.  ===
    
-Strengths+**Strengths** 
   * Free for MAKE interdisciplinary projects recognized by EPFL    * Free for MAKE interdisciplinary projects recognized by EPFL 
-  * Similar functionalities than slack (most adopted solution by MAKE teams) for messaging service. Possibility to organize communication channels for subteams etc..+  * Similar functionalities than slack (most adopted solution by MAKE teams) for messaging service. Possibility to organize communication channels for subteamsetc.
   * Microsoft teams is compatible with groups.epfl.ch, meaning that only the students officially registered in a project could access the team workspace (well embedded in the EPFL infrastructure).    * Microsoft teams is compatible with groups.epfl.ch, meaning that only the students officially registered in a project could access the team workspace (well embedded in the EPFL infrastructure). 
   * Someone from the DSI is available to train students on this tool to explain how to use it and answer questions   * Someone from the DSI is available to train students on this tool to explain how to use it and answer questions
-  * Data are stored in Switzerland (on the Azur cloud, which can be considered as internal to EPFL) so this solution is adapted to handle sensitive documents. If documents leak, there will be a way to understand what happened and there will be support.+  * Data is stored in Switzerland (on the Azure cloud, for which a confidentiality contract with EPFL exists) so this solution is adapted to handle sensitive documents. If documents leak, there will be a way to understand what happened and there will be support.
  
-  * Comment: There is an algorithm to transform google docs into Microsoft document to help transitioning for a google drive (g-doc to word, g-sheet to excel, g-slides to powerpoint) to help you transition to sharepoint (the microsoft version for collaborative cloud which works with microsoft team). You need to contact 1234@epfl.ch to ask for this service.+  * Comment: There is a workflow to transform google docs into Microsoft Office documents to help transitioning for a google drive (g-doc to Word, g-sheet to Excel, g-slides to Powerpoint) to help you transition to Sharepoint (the  Microsoft version for collaborative cloud which works with Microsoft teams). You need to contact 1234@epfl.ch to ask for this service.
  
-  * If you plan to use teams next academic year: contact Julien Delisle +  * If you plan to use Teams next academic year: contact Julien Delisle 
-Weaknesses + 
-  * Students in MAKE projects don’t necessarily know how to use teams, the few trials that we have made with students seem to conclude that this solution is less intuitive than other non-supported solutions. However, with training, these issues can be mitigated.+** Weaknesses ** 
 +  * Students in MAKE projects don’t necessarily know how to use Teams, the few trials that we have made with students seem to conclude that this solution is less intuitive than other non-supported solutions. However, with training, these issues can be mitigated.
   * This solution does not allow the creation of forms to collect feedback and does not allow to quickly generate polls. However, the google workspace will still exist as an EPFL tool and can answer this need.   * This solution does not allow the creation of forms to collect feedback and does not allow to quickly generate polls. However, the google workspace will still exist as an EPFL tool and can answer this need.
  
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 ==== 5. Internet of things IoT ==== ==== 5. Internet of things IoT ====
  
-As it is forbidden to share an access point using smartphones on the campus (in order to connect an object/micro-controller to internet) a solution has been put in place by the MAKE team and is available for MAKE interdisciplinary projects. All information are provided here [[https://make.epfl.ch/tools/iot-wifi]]+As it is forbidden to create a WiFi network at EPFL without proper authorization (which includes connection sharing using smartphones)a solution has been put in place by the MAKE team and is available for MAKE interdisciplinary projects. This is mainly intended for IoT use, i.e., single-board computers, robots, embedded systems, microcontroller boards, and similar. All information is provided here [[https://make.epfl.ch/tools/iot-wifi]]
  
 Strengths Strengths
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 ==== 6. Archive and media (image/video) management – long term storage ==== ==== 6. Archive and media (image/video) management – long term storage ====
  
-A solution is implemented providing free storage space used on their collaborative drive right now+A solution is implemented providing archival space for long term storage purposes, thus allowing the collaborative space (whatever system is in use) to remain at a reasonable size.
 See the solution there: [[https://make-archives.epfl.ch|make-archives.epfl.ch]] See the solution there: [[https://make-archives.epfl.ch|make-archives.epfl.ch]]
 This solution uses nextcloud that communicates with the S3 server of EPFL.  This solution uses nextcloud that communicates with the S3 server of EPFL. 
-This long-term storage solution is not a collaborative tool but will provide teams with necessary space to clean their collaborative drive and still being able to access knowledge built by previous teams.+This long-term storage solution is not a collaborative tool but provides teams with necessary space to clean their collaborative drive and still being able to access knowledge built by previous teams.
  
 Strengths Strengths
   * The fees will be taken care of by MAKE so it will be free for the different teams.   * The fees will be taken care of by MAKE so it will be free for the different teams.
-  * As it is stored on the EPFL network, sensitive documents can be placed on this cloud+  * As it is stored on the EPFL network, sensitive documents can be placed on this system
   * The server architecture and topology is made for long term storage   * The server architecture and topology is made for long term storage
-  * The storage limit is set at 10 TB/team.+  * Lots of available disk space (the storage limit is set at 10 TB/team).
  
 Weaknesses Weaknesses
-  * It can get a bit slow to upload documents on this cloud (3min for 1 GB on campus). Please stay patient during the upload. However, as it is not made for collaborative work, uploading speed should not be an important feature for this tool.+  * Uploading large amount of data (especially collections with lots of small files) might be slow. The data transfer rate is not always constant, as it depends on the storage backend. Please stay patient during the upload. However, as it is not made for collaborative work, uploading speed should not be an important feature for this tool.
  
 ==== 7. Access high computational power ==== ==== 7. Access high computational power ====
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  • Last modified: 2025-02-25 09:26
  • by Julien Delisle