107th IOC Session - LA84 Foundation

meal counts, staff schedules, security documentation,
transportation within the village,
and lodging reports.
• Diplomas
A diploma system was used to create the
diplomas awarded in accordance with the
Olympic Charter to the top eight athletes in all
events, as well as the commemorative diplomas
given to all participants including volunteers.
System Architecture
NAOC and IBM constructed the Olympic
network for data communication between the
mainframe, AS / 400, and RS/6000-SP servers,
and the workstations at all venues. The network
was configured to allow high access and minimize
the impact of any breakdown, no matter
how severe.
Multiple Backup Configurations
An ATM network connected the Data
Centre, the International Broadcasting Centre
(IBC), and the Main Press Centre (MPC) in a
triangular link using super high-speed (45Mbps)
lines. The main Olympic venues were connected
to both the host computer at the Data Centre
and the IBC using 1.5Mbps leased lines. This
redundant network configuration was implemented
to maintain system access at venues in
the event of problems caused by failures to network
equipment or Data Centre and IBC lines.
Even in the event of a Data Centre failure, it
was possible to continue processing using the
backup mainframe located in the Disaster
Centre, where the duplicated system was configured
and on standby at all times. The
RS/6000-SP servers located in the Data Centre
and the IBC were configured as a multisystem,
which was capable of automatically switching
servers or nodes when malfunctions were de-
tected. The SP servers ran synchronously so that
any server could backup the process of another
server in case of failure.
In addition to these hardware and network
backups, there were system backups in place so
that the minimum information required could be
delivered even in the case of a total system failure.
The perfection of the system architecture
played an important role as well during preparation
and installation, when thousands of computers
and network equipment (see table next page)
were prepared in the PC factory and installed at
each venue. One of the most time-consuming
tasks was software installation for all the equipment;
this was carried out using the software
distribution system, a tool also used at the
Atlanta Games, that enabled automatic distribution
of software including applications to the
PCs installed at each venue. After installation at
venues, the PCs received updates or replacement
software whenever the PC configuration
or applications were changed.
10. Technology
Info’98 terminals
located at the Media
Villages proved extremely
popular.
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