University of California, San Diego researchers last week got a chance to test out a host of network technologies on something they hope they will never really have to be used for: a terrorist attack.

The Operation College Freedom drill involved a coordinated effort by the school and local emergency and law-enforcement officials to respond to a simulated terrorist attack.

“This full-scale exercise is the culmination of a three-year, $4 million research project carried out by the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology,” said Calit2 Associate Director Leslie Lenert, a professor of medicine at UCSD and Director of Health Services Research for the VA San Diego Healthcare System, in a statement.

At the heart of the drill was a system overseen by Lenert called the Wireless Internet Information System for Medical Response in Disasters (WIISARD). It is designed for tracking mass casualties, coordinating triage and managing medical data.

More specifically, technologies tested included:

* CalMesh: An ad-hoc network of lightweight Wi-Fi access points.

* iTag: A system for tagging patients so that their medical status can be determined locally and tracked centrally.

* Antenna Caddy: A sort of mast structure for raising multiple types of antennas at a disaster scene.

* RealityFlythrough: A helmet-cam/wireless tablet PC that enables first responders to send real-time video and still images to a central server that can be used to compile a broader picture of a disaster scene.

For the latest on network-oriented research at university and other labs, go to Network World’s Alpha Doggs blog.

Whitepapers

• Gene Kim's Practical Steps to Mitigate Virtualization Security Risks
• Selecting Effective Virtual Directories
• A Modern Approach to On-Demand Email and Data Security
• Best Practices for HP Servers and HP Enterprise Virtual Array in a Microsoft Exchange
• Compliance, Protection, Recovery: A Layered Approach to Laptop Security
• Endpoint Security: Data Protection for IT, Freedom for Laptop Users

View more SECURITY whitepapers

Webcasts

• Key Considerations for a Successful 802.11n Deployment
• Solutions to the Toughest IT Challenges in Remote Offices
• Lowering the Cost of Email Archives
• High Availability for SQL Server 2005 Using Array-Based Replication and Host-Based Mirroring Technologies
• Technical Overview of Exchange Server 2007 with HP Servers and Storage
• Bringing Order and Security to your Mobile Workforce: Corporate Mobility Policy and Device Management On-Demand

View more SECURITY webcasts

Special Reports

• The Evolution of Network Security
• Taking Virtualization Up a Notch
• Learn how to Keep your Mobile Workforce Connected
• The self-managed network

View more SECURITY special reports