Options for Purchasing an Athena System

Information Services and Technology supports multiple options for personal ownership of Athena workstations that provide a wide range of hardware and software support. The options are summarized below to help you choose the right combination of support and cost for your needs.

The current supported options:

Full Service Athena

Full service Athena provides comprehensive hardware and software support as well as access to the full suite of Athena software and services on your personal machine. Updates and first level system administration are handled for you with limited customizations possible as outlined in the Athena Private Workstation Owner's Guide. However, hardware options for Full Service Athena are limited and there are fees for the comprehensive support services. Explore the advantages and disadvantages to see if owning a full service Athena workstation is right for you.

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Minimal Standard Athena

Minimal Standard Athena provides a zero-cost option for those who are willing to install and troubleshoot their own machines; it does not include any on-site triage, hotline, or hardware maintenance services. However, it does offer a wider range of hardware options and allows dual boot systems. Explore the advantages and disadvantages to see if owning a Minimal Standard Athena workstation is right for you.

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Athena Server

Support is limited for server class hosts. If an Athena service contract is purchased for a server class machine, support is limited to software installation. Server class hosts are not eligible for hardware support as the servers are not purchased in sufficient quantity for Hardware Maintenance to stock spares. System administration, data backups, bug reporting, and software troubleshooting duties are the responsibility of the owner. Supported hardware options are also limited.

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Stand-alone Linux

This isn't actually Athena, but is included here for users who need a unix platform with more flexibility than Athena provides. Information Services and Technology fully supports stand-alone Red Hat Linux. Most Athena software and services will run on stand-alone linux, but individual software purchases may be required for some packages and system administration duties are the responsibility of the workstation owner. For more information on whether stand-alone Linux or Athena is right for you, see Choosing Between RHN and Athena.

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