Transcript Building an effective ICT infrastructure for E
Building an effective ICT infrastructure for E-Learning at WSU
eLearning Conference November 4, 2009 C. Walker, ICT Director
Agenda
• • • • • • E-Learning Requirements Network Types WSU situation Strategy Network Architecture Summary
E-Learning Requirements
• Typically E-learning Systems have the following requirements – Many users(students) need access simultaneously – Multimedia content such as video and voice – Real-time access (live online presentation) – Integration with ERP – Rapid Growth of Data
Network Types
Types
LAN Access
Cost
Lowest Campus Backbone Low
Typical Speed
10-100Mbps
Technology
• Ethernet over Copper Cable • Ethernet over Radio (Wireless Access) 1Gbps - 10Gbps Ethernet over Fibre Metro Backbone Normal <=100Mbps WAN Backbone High <=10Mbps • Low range, High Speed Data Radio • Metro Ethernet over Fibre Telecom Carrier Technologies using MW Radios, Fibre and Copper
Special Networks
• • SEACOM – Provides through TENET low cost, high speed Internet to universities through Oceanic Fibres from South East Africa to Europe SANREN – Provides High Speed National Backbone that connects Universities and Research centres together that allow access to super computers as well as the medium for SEACOM
WSU Situation
• • • • Four Campuses separated by large distances Buffalo Campus consists of mostly small sites scattered in East London, Potsdam and Chiselhurst Many Health Resource Centres and small offices scattered throughout Eastern Cape Main Sites NMD, IBIKA, Queenstown and Potsdam located where Public Telecommunication Infrastructure is poor compared with East London and other major South Africa cities.
Typical University
One Campus One Physical Location Simple
WSU
Complex Opportunity
Goal
Build a cost effective consolidated Data Network that will lower the overall cost of running separate networks whilst providing reliable and effective services
WSU ICT Strategy
1/2 • • • • • • • • • Data Network Establish Main Hub in East London to enable best connection to SANREN and SEACOM and best connections to other sites.
Establish Wireless Metropolitan Network in East London to connect the multiple Buffalo City sites together.
Establish DR site in EL Establish High Availability to the major sites (IBIKA and NMD) Build Gigabit LAN Backbones at all sites.
Use 2Mbps Telkom Diginet for WAN links where there is no Fibre infrastructure Use dedicated Neotel Metro Ethernet Links (<= 10Mbps) to connect to large and critical sites Use TENET ADSL for small remote sites. Explore Wireless Access for students in 2010
WSU ICT Strategy
2/2 • • • • • Services Virtualised Server & Consolidated Storage – – Fast Provision of services Disaster Recovery Identity Management System – Provides Single Sign-on for all applications Quality of service – – Provide different priorities to different applications, users, or data flows Guarantee a certain level of performance to a data flow. Security Fortification – – Prevent all kinds of denial of service attacks enforce access policies WAN acceleration – using Cisco WAAS at the major sites
WSU Network Architecture
Summary
• • • • • QOS to ensure excellent performance of any eLearning System Security Fortification to prevent DOS and other intrusions. Use of Cisco WAAS to improve the performance at the large sites. Storage and Server Consolidation to improve the provision of new services Consolidation of Telecommunication and Internet Links to reduce costs whilst delivering improved network performance