building an effective ict infrastructure for e-learning at wsu elearning conference november 4, 2009...
TRANSCRIPT
Building an effective ICT infrastructure for E-Learning at WSU
eLearning ConferenceNovember 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 TypesTypes Cost Typical Speed Technology
LAN Access Lowest 10-100Mbps •Ethernet over Copper Cable •Ethernet over Radio (Wireless Access)
Campus Backbone Low 1Gbps - 10Gbps Ethernet over Fibre
Metro Backbone Normal <=100Mbps •Low range, High Speed Data Radio•Metro Ethernet over Fibre
WAN Backbone High <=10Mbps 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.
WSUComplex Opportunity
GoalBuild 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
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