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 TypesCostTypical SpeedTechnology LAN AccessLowest10-100Mbps Ethernet over Copper Cable Ethernet over Radio (Wireless Access) Campus BackboneLow1Gbps - 10GbpsEthernet over Fibre Metro BackboneNormal<=100Mbps Low range, High Speed Data Radio Metro Ethernet over Fibre WAN BackboneHigh<=10MbpsTelecom 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 ComplexOpportunity 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

Thank You