1. Network Infrastructure & Services, plus introducing ITEE & CCS
Updates on Projects & Issues to the Advisory Subcommittee
November 28, 2016
William C. Dougherty
Executive Director

2. Agenda Introduction of ITEE and CCS
Review of NI&S mission, role and responsibilities
Projects in progress
Troublesome issues
Updates
Q&A

3. Information Technology Experience and Engagement
Claire Gilbert, in attendance, is the Executive Director
Joyce Landreth is the Deputy Executive Director
A cross-organizational team that serves as the “front door” for users across the university, providing support and coordination of activities. This group will also be a valuable resource, partner, and success multiplier for our other units, distributed IT teams, and the University Concept: three primary functions→
•User Engagement: main point of engagement for users
•Experience Design and Improvement: focused on working across the IT organization to improve the user experience
•Communications and Relationship Management: Both internal and external facing group focused on Division (and IT unit) communications, documentation, and customer outreach

4. Collaborative Computing Solutions
Marc DeBonis is the Director
Chris Shively, in attendance today, is their IT Manager
Service areas include →
Virginia Tech Service
Managing the Exchange Mail Service supporting faculty, staff, and sponsored students
Coordinating university standards in collaboration with NI&S (administrators of the VT Google Mail Service)
Virginia Tech Office 365 Service
Managing O365 Core Services supporting faculty, staff, and students
Virginia Tech Office 365 Service
Provisioning Department SharePoint Site Collections and supporting SharePoint Online Faculty Project Sites
Active Directory (AD) and AD Federated Services
Managing the AD infrastructure of the university and developing self-service applications to allow users to manage their own account settings within AD
Cloud Service Consulting and Brokering
Virtual Machine Environments (VME) & VME Research Environments

5. NI&S: Mission
Currently updating Mission statement through staff workshops.
Most commonly cited terms→
I.T. infrastructure and services
infrastructure services
I.T. infrastructure solutions

6. NI&S: Role and Responsibilities
Management of data and voice network
Management of computing and storage infrastructure for most Division of IT services
IT support for Public Safety programs and initiatives
NI&S has formed a new Emergency Communications Technology team to focus on this effort
Wired and wireless (wifi)*/ “Voice over Internet Protocol” (VoIP) services [equipment and applications]
Data Centers located in Andrews Information Systems Bldg., Cassell, and beginning to share D.R. site in Roanoke at VT CRI
Enterprise (business critical) and Research (including High Performance) computing support
Google Suite for Education (Gmail, Google Calendar, Classroom, Drive, Sites, etc.)
3. E911 services; video surveillance camera systems; VT Alerts
Not cellular; we admin the contract, work with providers to improve coverage and capacity on campus

7. Projects: Building Aggregation Router Upgrade
Basics:
Provides network routing to all campus buildings
Replaces routers in service since 2005
Benefits:
Improved reliability/stability
Decreases downtime/increases security (network segmentation)
Bigger, Better, Faster
9.6Tbps of capacity vs 720Gbps (1200% increase)

8. Projects: Building Aggregation Router Upgrade
A=AISB
B=Burruss
C=Cassell
H=Hillcrest
O=Owens
S=Shanks
Migration Schedule-impacts six “Switching center” locations
Owens area completed
Shanks area completed
Cassell 95%
Burruss area } During Winter
Hillcrest area } Break period
Andrews Information Systems Bldg CRC) area January

9. Projects: Wireless Device Registration Pilot
Allows for connection of commodity devices*
Limited to residential halls during pilot
Not intended for laptops/smart phones - these stay on eduroam
1500 devices currently registered
Users register and manage their own devices
*Game consoles, Blu-ray players, etc.
These devices cannot authenticate like other “smart” devices can.

10. Projects: Wireless Device Registration Pilot
When will it be available campus wide?
It’s not “good enough” at this time
Will require significant software development
“Tentative” for Fall much to do before this date is firm
Will help with scanners, printers, biz-hubs, etc. that departments wish to connect via wifi network

11. Projects: WiFi Enhancements
Now over 7000 Access Points on-campus
80% support the latest wifi protocol (802.11ac)
Unified Communications project funding will upgrade buildings (now through March 2017)
Norris, Derring, Litton Reaves, War Memorial Gym
Will also be distributing wireless controllers across campus; this keeps traffic “local”
local=in building

12. Projects: VT Alerts Annunciator “channel” implemented and tested
Uses existing fire alarm systems’ speakers
Supported in 7 buildings
Ambler Johnston, New Classroom, Derring, Litton Reaves, Shanks, Sterrett, Surge
Complements classroom sign channel (and other channels)
-Speaker system allows audio message to be delivered anywhere.
-Some upgrades of building fire panels would be necessary for full implementation, but not necessary in all cases

13. Issues: Wireless Disconnects
Cause: User “churn” during classroom change periods
Many users across campus logging on in a small window of time
All “competing” for the same resources
Added additional servers; reviewing other changes to improve
Situation has calmed over last 6-8 weeks; not resolved
Continuing active work with vendor
controllers, campus authentication servers, eduroam federation servers

14. Issues: Wireless Disconnects
Symptom: Where did my connection go?
DFS - Dynamic Frequency Selection
Some channels in 5GHz share spectrum with radar systems
If radar is detected, APs drop connections & change channels
If any part of a channel touches a defined DFS frequency, then that channel is off-limits if a radar is detected, or if DFS channels are not in use. Wider channels mean more opportunity to overlap a DFS frequency. This is why the ac standard with 80MHz wide channels has more complications with DFS than previous standards with 20-40MHz wide channels.
Workaround is to avoid those channels, but this is not ideal
This is almost certainly “False Positives,” so again, actively working with vendor

15. Issues: Wireless Disconnects

16. Updates: Remote Access Service/VPN
Coming soon
IPv6 support; more addresses so expansion will not be limited
2 Factor Authentication - DUO

17. Updates: Unified Communications
Final cable plant upgrades scheduled:
Derring
War Memorial
Litton Reaves
Norris
Data Center Network upgrade
Merged with cloud infrastructure initiative
Pilot (Proof of concept) projects are in progress

18. Updates: Unified Communications
New version of Avaya Communicator “Soft” client
Available at no additional cost to voice subscribers
Supports Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android
Collaborating with CALS to expand UC services to additional remote offices
Kentland Farms & Blackstone AREC
Allows use of office extension on smart device

19. Summary
During , NI&S has made major infrastructure upgrades & replacements.
From the fiber cabling in the ground to copper in buildings to switches and routers throughout the campus
This will continue into early 2017
That’s the good news
The bad news is that refreshment cycle is 5-8 years, so we are already planning replacement efforts
NI&S is working with Budget Office developing a method to fund refreshment

20. Questions?