University of Pretoria spends R20m on new campus network

The University of Pretoria, together with Dimension Data, is rolling out a new campus network solution to meet the institution`s growing data communication requirements into the foreseeable future.

Designed, implemented and maintained by Dimension Data, the Nortel Networks Gigabit Ethernet network will replace the university`s ageing Marconi ATM network.

"This network, which utilised the appropriate technology for its time, is no longer suitable for a campus environment like ours," says Johan Kleynhans, manager responsible for IT infrastructure at Pretoria University.

Some 7 500 academic and administrative members of staff, as well as thousands of students, have direct access to the network every day. The network also supports computer laboratories used for the presentation of lectures, as well as by thousands of undergraduate and graduate students researching and completing assignments online. In addition, students with off-campus access to the Internet are able to dial into the university`s network to access information required.

"Network degradation resulting from data overloads and bottlenecks, would severely impact the university`s research and teaching activities," Kleynhans explains.

"While we hadn`t reached that stage yet, the ATM network was starting to show signs of strain. Response times were adequate but we knew the current network was at its limit: it was starting to become overloaded and user response times were being affected.

"At the same time, demand on the network is increasing and it was clear that a major upgrade was required to sustain growth in network traffic. Maintenance issues were also becoming a concern. Tackling the roll-out of a new network now will ensure we avoid a catastrophe in the near future.

"After a rigorous investigation and evaluation process, we selected Dimension Data as the systems integrator for the project and Nortel Networks Gigabit Ethernet as the most appropriate technology. The solution complied with our technology requirements and met our needs in terms of scalability, robustness and affordability," Kleynhans adds.

Account manager at Dimension Data Connectivity Services, Francois Nel, says Gigabit Ethernet is widely recognised as the pre-eminent solution to provide high performance, high efficiency and low cost in any network environment.

"Ethernet is the most widely adopted and accepted standard prevalent in local area networks (LANs) today. Now Ethernet is moving into the WAN and MAN (metropolitan area network), beyond its recognised home in the campus network space, with Gigabit Ethernet. It represents the logical evolution of Ethernet and meets the challenges of network users for unprecedented bandwidth growth and the delivery of reliable, `future-proofed` networks," he adds.

He stresses that the university project involves far more than simply technology: it incorporates three services that form part of Dimension Data`s GSOA (Global Services Operating Architecture) - Primer, Surveyor and Uptime.

Primer is Dimension Data`s global solution delivery framework and includes the design, procurement, implementation and project management of technology solutions based on business and functional requirements.

Surveyor is Dimension Data`s IT systems assessment service which provides an accurate assessment of network and application performance and a clear understanding of the IT environment. Surveyor essentially provides a snapshot in time of a customer`s IT systems architecture, configuration and performance. "And finally, the Dimension Data Uptime technical support service - a 24/7 maintenance service that ensures the network and all its components are available and operating as intended - is being provided to ensure maximum network availability," Nel concludes.