In a deal which generates a vast return on investment the Gold Fields computer centre at Pretoria University`s faculty of science has upgraded to a Fast Ethernet network infrastructure using Digital and SMC Networks technology to better serve its 1 200 plus annual student base. The project, funded by a grant late last year from the centre`s major sponsor, the Gold Fields Foundation, was completed in February this year with approximately 85 diskless workstations connected across the 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet) backbone. Network traffic flows via six eight-port SMC EZ Hub 100`s and one eight-port SMC TigerSwitch 100 to the Digital server, which will eventually be connected to the University`s greater backbone via the switch. Alan Carr, a senior lecturer in the faculty of science involved with IS developments, says the centre offers PC-based education and computer-assisted learning primarily to science students - an environment in which downtime or slow computer response times are not an option. Radical improvements in traffic flow are already being seen - a facet Carr attributes to the power of the new server and the strength of a 100 Mbps network foundation. "With the previous Ethernet set-up, it could take more than two minutes from boot-up for students to be able to work in MS Word. It now takes seven seconds, regardless of network operating load. Simply delivering Windows 3.1 to all workstations takes less than four seconds," he says. The need for the upgrade arose following increasingly poor performance from the standard Ethernet network as student load increased. In addition to the 1 200 students taught yearly at the centre, others use it as a conduit to other points on the University WAN. This, according to Carr, led to bandwidth problems. However, while the decision to move to 100 Mbps appeared to be the most appropriate course of action, he says it did not fit into the University`s greater IT strategy. As a privately funded operation the centre was able to disprove the sceptics though. "The general opinion at the University was that the supposed increase of collision domains with Fast Ethernet hubs would inhibit, not enhance, our network performance. That clearly isn`t true. We are impressed with our system." Greg Perkins, country manager at SMC, says the centre`s network is providing this performance benefit thanks to its physical set up as well as the technology per se. "The design concept of switched Fast Ethernet is to reduce the number of users per segment, thus reducing contention and improving bandwidth availability. Directly connecting the server to the TigerSwitch 100 allows for full duplex operation (200Mbps) improving user to server access. SMC has termed this process `micro segmentation` - a maximum of eight users per segment and a wide path into the server." Although Carr and his colleagues provide most first line support to students, NT Technology, the business partner through which the Digital and SMC product was sourced and implemented, is on call for more complex issues. Johan Bothma, MD at NT Technology, says service and support of implementations such as that at the Gold Fields computer centre is becoming one of his company`s main areas of focus. Bothma also says that as a result of the project and a strengthening relationship with SMC distributor, Siltek Distribution Dynamics, additional business has opened up within the University for his company. Looking to the future, Carr says the computer centre is able to return to the cutting edge of technology to add value to students` learning experiences. He says computer-assisted learning will remain the modus operandi as technology should facilitate rather than dictate the ability to learn. Fact file * The Gold Fields Computer Centre is one of 10 externally-funded training operations at Pretoria University, three of which it is directly linked; * The centre has been an SMC shop for the past five years with network interface cards sourced from the company; * The SMC EZ Hub 100 is well suited to new installations connecting 100 Mbps devices in small workgroup environments. The desktop-mountable device contains eight 100BASE-TX crossover ports, one of which features an alternate daisy-chain port for a straight-through cable connection to another hub or switch. * The SMC TigerSwitch 100 is a high-performance Fast Ethernet switch ideal for high-traffic environments. It has eight 100BASE-TX ports with auto-negotiation so the optimum operating mode - 100 or 10 Mbps and half or full duplex - is selected automatically. * The switches are part of SMC`s Tiger line of 10Mbps/100Mbps networking devices - competitive, feature-rich products designed for managed LAN growth. The hubs are EZHub 100s; and * All products were channelled through Siltek Distribution Dynamics to NT Technology, one of an increasing number of companies deploying networking solutions based on SMC technology.
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