Communication Infrastructure

Intranet

Introduction

The actual computer inventory and networking capacity does not allow a general access of students and teacher of the University to computing and network resources on the campus. Actually there are 25 or more students per installed computer. The goal is to reach a level of one computer per 20 students and 1 computer per 3 teachers.

The network on the two campuses has been recently improved via fibre connections between different buildings, but there are still missing fibre routers and other connection and networking equipment to accomplish a real high efficiency campus backbone, as well as equipment and training of the human resources in charge of maintenance of the campus networks.

Goals

• Equipment, installation and connection to the Campus Backbone of student computer rooms in all faculties, to host a total of 450 PC's
• Installation and connection of 140 PC's in the departments to improve access of teachers to computing resources.
• Installation of two library computer rooms, one on each campus with a capacity of 50 PC's each, with access to virtual libraries and other research facilities.
• Installation of six computer facilities with 15 PC's each, in every faculty to provide access to virtual libraries and other research facilities.

Project components

RUSB

 

• Extension of the fibre red to add redundancy to the campus backbone and to reach more buildings.
• Substitution of the switches at the individual access points of the buildings by routers with filtering capabilities and fibre ports. Substitution of the actual fibre/Ethernet transceivers.
• Substitution of the Ethernet transceivers and distribution Switches at the CORC by a level 4 Router with fibre ports.
• Installation of 230 PC's in different locations of the campus, and their respective interconnection via Ethernet and to the Campus Backbone.
• Selection and acquisition of standard Software to use with the computers - operating system, networking applications and office suite. Installation of download mirrors, network installation. Provision of configuration, installation and user manuals in spanish, as well as distribution media. Training of faculty administrators in installation and configuration of the software.

RUPAP

 

• algo para la red - conexiones etc. - Paty - ayuda!
• Installation of 220 PC's in different locations of the campus and their respective interconnection via Ethernet and to the Campus Backbone.
• Contribution and adoption of the software to install at the computers in collaboration with RUSB.

Project organisation

OTIC - housed at RUSB is the organisational leader of the project. The executing departments at the two campuses are UNIRED at RUPAP and CORC at RUSB.

Global planning, coordination and acquisition of equipment, software and training is managed at OTIC by a to be formed project equipment.

Network installation at LAN level is contracted with local firms.

The project is subdivided into faculty and department level subprojects which are prioritised and executed at slow pace during the whole runtime of the ASDI project. Faculty administrators as well as students are involved constantly, so no additional personal has to be contracted and in-house capacities are trained.

Technological requirements

Ethernet LAN installation technology is used: Standard UTP cabling, Ethernet Hubs and Switches. Standard network operating systems and application.

Care has to be taken, that ergonomic and educative standards are met, which guarantee a high level of acceptance and identification of the end users with the installed equipment.

Activities

• Demand investigation with involvement of faculty administrators and end users.
• User driven priority of implementation sequence - most felt needs should be covered first.
• sub-project planning and preparation by OTIC/UNIRED/CORC staff.
• continuous implementation of sub-projects with a generic live cycle of:
  • preparation of physical infrastructure, involving electric and ergonomic conditioning.
  • Network cabling
  • Computer acquisition and installation
  • Software installation and network integration
  • Training of administrators
  • Integration into maintenance plans and network administration

Project Costs

Electric conditioning: 450 ×US$ 30,- =13500, / 3 years =4500/year

Physical conditioning (chairs, tables, rooms): 450 ×US$ 60,- = 27000 / 3 years = 9000/year

Computers: 450 ×US$ 900,- = 405000 / 3 years = 135000/year

Software, Training: 450 ×US$ 30,- =13500, / 3 years =4500/year

Note: the use of dumb terminals and terminal Servers, as well of Free Software Products can reduce initial and long term costs substantially:

Development Cost of a Linux Terminal-Server adaptation for UNI: US$ 2000

4:1 relation between Terminals and Servers yields 300 Terminals and 150 Servers

Servers: 150 × US$ 900,- = 135000

Terminals: 450 × US$ 300,- = 135000

= US$ 133000,- savings, not taken into account lack of License Cost because we assume that this fonds will go into improvement and extension of the training program.

Campus Interconnection

Introduction

The faculties of the UNI reside on two campuses - RUSB and RUPAP. In the actuality each of them has it's own connection to Internet and its own ICT department CORC and UNINET respectively. There is no direct data connection between the two campuses which would allow to share resources and improve cooperation between them.

The two campuses maintain a great amount of independence and autonomy. While it is not intended to affect this situation, better communication media should improve collaboration and foster joint efforts in education and research.

It is also believed that system administration and maintenance could be simplified and costs reduced by this mean.

Goals

• Improvement of inter-campus and inter-department communication.
• Foundation of joint and interdisciplinary education and research projects
• Higher efficiency in external traffic consumption and in general Network administration
• Reduced ICT costs by standardisation of basic hard and software, as well as accompanying services like training, consulting and maintenance.

Project components

• Installation of a high speed inter campus link
• Unification of the two campus networks
• Configuration of shared resources between the campuses - File and Backup Servers, Mail Handling, etc.
• Creation of network services dedicated to inter-department and interdisciplinary research information exchange: bulletin boards, new-groups, Chat-servers, mailing lists, Workflow Software

Project organisation

OTIC at RUSB will coordinate the project with a dedicated project leader.

The creation of the basic communication infrastructure like the high-speed link as well as coordination of Hardware and Software Compatibility issues are addressed by a team formed by the applications and network department of UNIRED/RUPAP and CORC/RUSB respectively (first year).

Once achieved basic advances in the infrastructural components of the sub-project, the university council founds a project group with members of all faculties on both campuses dedicated to the development of procedures and proposals to foster the interdisciplinary use of network technology, by technological training as well as by the formation of social practises of interchange and collaboration. This project group is conformed in the first year with a long term perspective in mind and eventually is run as a sub-project group of OTIC, but with focus on social and personal impact of the use of TIC in favour of the phenomena of learning and research.

Technological requirements

• The connection can be accomplished either via a microwave or a fibre-optic link, being the latter the preferred method, because of easier integration in the UNI/RUSB campus backbone.
• One or two Servers and eventually special hardware for Backup or High Storage Volume solutions.
• Software for Collaborative work, research and education Training and Research in this Area is an important factor.

Activities

• Constitution of the "Hardware"-Team, between RUSB and RUPAP, with clear terms of goals and time-lines for the interconnection and homogenisation of the two networks.
• Acquisition of external contracts for installation of the communication equipment and information channels of the inter-campus link.
• Homogenisation and expansion of intra- and extra- network Services, consolidation of a co-organised administration and maintenance model for the UNI network.
• Formation of the interdisciplinary and inter-faculty research group.
• Implementation of software and server solutions as well as of the organizative proposals to improve intercommunication between departments and faculties independent of Campus.

Project Costs

Communication equipment and installation - high-speed link: US$ 7000

Two Servers US$ 4000,-

Training and development of inter-operation solutions: US$ 5000,-

Organisational aspects interdisciplinary group, Software/Workflow/Training: US$ 3000 × 3 years = 9000

Telephone and Teleconferencing

Introduction

The extension of the campuses' and the separation between them requires a proper intercommunication infrastructure to strengthen administrative and organisational efficiency. The actual telephony installations are obsolete and in desolate state, as well as they do not cover all the buildings. Integration of the analog telephone infrastructure with the digital red is desirable and in case of the inter-campus connection strongly recommendable.

UNI is involved in a variety of international academic cooperation efforts, where immediate communication is of invaluable help. A virtual conferencing room shall be installed on each campus, which allows interaction between our local researchers and foreign peers, as well as interaction on a national level between Universities and Institutions counting with similar equipment.

Goals

• Improvement of basic organisational and administrative efficiency by high availability of standard communication facilities
• Complete rehabilitation of the internal telephony network and expansion to cover both campuses, making obsolete the need to maintain numerous individual direct telephone line.
• The UNI wants to count with examples of most advanced communication equipment for video conferencing and voice over IP, for regular use and for educational purposes.

Project components

• Renovation of parts of the copper-based telephone network.
• Installation of two fully automatic telephone plants, one on each campus. The plants have to be able to cooperate via the high-speed inter campus link.
• Acquisition of end-user equipment to connect all departments on both campuses to the telephone plants.
• Configuration of a department based cost accounting system for telephone communications.
• Installation of Voice over IP modules for both telephone plants. Voice over IP will have to sustain part of the campus wide telephone plant, and on the other hand reduce costs of overseas communication.
• Installation of a video conferencing equipment/room.This equipment will be available for intercontinental communication, educational purposes, but maybe could also alleviate costs of project coordination between the participating universities on a national level. There should be at least one equipment on each campus.

Project organisation

UNI will need at least one person dedicated to the maintenance of the telephone network, which would be contracted or defined at first. This person will be responsible for the development, design and implementation of the renovation of the telephone plants and networks, and will have sufficient training and knowledge to deal with modern telephony technology, like digital telephony and voice over IP. Parts of the installation will be subcontracted externally.

CORC will assume the technical and software application part of telephone accounting and voice over IP. Also the video conferencing infrastructure will be acquired, maintained and administrated by CORC. The equipment at RUSB will be maintained by UNIRED supervised by CORC.

Technological requirements

• Basic telephone installation
• Digital telephony
• Telephone accounting and programming and maintenance of advanced telephone plants.
• Voice over IP
• Videoconferencing/Multicast

Activities

• Election/hiring of the responsible for the telephone network.
• Planning fase, presentation of actual used technology, costs and implementation steps and timelines.
• Contract negotiation for acquisition and installation of equipment.

  The Campus interconnection via internal telephony depends on the Campus Interconnection subproject.

• Acquisition of videoconferencing hardware
• Accommodation of physical infrastructure and installation.

Project Costs

Telephone plants: 2 ×US$ 2000 = 4000

Copper telephone Network: US$ 5000

End User Telephone equipment: 300 × US$ 40,- = 1200

Voice over IP - 2 modules + 25 handsets: US$ 3000,-

Training Telephone maintenance/proclamation: US$ 3000,-

Telephoner Accounting, Software and Integration: US$ 5000,-

Videoconferencing: 2 × US$ 3000 = US$ 6000,-

Internet Connection

Introduction

The utility of the actual connection to the Internet is limited by narrow bandwidth and perturbed by frequent service disruptions. Redundant high speed connections to the Internet shall relieve this situation and at the same time maintain a low cost level. Different faculties and departments maintain their own connections via Cable Modem or even Dial-Up accounts to overcome the actual low availability of Internet Services. The resources bound by this inefficient approach shall be freed by an improved Service.

Goals

• Acquisition and maintenance of at least two central connection points per Campus to the Internet
• Redundant routing of traffic in a manner that guarantees 365 ×7 ×24 availability of Internet Services
• Load balancing and traffic control for improved efficiency of the available bandwidth to the End Users.

Project components

• Evaluation fase of existing offers with external consulting. Results: contracts with ISP's and Design of Network boundary infrastructure.
• Training of the Network administration department for installation, configuration and administration of the equipments, Software and techniques to be used.
• Acquisition of network equipment as well as infrastructural measures for housing and electrical and physical protection of it.

Project organisation

The director of CORC will be the leader of the project. He and the technician of the Network administration department will define first terms, receive the training and present the final project.

At least two students should be involved in the process by means of a monografic thesis, involving installation, documentation and administration.

Technological requirements

• Up to four routers with BGP and level 4 filtering capabilities
• Courses for the configuration of dynamic routing systems, traffic filtering and traffic analysis software.
• Electrical supply, conforming to the respective grounding and security norms, as well as availability

Activities

• Acquisition of training material, courses and one-to-one teaching with respect to the required knowledge.
• Selection of consultants.
• Demand analysis, taking into account both campuses and future increase of demand
• Analysis of the different ofsupportingfers from ISP's, as well as alternative solutions with respect to long term costs and availability
• Development of redundancy, availability and load balancing strategies.
• Planification and acquisition of supporting infrastructure (Racks, Rooms, Antennas, Electricity, UPS).
• Evaluation and acquisition of equipment.
• Installation and configuration of equipment.
• Contracts with ISP's, connection and test of the configuration.
• Development of periodic administration, maintenance and report schedules and procedures.

Project Costs

• Training: 5000
• Consulting 3000
• Equipment: 4000
• Infrastructure: 150

Communication Centres

Introduction

Each campus counts with a dedicated department providing network administration, connection to the Internet and related Server administration - UNIRED at RUPAP and CORC at RUSB. However the capacity of this "Centres for Network Operation" is based on casual acquisition of equipment and won't sustain the increased load and demand of availability of the proposed expansion of use of information technology.

Not only

Goals

• Equipment, tools and installations for diagnosis, repair and preventive maintenance of computers and the LAN, fibre and Wan network.
• Server Farm for Software mirrors, encyclopedic databases and hosting of student, teachers and staff accounts.

Project components

RUSB-CORC

 

• Acquisition of a central high availability UPS system for the Server Farm and routers at CORC.
• Improvement or substitution of the air conditioning system.
• Training of the whole personal at CORC for their tasks in system administration
• Equipment and initial media stock for a campus wide backup solution.
• Additional computers from Servers for Application, Databases and Homing, to PC's and printers for the staff of the Computer Centre CORC.

RUPAP-UNIRED

 

• -no tengo ninguna idea de las necesidades

Project organisation

OTIC is responsible to thrive the development politics and to gather the demands and proposal from the student and research community.

CORC and UNIRED leaders form a team with the director of OTIC where this demands are regularly discussed on a technical and feasibility level. For each implementation decentralised solutions and centralised solutions (CORC) are considered with respect to organisational and economic constraints and opportunities.

The implementation of individual acquisitions or installations is then delegated to a subteam either on UNIRED, CORC or with a combined team of both departments.

Technological requirements

• Network and Unix technology.
• Servers, network equipment and support equipment like airconditioning, line conditioner and uninteruptable power supplies.
• Backup techniques and knowledge.

Activities

• Basic infrastructure in CORC:

  UPS-Solution, Closed Mount Rack, Server Farm (two Servers), physical disclosure, repair of water leakage, Air-condition of the core equipment section at CORC

• Acquisition of a backup solution
• Expansion of fixed staff at CORC with at least one and a half person.
• Design and acquisition of a complete and redundant Server Farm.
• Development of end-user contact and information strategies and policies.
• Paty ! decí algo acerca de UNIRED

Project Costs

UPS - US$ 5000,-

Acondicionamiento, aire y Mount Rack: US$ 2000,-

Three Servers: two main servers and one load-balancing/control server: US$ 6000,-

Backup via swappable high-capacity Hard disks: Server US 1400,- + 20 Disks, 80Gbyte ×US$ 250 = 6400