Initiatives
Extreme Makeover: Network Infrastructure Upgrade II
by Joe Bilbro - Managing Director, Network, Security, & Systems
The TTUHSC network has seen many changes over the years. As mentioned in the CIO’s message, more changes are coming later this year with the rollout of the Network Infrastructure Upgrade (NIU) II project. Before discussing these changes and the impact they will have on the TTUHSC network in more detail, a little historical background is in order.
In the late 1980s, before the Internet explosion, a state-of-the-art Ethernet network was installed at the Lubbock and regional campuses to provide access to the Medical Practice billing system using “dumb” terminals. These terminals accessed the network at a blazing 19,200 bits/second (19.2 kb/sec or 0.0192 Mb/sec). Soon PCs were attached to the network backbone via Ethernet hubs. These PCs were accessing file shares and email services on the Institutional computers at a whopping 10Mb/sec. Then in the early 1990s, the TCP/IP protocol began to show up on the network as the Internet began to grow in popularity and TTUHSC’s network infrastructure was upgraded with new cabling to keep up with the emerging technology. As dumb terminals were slowly, but steadily, replaced with PCs and more and more customers were using network services (Internet, file sharing, and email), it became necessary to consider the issue of network congestion.
In 1997, the IT Division began the NIU I project. The purpose of this project was to install a core infrastructure of cabling, routers, and switches to support the expected network growth for the next 7-10 years while providing a cabling backbone that would support network growth for the next 20 years. A $5.5 million contract was awarded to Southwestern Bell Company (SBC) to replace the old cabling and install a fiber optic backbone at the Amarillo, El Paso, Lubbock, and Odessa campuses with interconnecting routers and switches capable of 155Mb speeds.
The continued increase in the use of network resources for business, classroom, education, and research purposes, and the addition of video traffic to the network in 2004, once again, made the need to upgrade the network infrastructure a high priority. In the Fall of 2006, the CIO of TTUHSC approached the Texas Tech Board of Regents about the need to upgrade the network infrastructure. The proposal was approved, and in March 2007, the NIU II Request For Proposal (RFP) was published, inviting the submission of proposals to upgrade the existing network infrastructure with hardware and software solutions to provide an infrastructure capable of meeting the Institutional networking and security needs for the foreseeable future. The RFP outlines several key technologies and strategies that will, once again, provide TTUHSC with a state-of-the-art network.
With the increase in video traffic (17,000 hours/year) and the high bandwidth requirements of live video conferencing, there is a real need to be able to prioritize network traffic. Compared to live video, non-bandwidth intensive network usage (e.g., Internet browsing, sending/receiving emails) or non-interactive network usage (e.g., file transfers) are not time sensitive in the delivery of the network data. Another key requirement of the NIU II RFP is the ability to provide Quality of Service (QoS) controls between any two network endpoints, a capability which is not available on the TTUHSC network today. QoS allows the network to differentiate between different types of network data and/or give priority to specific types of network traffic or specific network sessions (e.g., video) while continuing to deliver data for other network applications in a timely manner that is transparent to the end user.
No network upgrade would be complete without upgrades to the wireless infrastructure. The current TTUHSC wireless network is based on the 802.11B standard, which provides for a maximum of 11Mb/sec transfer rate. The RFP calls for the upgrade of all wireless radios to the 802.11G standard, which supports a maximum of 54Mb/sec transfer rate. While this would appear to be approaching the speed of a wired 100Mb connection, it should be noted that wireless networking is designed as a “convenience” network and is not necessarily “ready for prime time” in the delivery of mission-critical applications. Wireless network speeds are reliant on several factors, including distance from the radio, signal deflection by walls, and the number of computers attached to a given wireless radio. A metal cart being rolled down the hall or another wireless computer that gets a little too close can disrupt and disconnect a wireless connection. While some day wireless technologies may emerge that address these limitations, today’s wireless networks are still only intended for occasional ad hoc usage. In that vein, it is important that our wireless usage, even if it is ad hoc, be protected from wireless spying. This NIU II project will enhance not only the speed of our wireless networks but also the security of data as it passes over the wireless network with enhanced encryption and network access control.
Like the telephone, the data network has become an integral part of everyone’s day-to-day life. Faculty, staff, and students rely heavily on the availability of the network. While the TTUHSC network is designed with redundant components, there are opportunities with the upgrade of the network infrastructure to place additional core devices such that the network reliability and serviceability will be improved. Network vendors are continuing to add features to their hardware and software solutions that will one day allow for 24x7 operations. While this NIU II project will not achieve this level of availability yet, it will move TTUHSC closer to this ultimate goal.
The NIU II contract was awarded to ATT/Nortel in December 2007. Installation of the new infrastructure is scheduled to be completed during the summer of 2008. With the new network hardware and software infrastructure in place, TTUHSC will be positioned to take advantage of new and innovative network-based applications for the students, faculty, staff, and customers well into the next decade.