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Curtin University of Technology Bridging Distances with 10 Gigabit Ethernet

March 13, 2002

By Terry Moos, News@Cisco

For the diverse students and staff of the Curtin University of Technology, time and distance issues between campus locations will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to the benefits of 10 Gigabit Ethernet technology.

Announced in December 2001, the university is deploying 10 Gigabit Ethernet networking technology from Cisco Systems to support 10,000 nodes across four of its campuses in Western Australia. This very high speed Internet protocol- (IP) based infrastructure will pave the way for enhanced e-learning initiatives at the university and bring students and staff from distant campuses closer together.

A new level of Ethernet

Basically, 10 Gigabit Ethernet is still Ethernet, built on the Ethernet protocol used in most local area networks (LANs) around the world. An evolving standard, the Ethernet emerged in the 1970s as a shared 10 Mbps technology and now supports a range of speeds and capabilities. The Ethernet has consistently maintained backward compatibility while delivering ease of use and low cost. The next step in the evolution of Ethernet technology to 10 Gigabit per second speeds. 10 Gigabit Ethernet brings unparalleled efficiencies and performance to a range of networks, including connecting LANs, Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) and Wide Area Networks (WANs).

In addition to the performance benefits, the 10 Gigabit Ethernet uses same management tools and architecture as previous versions of Ethernet. What this all means for organizations like Curtin University of Technology is a network architecture that can cost-effectively scale, while supporting the convergence of storage, data, and multimedia applications.

Multi-campus requires high performance networking

With over 31,000 students, Curtin University of Technology is Western Australia's largest university. Curtin boasts an international orientation, designing programs that are responsive to national and workplace needs, and its promotion of cultural diversity and lifelong learning. Curtin offers over 850 undergraduate and postgraduate courses in business, engineering, health sciences, humanities, science, mining and agriculture.

The main campus is located in Bentley, near Perth. Regional campuses operate in Kalgoorlie, Esperance, Northam, and at Curtin's first offshore campus at Miri in the State of Sarawak, Malaysia. Within Curtin's Office of Teaching and Learning is the Centre for Educational Advancement, which carries responsibilities for distance education, academic staff development, educational media support, and educational applications of the new technologies.

Curtin University of Technology chooses Cisco 10 Gigabit Ethernet solution

Teaming up with Cisco, Curtin University of Technology is leading the way as an early adopter of 10 Gigabit Ethernet technology. With the help of Dimension Data, a system integrator, the university is upgrading the Cisco-based network in order to implement video over IP, as well as enhanced data and security services. Andrew MacDonald, Manager of Network Services at Curtin, believes that the new IP network will enable students and staff to communicate more efficiently between facilities.

Network managers at Curtin are scaling the Ethernet network to 10 Gbps, using Cisco Catalyst. 6500 series switches. Cisco's Catalyst 6500 10 Gigabit Ethernet line cards support high-bandwidth connections over extended distances, which allows users to implement new applications - e-learning, imaging, 3D modeling, and high bandwidth inter-POP (Point of Presence) connections.

Cisco's role in the 10 Gigabit Ethernet evolution

Cisco introduced the first 10 Gigabit Ethernet modules for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switch in September 2001. The addition of 10 Gigabit Ethernet for this switch offers increased scalability in performance and intelligent network services to meet the needs of today's fast-growing enterprise and service-provider networks.

By supporting high bandwidth connections over extended distances, the Catalyst 6500 10 Gigabit Ethernet modules enable customers to implement new applications: server-less buildings, data center remote mirroring, disaster recovery, e-learning, imaging, 3D modeling, and high bandwidth inter Point of Presence (POP) connections.

As the Ethernet evolution continues to extend and increase the efficiency of the network infrastructure, the cost of bandwidth will ultimately decline. Customers get increased bandwidth, increased network reach, intelligent network services - while protecting existing investments in their fiber infrastructure and in the Catalyst platform.

Organizations in the higher education sector, like Curtin, are moving to 10 Gigabit Ethernet for many reasons, but importantly to allow for more creative learning opportunities. Whether to build e-learning programs, connect campuses, or create and use teaching videos to enhance curricula, it all takes bandwidth - and 10 Gigabit Ethernet delivers the solution.

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Terry Moos is a freelance writer based in Seattle, WA