THE JOINT ITU /UNU/CERN Workshop on African Research & Education Networking (AFUNET) held on 25-27 September, 2005 at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland. ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTRAL COMPUTER LABS UNDER hp DIGITAL VILLAGE CONCEPT AT THE KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (KNUST) – A CASE STUDY Prof. E. Frempong Coordinator, Environmental Science Programme and Dean of Students, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana & Prof. K. Singh Dean, Faculty of Distance Learning, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
Transcript
THE JOINT ITU /UNU/CERN Workshop on African Research & Education Networking (AFUNET) held on 25-27 September, 2005 at
CERN, Geneva, Switzerland.
ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTRAL COMPUTER LABS UNDER hp DIGITAL VILLAGE CONCEPT AT THE
KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (KNUST) – A CASE STUDY
Prof. E. Frempong
Coordinator, Environmental Science Programme andDean of Students, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
&Prof. K. Singh
Dean, Faculty of Distance Learning, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
Aim
This case study covers the major steps taken by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology for the ICT infrastructure development and towards the effective use of ICT at the University under HP digital village concept. It includes the network design for backbone connectivity which includes interconnection among various departments to the Network Operating Centre (NOC) using fiber optic technology, network costs, bandwidths requirement, ICT services offered to students and staff, and future planning/requirements.
KNUST ON MAP OF AFRICA
KNUST, KUMASI,GHANA
BRIEF BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON K NUST
•ESTABLISHED: 6 OCTOBER 1951 BUT OFFICIALLY OPENED ON 22ND JANUARY 1952.
• LOCATION: 6 km FROM THE REGIONAL CAPITAL OF ASHANTI REGION, KUMASI, WHICH IS 270 km NORTH OF ACCRA, THE CAPITAL CITY OF GHANA.•AREA OF MAIN CAMPUS: 11.80 SQUARE km
• The University has been restructured into six colleges:
• Architecture and Planning• Agriculture and Natural Resources• Arts and Social Sciences• Engineering• Health Sciences• Science
TECHNICAL OVERVIEW OF WIDE AREANETWORKING(WAN) AT KNUST:
NETWORK BACKBONE
•FIBRE OPTIC TOPOLOGY
•HP ROUTING SWITCH AT PHARMACY BLOCK
•NETWORK CONFIGURATION - VLANs
•CISCO 3640 ROUTER AT PHARMACY BLOCK
•CISCO PIX FIREWALL AT PHARMACY BLOCK
Fibre Optic Topology:
• The fibre optic cabling is dividing the KNUST campus into four(4) zones (Appendix 1).
• Zone 1: Administration, College of Arts, Administration block 2, Library(Main Library,KVCIT)
• Zone 2: Agriculture, CCB, Agric Eng., IRNR, FEDS
• Zone 3: SMS, Chemistry, Biological Sciences
• Zone 4: Physics, Engineering 1, Engineering 2, Social Sciences
HP 9304 Routing Switch at NOC
HP 9304 Routing Switch atPharmacy Block
• The HP 9304 Routing Switch, installed atthe Pharmacy Block would serve as thecentral concentration point for all theremote sites. All remote sites connect to itdirectly using an independent fiber pair. Thethroughput between each remote site andthe 9304 Router Switch is 200Mbps at fullduplex.
HP 9304 Routing Switch at Pharmacy Block (Cont.)
• The throughput between two sites would also be 200Mbps. This would provide a high performance as well as provide huge scalability(The 9304 is a Modular device and can take additional two 24 port fiber modules). In its existing configuration itself, the 9304 can accommodate at least 8 additional sites.
NETWORK CONFIGURATION-VLANs
Network Configuration -VLANs
• Each remote site would be a separateNetwork(subnet). All traffic to/fro from a sitewould be routed from the central 9304Routing switch. This would result in clearlydefined and secure networks. The 2524manageable switches at the remote sitessupport Virtual LANs(VLANs) which wouldfurther secure and control the broadcastdomain for the site.
Cisco PIX Firewall AtPharmacy Block
• The Cisco PIX firewall is capable ofsupporting multiple Networks. An extraFast Ethernet interface will be added whichcan be linked to a Demilitarised LAN hostthe KNUST WEB and E-mail servers. ThePIX firewall would be placed between the9304M switch and the 3640 Router formaximum protection and security.
NETWORK COSTSNetwork costs consists of equipment, installation and recurrent monthly charges. The cost is based on :
•Fibre Optic Cable and laying cost, the cost of the fibre link.
•Cost of switches, Cisco Routers and Catalyst, 3Com Hub.
•Backup link cost include Wireless Inc. Radio access, copper backup link.
•Monthly recurrent charges
•Maintenance and support services.
ESTIMATED COST• The total cost of Fibre Network on KNUST was US$
1,286,845.00. Out of this KNUST contribution was US$286,845.00 and donation from HP was US$1,000,000.00. The University contribution was used for the following:
• Fibre Cables and Equipment: US$177,689.00• VSAT Equipment and connectivity: US$44,400.00• Switches, Transceivers, etc.: US$64,756.00• In addition to this, a number of 2524 manageable switches at
the remote sites to support Virtual LANs(VLANs) and other material and technical support to create VLANs in various Departments/units were obtained.
BANDWIDTH
The KNUST Network Operating Centre (NOC) obtained two-way broadband internet access to connect more than 1,000 computers directly to the MAE –east internet backbone in Washington D.C. through a direct satellite link in September, 2002. It is currently hooked to the IDirect Satellite through a satellite dish provided by Afrinet Ghana Ltd., a Satellite Communications company in Accra. The Centre is on a 128/1024kbps shared link to the Internet at the cost of $4,823.72 every month for connectivity.
In addition to this, an annual local regulation fee of US$2,000.00 is paid to National Communication Authority, Ghana for a new VSAT
equipment with 256/1024 kbps dedicated link to the internet. The approximate cost of this new connection is $8,000.00
every month.
DISTANCE LEARNING INITIATIVE AT KNUST
• The Faculty of Distance Learning comprises of two Departments:
• Centre for Distance and Continuing Education(CDCE)• - Programmes Coordination Unit• - Material Production Unit• - Material Distribution Unit• Kumasi Virtual Centre for Information
Technology(KVCIT)• - Software Development Unit• - Hardware Maintenance and Repair Unit• - Training Unit: • - Academic Programmes Unit
BASIC SERVICES OFFERED TO STUDENTS
An ICT Centre has also been established and following services are available for students. The first year students are charged $30 whilst the continuing students are charged $15 for a year for the following services:
• Internet Access• E-Mail Service• File sharing• eLearing system• ICT Training
UNIVERSITY INFORMATION TECHNOL OGY COMMITTEE(UITC)
• The University has an advisory /Policy making University Information Technology Committee(UITC ) under the Chairmanship of the Vice Chancellor to coordinate and oversee every aspect of ICT with the following objectives:
• To initiate, promote and coordinate Information and Communications Technologies(ICT) facilities at KNUST.
• To promote the innovative applications and uses of information and Communications Technologies in learning, teaching and research.
• To advice the University on all IT related issues.
FUTURE PLANNING / REQUIREMENTSThere is a need to develop a culture of work and organizational structure which takes advantage of the properties of the virtual or electronic work space, and students and staff need to be prepared for the proper use of the new technologies, to work out a checklist that would require to implement ICT effectively within the University system i.e
•Policy, Technical,Human resource Training requirement
•To promote intelligent use of ICT in teaching and learning.
•To make use of ICT to transform lectures from class room teaching(face to face)
into web based presentation.
•To make proper use of ICT to manage , access, disseminate research information.
•To acquire course delivering tools ( WebCT, Blackboard, Ucompass et.) and to
• make arrangements for course delivery services to host the on-line courses for distant learners.
