Building the Right ICT Infrastructure for eLearning

E-LEARNING CONFERENCE 2-3 NOV 2010

Mthatha HRC

Courtney Walker

ICT Director

WSU

Agenda

• eLearning Requirements• Enterprise Video Teleconferencing• Bandwidth Issues• Performance Issues• Current Developments• Future Developments

eLearning Requirements

• A New dimension– Interactive and live distance teaching using video and rich

presentations for small groups– Simultaneous distance teaching sessions – streaming of live presentations to large student groups– On-demand viewing of saved presentations– Integration between eLearning and business systems to facilitate Single

Sign On, sharing of data, Email, SMS integration– Accessing services securely over the Internet (outside of WSU)

Objective eLearning must minimize operational cost whilst

allowing students to get the best educational experience

Enterprise Video TeleconferencingMCU

PC SystemOffice

Conference Room

MCU is: Multipoint Control Unit or Multipoint Conference Unit

An enterprise Video Conferencing System consists of at least one central MCU and several endpoints.

Endpoint is the device that allows each participant to engage with the video teleconference session. It can be a boardroom system, PC or Mobile phone. Each endpoint forms a virtual link to the MCU.

Enterprise MCU • Allows many users to connect to a conference• Allows many simultaneous video conferencing sessions• Support Video, Voice and Computer Presentations• Accommodates various video qualities-HD, SD etc • Uses the IP Network thus allowing access from

anywhere and using any device• Supports legacy networks such as ISDN (WSU is using

currently ISDN provided by Telkom) • Integrates with Video Streaming Server to:

– Stream live presentations to large audience– Record presentations – Provide On-demand Presentations

Reality• Quality Video Teleconferencing requires huge

Bandwidth. – Cost of Bandwidth depends on size – HD = 2Mbps to up 16Mbps– SD = 512Kbps– Low quality video =128Kbps or less (currently used by WSU)

• Need to be smart about the design and development of the WSU Network so as to minimize cost and maximize performance– Will the solution reduce the operational expenditure for WSU?– Should we use offsite service such as Skype or WebEx?

Internet Bandwidth Rates

Services Mobile-normal (Per MB)

Mobile-VOIP (Per MB)

TENET (Per Month per Mbps)

Rates 1.00 10.00 5,000.00

1. Mobile’s charges are normally based on usage in Megabytes (MB)

2. Mobile Providers charge a higher usage fee for Skype and other VOIP services.

3. TENET and other fixed site Internet providers typically charge a fixed monthly fee for a specific data speed.

Cost of using 3G for VOIP and Video Teleconferencing

Normal Mobile Rate VOIP Mobile Rate

ZAR 3,700.00 ZAR 37,000.00

For a One Hour Video Conference assuming a video quality of 512Kbps. This amounts to 3700 Megabyte of Data. The cost per user is:

3G card is not suitable for VOIP or Video Teleconferencing unless facilitated through the ICT Department???

WSU Network

PDM

IBIKA

CLE

CHI

NMD

Whittlesea

WirelessMAN

Internet

Internet Link

Private Data Links

• WSU Network consists of Sites interconnected by Private Data Links provided by Telkom, Neotel and a private Wireless MAN in East London

• The WSU Network has an Internet Breakout Point that connects to TENET

• The new 3G solution with Vodacom connects our 3G users directly to the WSU network.

Should we use offsite or onsite

MCU?

Off site MCU

Internet LinkInternet

WSU Network

Off site MCU1. Offsite server is

provided by an external company somewhere on the internet

2. Each endpoint must have a virtual link that goes through the internet to the server

3. 20 endpoints require 20 virtual links through the Internet Link

Virtual link

On Site MCU

Internet Link Internet

WSU Network

1. server is located at WSU at the main data centre

2. Endpoints will be on the WSU Network except for a small percentage on the Internet.

Virtual link

Remote User on the Internet

Cost Breakdown

Onsite Offsite

Server ZAR 1,000,000.00 ZAR -

Internet bandwidth ZAR - ZAR 9,000,000.00

Total ZAR 1,000,000.00 ZAR 9,000,000.00

Cost comparison for three years for 100 endpoints assuming:

• Each endpoint requires 512Kbps. Internet Bandwidth Required for offsite server is approximately 50Mbps for 100 endpoints.

• cost of every Mbps to be R 5,000.00 per month

• Zero cost of offsite Server (such as Skype)

• Zero Internet Bandwidth for Onsite Server • Private Network requirements remain the same for both onsite & offsite

Overhead Cost Of Onsite Meetings

Assuming

Avg Return Distance to meeting 250

Avg persons per meeting 40

Percentage who travel 75%

Avg Time on Road per person per meeting 3

Mileage Cost (Per Km) 2.5

Meal per person 150

Accommodation Per Person 800

Number of Meeting per year 100

Cost and hours lostTotal Cost forthe Year 4,875,000.00

Total ManHours ontravelling for the year 9000

Other factors• Cost of expert lecturers at all sites• Fatigue due to travelling• Risk of travelling

Performance Issues

• Performance can be guaranteed through two technologies– Quality of Service (QOS). With Onsite MCU the

quality of the video teleconference can be enforced on the Private Network. Internet operates on a best effort so QOS cannot be enforced.

– WAN acceleration. Tremendously reduces bandwidth through compression and elimination of redundant data. • Example: suppose 50 persons at IBIKA needs to receive the

same unicast 512kbps video feed from NMD. Without WAN acceleration the required bandwidth on the WAN link would be 25Mbps. With WAN acceleration the required bandwidth would only be 512Kbps.

Current Development• Order has been approved for:

– An enterprise MCU • located at College Street • allows up to 96 endpoints• Six new boardroom systems at to be located at NMD, IBIKA, Masibulele, East London

and Potsdam • Integration of current Video Conferencing systems• Allow users to connect with their desktops and laptops • Up to 8 concurrent sessions at NMD (10Mbps link)• Up to 4 concurrent sessions at Potsdam (4Mbps)• Up to 4 concurrent sessions each at Whittlesea and IBIKA (5Mbps by February)

– Video Streaming Server that • Allows capturing of Live events anywhere within WSU• Allows streaming of Presentations everywhere• Allows publishing of Presentations on the Internet

– QOS and WAN acceleration will be configured– Telephone and Fax solutions– Cost 3,000,000.00– Expected Date –February 2011

Current Developments-2

• Server & Storage Project to be completed by January 2011– Integration between Blackboard, GroupWise and ITS– Allow students and staff to save work remotely on

servers– Access files from anywhere– Move towards thin-client computing– Desktop management, endpoint security

• Enforce Desktop Policy• Ensure Anti-virus and Windows are updated regularly• Eliminate Rogue computers

Future

• SANREN coming to WSU’s remote sites– RFP will be issued by CSIR for extension of

SANREN to WSU remote sites– Gov’t will spend 50Million to build broadband

infrastructure in the rural area.– Faster and cheaper bandwidth– More video teleconferencing sessions– Better quality video teleconferencing

Thank You