Building the Right ICT
Infrastructure for eLearning
E-LEARNING CONFERENCE 2-3 NOV 2010
Mthatha HRC
Courtney Walker
ICT Director
WSU
Agenda
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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 Teleconferencing
MCU
An enterprise Video
Conferencing System
consists of at least one
central MCU and several
endpoints.
Conference
Room
MCU is:
Multipoint Control Unit or
Multipoint Conference Unit
Office
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.
PC System
Enterprise MCU
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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.
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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
For a One Hour Video Conference assuming a
video quality of 512Kbps. This amounts to
3700 Megabyte of Data. The cost per user is:
Normal Mobile Rate
VOIP Mobile Rate
ZAR 3,700.00
ZAR 37,000.00
3G card is not suitable for VOIP or Video Teleconferencing
unless facilitated through the ICT Department???
WSU Network
PDM
NMD
CLE
•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
Should weInternet
use
offsite or onsite•The new 3G solution
with Vodacom connects
MCU?
our 3G users directly to
Internet Link
Wireless
MAN
IBIKA
CHI
the WSU network.
Whittlesea
Private Data Links
Off site MCU
1. Offsite server is
provided by an
external company
somewhere on the
internet
Off site MCU
2. Each endpoint must
have a virtual link that
goes through the
internet to the server
Internet Link
Internet
Virtual link
WSU Network
3. 20 endpoints require
20 virtual links through
the Internet Link
On Site MCU
1. server is located at
WSU at the main data
centre
Virtual link
2. Endpoints will be on
the WSU Network
except for a small
percentage on the
Internet.
Internet
Link
WSU Network
Internet
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
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ZAR
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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
Avg persons per meeting
Percentage who travel
Avg Time on Road per person
per meeting
Cost and hours lost
250
40
75%
3
Total Cost for
the Year
Total Man
Hours on
travelling for
the year
4,875,000.00
9000
Other factors
Mileage Cost (Per Km)
2.5
Meal per person
150
•Fatigue due to travelling
Accommodation Per Person
800
•Risk of travelling
Number of Meeting per year
100
•Cost of expert lecturers at all sites
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
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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