Swansea University
ICT Infrastructure Strategic Plan:
2015-2017
Context

ICT is essential for the University to achieve its ambitious expansion plans and to operate on a day-today basis. IT underpins our key activities; Research, the Student Experience and Driving Growth in the
knowledge-led economy.

The University ICT Infrastructure strategy is overseen by the University’s Senior Management Team
and Professional Services Management Team.

The infrastructure services are delivered by staff within Information Services and Systems (ISS) and
College staff working closely together.

The Bay campus presents the challenge of operating a seamless ICT infrastructure across multiple
sites, along with the opportunities and benefits that seek to improve overall resilience of our ICT
systems.
ICT Infrastructure, Strategic Developments 2015-2017
Introduction
ICT Infrastructure covers the following areas and this document focuses on the expected developments
needed to underpin University services:

Broadband Services

Network Backbone

Wireless Network

Datacentre Services

Supercomputing Facilities

Telephony

Audio Visual

Desktop PCs and Applications

Account Management and Security

IT Service management
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Infrastructure Developments
Broadband Services
The University obtains its JANET and Internet connection via the National Public Sector Network in Wales,
the PSBA, (Public Sector Broadband Aggregation), inter-connecting education, local authorities, Health, and
Welsh Government departments. University business is dependent upon this network being available 24/7.
BT have recently won the contract to re-engineer and manage this network.
To facilitate this ISS will:

Improve the resilience of the University’s broadband service to the PSBA network and onward
connection to Janet and the Internet. Both the Singleton and Bay campuses will have independent
connections to different connection points on the PSBA network.

The Singleton and Bay campuses will have a direct 10Gigabit interconnect, a point to point fibre
optic link for internal University data. Should one of the direct connections to the PSBA/Internet
fail at either campus then data will be automatically re-routed across the 10Gigabit link and out
onto the Internet through the other campus’ Internet connection.

The circuit bandwidths of our direct connections to the Internet at each campus will increase to
10Gigabits as capacity management demands.

As added resilience a further microwave circuit will be installed between the campuses to provide
failover for the point to point fibre optic circuit.

Swansea University will cease to be a C-PoP, (Connection Point), for local public sector connectivity
in and around Swansea. These local connections and the C-PoP will be moved to the main BT
exchange in the city centre.
Enabling Projects
The Bay campus development and re-engineering of the PSBA.
Campus Network Backbone and Security
Capacity management and availability of the network underpins University business. To maintain the
Integrity of the network ISS will:

Improve monitoring services to help detect and prevent malicious attacks, and structure the
network to reduce the impact and realm of any compromise, whilst promote best practice to end
users

Implement a comprehensive Information Security Management System based upon ISO27001

Each major building on both campuses will have resilient 10Gigabit fibre optic links back to the
main datacentre at each site. The speed of the campus backbone will be increased from 10Gigabits
to multiple 10Gigabit circuits, 40Gigabits or 100Gigabits as capacity management demands.
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Desktop connections will remain at 1Gigabit per outlet and building/floor resilience will be
improved through battery backup in all communications cabinets and higher specification switches.

Cisco will remain the preferred provider of network routers and switches. New core routers will be
procured as part of the bay campus development.
Enabling Projects
The Bay campus development and ISS business planning
Wireless Network - Eduroam
Mobility, wireless bandwidth and device support for students and staff.

All areas, including halls of residence, will have complete wireless coverage with a rolling upgrade
programme to the latest 1Gigabit high bandwidth specification 802.11ac.

Eduroam will continue to expand to non-University sites across the city region

A guest wifi service will be available for University visitors and conference attendees

ISS will provide support for new device types wherever possible and continue to increase the
number of devices allowed to connect per person.
Enabling Projects
The Bay campus development, NSS funding and ISS Business planning
Datacentre Services
Information Services and Systems provide Application and Infrastructure support for over 80 internal and
externally facing I.T. Services, such as E-mail, Desktop Computing, Blackboard, Student Records, Finance
and HR. These services sit on a hardware and software platform which provides a basic “Infrastructure as a
Service” (IaaS). This service will need to be extended to the new Bay Campus both to provide “local”
services to the Staff and Students on the Bay Campus, and to provide the University with a full symmetric
dual site Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Solution where the Singleton Campus provides
protection for the Bay Campus and vice versa. ISS will seek to:

Increase the University’s potential (Virtual) Server, Storage and Backup capacity to provide
resources for any Research, Teaching or Administration project.

Upgrade the ability of the IaaS systems to improve resilience between the two sites.

Add the ability to “Elastically” expand services into the “Cloud” to provide for sudden increases in
capacity or to transparently utilise cloud services where they provide better value or specialised
functions.
The Estates strategy includes major developments on the Singleton campus which will affect the existing
Blue C datacentre when the Talbot building is decommissioned. ISS and Estates will work together on the
re-housing of this service and ancillary works to re-route many of our external fibre optic links.
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Enabling Projects
The Bay campus development, ISS Business planning, the ISS DR BC Policy and the Estates Strategy
Supercomputing Facilities
The HPC Wales Supercomputing facility, a WEFO sponsored project, completes its funding cycle in 2015. A
further cycle of funding or renewed initiative will be required to carry on the service after this time.
Academics at Swansea have access to Supercomputing facilities hosted at the Blaenavon datacentre which
will also require renewed funding. The Medical School will be running a new computing research facility
located in the new Datascience building on the Singleton campus.
Enabling Projects
Research and WEFO funding
Telephony
Although the existing Alcatel telephone system was installed in 1999 the hardware, software and handset
technology are upgraded annually to deliver the latest enhancements in telephony and provide full
integration with other computer communication services now available.

New services such as Microsoft’s Skype for Business, formerly Lync, will be an integral part of the
telephone system, other SIP/Internet based services will continue to expand for outgoing and
incoming calls.

DECT will continue to be supported at both campuses and Alcatel Apps for smart phones will also
be available.

Phased rollout of Voice over IP will continue as new builds replace old buildings. As of 2015 the
split between Voip and digital handsets is roughly equal. After the Bay campus completes this will
change to 75% VOIP, with the remaining 25% being gradually phased out over the next 5 years.

Mobile phone contracts negotiated through national procurements will be adopted for all new
staff mobile phones. Call tariffs for outgoing calls, DDI rental and line rental will be regularly
monitored to provide the best value for money for the University.
Enabling Projects
Bay campus development and Telephony budget to fund technology developments
Audio Visual
A standard AV setup for each type of lecture theatre and teaching room has been specified for the Bay
campus, which will be mirrored on to the Singleton campus as part of our rolling replacement programme.
All lecture theatres will be equipped to support lecture capture.
Enabling Projects
Bay campus development, NSS funding and ISS business planning
Desktop PCs and Applications
ISS, in collaboration with other university departments/Colleges, will continue to develop a standard
Microsoft desktop for staff and students supporting an agreed set of campus licenced applications.
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
PC Open Access labs and College systems will be maintained to the highest specification required
to run the designated operating system and applications.

Cloud services, such as Office 365, will be implemented and introduced as required.

The University will focus upon on improving the performance and increasing functionality of the
desktop service to meet with student and staff requirements and compliment the use of personal
devices.

ISS will investigate the use of Virtual Application streaming and VDI, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure,
for the delivery of campus licenced applications to remote desktops, laptops and tablets.
Enabling Projects
ISS business planning, Office365, Application streaming and VDI Projects
Access, Account Management and Security
Many staff, students and visitors pass through the university each year all requiring differing levels of
secure access to the varied ICT services both on and off campus. Managing their Identity and policing their
access to services is a complex problem. ISS is working with a partner company to provide a
comprehensive Identity Management Service to improve the efficiency of account management processes.
Enabling Projects
ISS business planning, external consultancy and project reviewing account lifecycle business processes
IT Service Management
ISS has adopted the UK government ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) framework to base its internal processes
on to provide the service management for all its IT systems and services.

To underpin this framework a new service desk, Landesk, will be introduced to provide a one stop
shop for all incidents and requests made by customers.

Landesk will be made available for all user support sections in ISS, Colleges and student hubs.

All ISS services will use Landesk to provide visibility and tracking of customer requests in a timely
and transparent manor.
Enabling Projects
ISS Business planning and ISS projects to review front of house services and internal communications
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