Nortel Ethernet Solution Enhances Learning at University of Tsukuba

Based in Tsukuba Science City outside of Tokyo, the university offers a broad range of courses in a variety of academic disciplines, many of them covering highly technical areas that make heavy use of networked resources including bandwidth-intensive academic documents. The use of video conferencing and multimedia applications is also planned for the future. The introduction of Ethernet connectivity, delivering speeds of up to 10 Gbps, will ensure students have the fastest possible access to resources over the university's network backbone.

Integration company Marubeni Information Systems Co. Ltd. designed and constructed the network, helping the university make the most of the broad range of features in the Nortel Ethernet solution. For example, the new solution helps ensure continuous, efficient network operation and prevention of unauthorized access through the use of network IDs and quarantine systems with security checks automatically carried out on PCs connected to the campus LAN.

"In response to student and staff demand for advanced network capabilities, we have constructed a cutting-edge campus network based on Nortel's Ethernet solution," said Professor Kozo Itano, director of the University of Tsukuba's Academic Computing and Communications Center. "The high stability, reliability, redundancy and security of the Nortel solution has helped us create an environment where everyone can utilize the network safely - without having to be aware of its existence."

"Leading-edge research requires a leading-edge network solution," said Toshiyuki Hiramatsu, president of Nortel Japan. "The University of Tsukuba has recognized the innovation of Nortel's Ethernet solution, which will help improve learning by allowing educators to focus more on utilizing new learning technologies and less on worrying about the complexity of the underlying network. Easier connectivity to advanced network resources will help the university's students benefit from the new era of Hyperconnectivity, in which everything that can be connected, is connected."

The University of Tsukuba's network combines Nortel's Ethernet Routing Switch 8600 Series of chassis-type Layer 3 switches with Nortel's unique Split Multi-Link Trunking (SMLT) technology to support Secure Always-on Networking; a high performance and feature-rich infrastructure built with Nortel Ethernet Routing Switch 5500 Series; the Nortel Secure Network Access Switch 4050, a solution for network IDs and quarantines; and the Nortel Application Switch 3408, which provides load balancing for processing between servers and firewalls. -Nortel