Education

Addressing network infrastructure challenges at UWA

UWA faced significant challenges with its aging network infrastructure, which hindered its ability to support modern educational and research activities. The key challenges included:

Transforming the student experience and enabling true hybrid learning

UWA needed to enhance the student experience by providing seamless connectivity to service students both on-campus and remote. The new network was able to support the demands of hybrid learning, which required reliable, high-speed network access for students and faculty regardless of their location.

Adding security and scalability to its research network

With a constant focus on research excellence, UWA's network upgrade improved security and scalability to support large data volumes and complexity associated with leading-edge research activities. This included protecting sensitive research data and ensuring the network could handle increasing volumes of data from various research projects. The upgrade also allowed UWA to support industry collaborators on its network and fulfil the stringent requirements of research grant agreements.

Delivering operational efficiencies and agility through automation

UWA was focused on moving away from manual, error-prone, and time-consuming processes. Investment in automation tools and software-defined architecture allowed UWA to streamline network operations, reduce manual intervention, and enhance overall agility to provide a more secure, responsive, and efficient network management process.

Ensuring cybersecurity compliance with the new Critical Infrastructure legislation

Compliance with evolving cybersecurity regulations, including the new Critical Infrastructure legislation that placed new cybersecurity obligations on universities and its industry partners in sectors such as Defence, was a critical priority for UWA. The university needed to enhance its network security measures to protect critical assets and ensure regulatory compliance. This required a network capable of enabling full-stack observability, real-time threat detection, and automated processes for incident management.

Improving UWA’s sustainability performance including reduced emissions and energy costs

UWA aimed to improve its sustainability performance by reducing energy consumption and emissions. This required leveraging advanced network monitoring and analytics to optimise energy usage across campus facilities. A smarter, more efficient network was essential to achieving these sustainability goals.

To address these challenges and support UWA's strategic goals, including research excellence and an enhanced student experience, a robust and modern network infrastructure was essential. By engaging Cisco, UWA aimed to comprehensively address these issues and achieve the following objectives:

• Modernise its network to support a growing and diverse range of applications and devices
• Enhance network security to protect against cyber threats and comply with evolving legislation
• Improve the overall user experience for students and staff, ensuring seamless connectivity across campus
• Achieve operational efficiency through network automation and real-time observability

Deploying Cisco solutions to modernise UWA’s network

To address its network infrastructure challenges, UWA partnered with Cisco to implement a comprehensive suite of advanced network solutions. UWA's longstanding relationship with Cisco and the proven reliability of Cisco’s network solutions made Cisco the natural choice for this project. The university sought to leverage Cisco’s innovative technologies to modernise its network infrastructure, ensuring it could meet the growing demands of its community while maintaining robust security and operational efficiency.

Cisco and UWA worked together to deploy:

Cisco Catalyst Center

By using Cisco Catalyst Center, UWA was able to streamline network operations, reduce manual configuration tasks, and enhance overall network performance. It provided a centralised platform for managing network devices, ensuring that updates and security patches are applied efficiently. This resulted in improved reliability and reduced downtime for both staff and students.

Cisco Software-Defined Access

Cisco SD-Access enabled UWA to implement detailed security policies and segment the network to isolate different types of traffic, enhancing security and control. It allowed for automated provisioning of network resources, making it easier to support new devices and applications. This capability was crucial for protecting sensitive research data and ensuring that only authorised users and devices can access specific network segments.

Cisco Spaces

Cisco Spaces provided advanced monitoring and analytics, enabling UWA to optimise the utilisation of campus facilities. By tracking occupancy, energy usage, and air quality, UWA could implement predictive maintenance and improve the comfort and safety of its buildings. This technology helped the university create a more sustainable and efficient environment, aligning with its operational efficiency goals.

The implementation process was a dynamic collaboration between Cisco and UWA's networks team. Initially, a comprehensive assessment of the existing infrastructure was conducted to identify critical areas for enhancement. Cisco SD-Access and Catalyst Center were then deployed, establishing a secure, segmented network foundation. Automation tools were integrated to streamline network management, enhancing efficiency, and reducing manual effort. Finally, Cisco Spaces was rolled out to convert campus buildings into smart, optimised spaces. Throughout the project, Cisco and UWA worked closely to ensure seamless integration, robust security, and enhanced performance, meeting each milestone with precision and expertise.

Delivering transformative outcomes for UWA

The partnership between the UWA and Cisco has transformed the university's network infrastructure. The deployment of Cisco’s cutting-edge solutions has resulted in a more secure, efficient, and resilient network, aligning with UWA's strategic objectives.

Improved student experience including hybrid learning capability

UWA has achieved a unified IT platform that ensures an equitable experience for both on-campus and remote students. By implementing Cisco Spaces, the university can now monitor and respond to environmental data, including air quality and temperature, optimising classroom experiences, and creating a comfortable learning environment. This capability has been crucial in supporting hybrid learning models, ensuring that all students have access to high-quality educational resources regardless of their location.

Increased security to support research

With the deployment of Cisco SD-Access and Catalyst Center, UWA has significantly improved its network security, providing full-stack observability that offers early visibility of potential attacks. This enhanced security posture enables high levels of automation for early detection and risk minimisation, allowing UWA’s industry partners to collaborate securely on research projects. The robust security measures have been essential in meeting the stringent requirements of research grant agreements and industry partnerships, ensuring that sensitive data is protected.

Improved operational efficiency

Cisco's solutions have streamlined network management at UWA, reducing the demands on the network team for reactive responses. The use of automation has enabled efficient policy-based software-defined access and micro-segmentation of the network. These improvements have led to reduced operational overheads, allowing the IT team to focus on strategic initiatives rather than routine maintenance tasks. The result is a more agile and responsive network that supports the university's dynamic needs.

Improved cyber resilience and compliance

The deployment of Cisco SD-Access across all UWA campuses has created a more robust first line of cyber defence. This comprehensive security framework is essential in helping UWA meet obligations under the Australian Government's recently introduced Security of Critical Infrastructure Act, which places new cybersecurity obligations on owners and operators of critical infrastructure including higher education institutions. By implementing these advanced security measures, UWA has enhanced its ability to safeguard its infrastructure, ensuring resilience against potential disruptions.