Web Mail | LearnJCU | Contacts | Bulletins | Campus Maps
   Information For > Prospective Students | International Students | Current Students | Visitors | Staff | Jobs at JCU
Information About > The University | Research | Teaching | Courses & Degrees | Faculties & Divisions | Library & Computing

Project - Network Upgrade Home

2005 JCU Network Upgrade Project (Gigabit Ethernet LAN) - "Progress Blog"

General Information

Based on an Request For Offer put out by ITR in February 2005, Commander has been chosen to implement the network upgrade replacing the Cisco switched LAN with Nortel switched LAN. The upgraded LAN will provide Gigabit Ethernet to all LAN ports. The edge switches in the new LAN will be NORTEL 5520 series.
Some press about this:
Nortel Press Release
Real World Networks Biz

Network Upgrade Plan

The initial deployment will be in the LAN at the Medical School precinct. We expect to start this deployment mid October.
This deployment will in effect be a proof of concept deployment.

Proposed Network Structure

Douglas Campus The core will comprise two Nortel ERS8600's connected to ERS5530 switches by dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GE) links providing 20 Gigabit per second (20Gbps) connectivity. The ERS5530 switches form the distribution layer at Western Campus, Library, Medical School, FMO. Each building will be connected with dual Gigabit Ethernet links providing 2 Gigabit per second to each building. (Compared to the current 100Mbps)

Cairns Campus
The core will be three core stacks of ERS5530 switches connected to each other at 20Gbps and feeding stacks of ERS5520's in each building.

Proposed Core Network Maps

Proposed Townsville Network Maps

Proposed Cairns Network Maps

Project Progress

January 2005

ITR finalises the Network LAN Request for Offer (RFO) which specifies a totally switched LAN with a resilient dual Core and feeds to Buildings.

February 2005

JCU advertise the RFO in the National Press.

March 2005

RFO responses due at JCU.

April - May 2005

JCU RFO selection panel evaluate the various responses and select a short list of Vendors. (Cisco, Foundry and Nortel)
The short listed vendors all demonstrate their proposed solutions in test labs to the selection panel.

June 2005

JCU decide to progress to contract negotiation with Commander and Nortel to supply the new JCU switched LAN.

July and August 2005

Commander negotiate GITC (Qld Government Information Technology Conditions) contract with the Qld Government GITC Department.

Late Septmeber 2005

JCU has contracted with Commander (Qld) Pty Ltd. to supply and install the new Nortel network. The DVC, Prof. Harry Hyland, signed the GITC contract on Thursday the 29th of September.
The Nortel equipment has been shipped to JCU and we are awaiting delivery due on Friday 30th September.
Nortel equipment arrived on Friday 30th September.

Early October 2005

Set up test lab with initial Nortel equipment for training and testing purposes.
Set up new core Nortel ERS8600 switch/routers at ITR HX-building and connect to Cisco core network.
Photos of new core kit.
Build Medical Precinct Core in Test Lab and test functionality.

Mid October 2005

Set up new core at Medical School Precinct with Nortel ERS5530 switches.
Deploy new Nortel ERS5520 switches into all the Medical School buildings.
This has now been completed and all the clients in this precinct are now running on the new Nortel equipment.
Faculty IT-Support in the Health Faculty have yet to move their servers over to the new equipment.
  • Click here for the new network topology at the Medical School Precinct. Medical School

    • October - November 2005

    Test and verify new switched LAN at the Medical precinct delivers all the features that JCU requested in an operational environment.

    Bandwidth Test results - Using Statseeker.

    Using 12 x Sun Fire Servers courtesy of JCU HPC section to generate 12 x 1Gbps IPerf traffic streams into a Nortel ERS5530 switch to another 12 x Sun Fire Servers. This gave us enough traffic to flood the 10Gbps uplinks to the Nortel ERS8600.
    Sun Fire 1G on Nortel 5530 port results.
    Nortel 5530 10G uplink port results.

    December 2005

    Roll out the new network to all buildings on Douglas and Vincent campuses. ITR will be working with IT-Support to ensure this phase goes smoothly for all network users.  

    Upgrade Schedule Townsville December Building list.
    PLEASE NOTE SCHEDULE CHANGES:
    Upgrade moved to Monday 19 Dec:
    Library and Sir George Fisher buildings.

    Completed so far:
    Mon 5 Dec - Health/Medical Precinct
    Tues 6 Dec - FMO and Demountables
    Wed 7 Dec - Western Campus
    Thur 8 Dec - Vincent Campus and Student Mall area
    Fri 9 Dec - Central Campus buildings.
    Mon 12 Dec - Central Campus buildings.
    Tue 13 Dec - Central Campus buildings.
    Wed 14 Dec - Engineering Precinct.
    Thur 15 Dec - Kevin Stark, Maths,Physics,Geo.
    Fri 16 Dec - New Biol, TESAG, SIAS
    Mon 19 Dec - Library, SG Fisher.

    Tues 20 Dec - Douglas Campus is now on the new Nortel LAN.


    January 2006


    Upgrade Schedule January Building list.

    Other JCU sites at Orpheus, Mt Isa, Thursday Island, Bamaga will be done later in January or February.

    July 2006

    The Residential Colleges at Douglas were upgraded in June and July.

    University Halls, George Roberts, Western Residential and Rotary.
    St Mark's College.
    John Flynn College.

    Latest Info - The End.