// 24×7 Peace of Mind
CSSD’s Strategic Infrastructure Upgrade with KHIPU, HPE Aruba NETWORKING, & Palo Alto Networks
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama is small specialist higher education, situated in the University of London and nurtures talent across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for approximately 1,200 students, supported by 200 permanent staff and a further 500 visiting lecturers. Behind the scenes, a dedicated IT team works to ensure the smooth operation of the school’s digital environment. Facing the common challenges presented by a network infrastructure nearing the end of its life, Deputy Director of IT, Charles Bermudez, spearheaded a significant project to refresh and future-proof CSSD’s network infrastructure and security.
In this interview, Charles shares the journey, from identifying critical needs to the selection and implementation of cutting-edge solutions from HPE Aruba Networking and Palo Alto Networks, all supported around the clock by the expertise of KHIPU’s Network Operations Centre (NOC).
// Infrastructure
Project Drivers
KHIPU: What were the driving forces behind the infrastructure project and the challenges you faced?
CB: The project was initiated as the school’s infrastructure was overdue a refresh. A key driver was the need to better support the institution, particularly with the increased demand for reliable connectivity for activities like Microsoft Teams calls. Strategically, we aim to integrate modern technologies such as VR and AI, necessitating a robust and up-to-date network so that business operations may continue in a changing landscape.
KHIPU: How did you approach vendor and hardware selection?
CB: We had an existing relationship with our KHIPU Account Manager, who provided trusted and agnostic advice on upgrading our network. He presented KHIPU’s capabilities, client base, and project involvement, which led us to delve deeper into specific technologies.
KHIPU: Which particular features of the HPE Aruba Networking and Palo Alto Networks product suites stood out for you?
CB: For Palo Alto Networks, we already had a firewall, and our systems and infrastructure manager had prior experience. KHIPU was instrumental in implementing high availability, a crucial enhancement. With HPE Aruba Networking switches, we leveraged our familiarity with HPE products, and the centralised management via Aruba Central offered significant advantages in terms of accessibility and interface.
“With increasing cyber risks, we need continuous monitoring and alerting. The [KHIPU] NOC provides assurance for reporting to our IT board, ensuring timely responses to potential incidents.”
// KHIPU Network OPERATIONS CENTRE (NOC)
Benefits
KHIPU: What has been the most significant outcome of implementing the KHIPU
Network Operations Centre (NOC)?
CB: I think it’s having the assurance that our infrastructure and systems manager, who’s only actually one person, has a whole team behind him in case of escalations. So, one of the beauties of having the KHIPU NOC in place around-the-clock is the fact that we operate on the first, second-, and third-line support basis. With KHIPU’s NOC we now have a fourth line, whereby we can contact KHIPU for expert assistance in scenarios where issues might fall outside of our knowledge or experience. Overall, the partnership ensures rapid response to issues, including patching and fixes, aligning with our organisational priorities.
KHIPU: Can you cite a specific incident where the NOC has demonstrated its value?
CB: Yes. Recently, a faulty switch caused an outage. KHIPU’s partnership with HPE Aruba facilitated next-day replacement, minimising disruption. The collaborative effort between our team and KHIPU ensured swift restoration of service.
KHIPU: How crucial is 24×7 Network Monitoring and support for the education sector?
CB: With increasing cyber risks, we need continuous monitoring and alerting. The NOC provides assurance for reporting to our IT board, ensuring timely responses to potential incidents. Knowing we have KHIPU behind us monitoring things in the background provides us with the peace of mind that alerts are in place should anything occur.
KHIPU: How would you say that 24×7 NOC services can specifically benefit HE institutions?
CB: The complex nature of educational environments demands comprehensive monitoring. By integrating sensors on devices like UPSs and servers, we gain a holistic view of potential failures. This intelligence enables targeted responses, minimising downtime and ensuring operational continuity.
In addition, the ability to leverage the NOC for monitoring devices beyond the core infrastructure, such as UPSs, allows for a more targeted approach to incident management. This ensures rapid response and understanding of outages, minimising wasted time and resources, and, ultimately, enhancing overall resilience.
KHIPU: How critical are resilient network infrastructureS for modern academic delivery?
CB: With the increasing digitisation of academic content, network stability is paramount. At CSSD, we rely on stable connections for productions, conferences, and live streaming, both nationally and globally. The ability to stream classes between rooms also necessitates robust connectivity.
“The primary challenges lie in the security realm, with increasing threats targeting HE. Having a reliable NOC and partner like KHIPU provides crucial assurance. Ensuring a stable environment for digital platforms, including VLEs and cloud-based tools, is also essential for seamless learning and collaboration.”
Charles Bermudez
Deputy Director of IT
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