Decatur City Schools improves student engagement with new Aruba Wi-Fi and wired solutions to achieve excellence goals
用例：通过使用高性能，可靠且易于部署的Wi-Fi和有线基础架构来提高学生参与度，并通过AI和基于云的管理节省时间和预算来提高教育成果。
Establishing a 100-percent college and career initiative launched a multifaceted teaching and learning transformation at Decatur City Schools in Alabama. The effort quickly led officials to determine the district’s existing wired and wireless environment couldn’t cope with the new demands.
“我们十年历史的旧基础设施越来越缺乏性能，” 8700名学生区技术主管艾米莉·埃拉姆（Emily Elam）解释说。“除了我们在4至8年级的现有1：1倡议外，我们还计划在我们的两所新高中每隔9至12年级的每9至12年级学生提供一本Chromebook。随着需求和设备密度的增长，我们显然需要基础设施刷新。”
积极的经历导致阿鲁巴拥抱
To begin, Decatur evaluated whether to update its existing solution or seek another option. Elam’s familiarity with Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, from her previous district tipped the scales.
我们绝对可以从现代化的有线和Wi-Fi基础架构中实现价值。我们认为Aruba是实现这一目标的杰出合作伙伴。Emily Elam,迪凯特市学校技术主管
埃拉姆说：“我在以前的地区有很棒的惠普经验，在那里，网络设备的问题很少，保修意味着不昂贵的维修。”“这使阿鲁巴所有权成为成为纳税人资金良好管理者的非常成本效益的方式。我们还使用Aruba Clearpass进行基于政策的访问控制，并且我们对其的经验同样积极。”
虽然以拦信心阿鲁巴岛,迪凯特的network administrator was initially concerned, being heavily invested in the incumbent. “Fortunately, the more he learned about Aruba’s product quality, intuitive interface, ease of configuration and extensive support resources, he became excited about making the leap,” says Elam. “We’ve never looked back.”
阿鲁巴Infrastructure + Central = Long-Term Connectivity Gains
In collaboration with Aruba representatives, Decatur began a multi-year update to coincide with the availability of E-rate grants. This included high-performance Aruba Access Points, in Instant mode (IAPs), and access switches along with cloud-based Aruba Central, for network management and operations.
Elam说：“除了满足我们的短期需求外，该设置还提供了随着时间的推移发展网络的灵活性。”“阿鲁巴（Aruba）展示的往绩是提供高效有效的途径，以使其平稳过渡到最新技术，这是一项很大的优势。”
该地区还部署了Aruba的移动控制器，以通过VPN隧道返回数据中心来创建来宾网络。埃拉姆说：“由于各种原因，我们的老师和员工需要使用手机，尤其是在紧急情况下。”“将我们的IAP与VPN相结合，使我们能够为这些BYOD设备提供连接性。”
阿鲁巴中央reduces networking complexity and costs
鉴于迪凯特（Decatur）的超莱恩（Ultra Lean IT）员工，官员们特别吸引了阿鲁巴中心（Aruba Central）的广度和成本效率。
“Among its advantages, Aruba Central eliminated the need for an on-site server and associated costs,” says Elam. “This also avoided inherent server administration and update tasks, which helps relieve an already challenging goal to keep up with all of our technology needs and requests.”
From cost savings to IT productivity
此外，中央提供了许多其他属性。迪凯特（Decatur）网络管理员加里·克洛尔（Gary Cloer）说：“例如，使用我们的旧系统，配置和更新网络设置很麻烦。”“中心不仅简化了这些过程，而且也很容易且直观。”
Non-disruptive fine-tuning is another capability Cloer values. “Previously, updating network configurations required taking Wi-Fi offline for several hours as our old system was overly complicated to administer,” Cloer says. “Using Central, making needed changes takes seconds.”
Overall, Cloer appreciates the concise view of each IAP, how they are performing and the clients connected to them. “This gives us visibility into whether any adjustments are needed as utilization patterns change,” he says. “Having such a powerful and intuitive tool frees my time to focus on other critical projects.”
Switching Innovations Future-Proof Wired Investments
On the wired side, Aruba’s switches are answering multiple near and long-term needs. “For example, we purchased some of our switches with general fund resources to enable deploying a variety of IoT systems,” says Elam.
她说，这使得迪凯特能够在没有任何拥堵的无线网络上运行当前的物联网解决方案，例如安全摄像机，门锁，对讲机和电话。此外，迪凯特（Decatur）的有线网络现在已经对新需求进行了适应，以支持它们的出现。
“基于“增大化现实”技术uba’s high-powered PoE switch ports and multi-gigabit Ethernet capabilities provide us with the features we need today,” she explains. “In the future, we can easily take advantage of the many capabilities Aruba is building into its access switches.”
阿鲁巴ClearPass – Unified Wired and Wi-Fi policies
Decatur is also anticipating rewards from unifying Wi-Fi and wired access by deploying ClearPass. This will supply the district with one system that works to authenticate students, teachers, staff and guests, saving time and addressing security needs.
“We appreciate the granular visibility and enhanced security ClearPass will give us with respect to who and what is connecting to our network,” says Elam. “We’ll also have improved control over bandwidth utilization, which is particularly critical to managing guest and Internet traffic effectively.”
Putting colorless ports and dynamic segmentation to work
地平线上的其他项目包括利用无色端口和Aruba开关中的动态分割功能。
前者使开关端口能够自动使用ClearPass，有关连接设备提供的信息，以确定其是相机还是HVAC传感器，以自动分配适当的访问权限。这消除了手动端口配置任务。
Similarly, Dynamic Segmentation leverages ClearPass to micro-segment traffic using district-defined rules to increase data security as information travels across a network.
Enabling New Offerings while Exceeding Exceptions and Goals
随着其新网络提供了现代的基础设施基础，Decatur的好处迅速加起来。埃拉姆说：“当您开设两所新学校，使用新的设备和新的Chromebook为2500名学生中的每一张新的学校时，期望很高。”
“All of the cloud applications at our high schools – Google Classroom, Canvas learning management and online textbooks – depend on a reliable experience,” she continues. “Our new wired and wireless infrastructure is enabling us to exceed our students, teachers and staff expectations.”
Esports team takes the lead
In addition to powering classroom systems, high-performance Wi-Fi is opening doors to new options for engaging students. One of them is supporting an Esports team, complete with college scholarship opportunities.
埃拉姆说：“阿拉巴马州制裁的三个电子竞技游戏，我们参加了英雄联盟。”“带宽和性能要求非常高，并且由于高等教育奖学金即将到来，因此必须保持稳定。我们的Aruba Wi-Fi使我们有信心鼓励学生参加和获胜。”
Academic outcomes abound
最重要的是，Elam报告说，迪凯特正在超越其卓越目标。两项重要的措施是降低缺勤和更高的毕业率。
“By enhancing student engagement we hoped to see a three percent decline in absenteeism,” she says. “Instead, absenteeism dropped by 14 percent, which is tremendous.”
For graduation rates, the target was a two percent increase. “We’re on track to exceed that goal as well,” Elam says. “We’re very pleased with how far we’ve moved the needle, especially considering the challenged demographics of our district.”
她补充说：“我们绝对可以意识到现代化基础设施的价值。”“我们认为Aruba是实现这一目标的杰出合作伙伴。”
