作为服务的下一代连接有助于数字学习，同时改变学生的体验

很难夸大网络连接对大学体验的重要性。教学空间是数字化的，课程是数字化的，数据繁重的应用程序是标准的。这无需考虑学生人群的生活方式需求。

"It's just about unacceptable for a young person not to have Wi-Fi nowadays," says Andy Powell, Head of Infrastructure, Canterbury Christ Church University. "We classify Wi-Fi as a hygiene service."

坎特伯雷基督教堂大学是15,000名学生的所在地，绝大多数学生都希望全天候高性能连接。

Taking Back Control to Ensure Connectivity Standards

坎特伯雷基督教堂大学是15,000名学生的所在地，绝大多数学生都希望全天候高性能连接。The university is closely linked to the NHS, it has a large teacher training facility, as well as engineering, science and technology departments. Today, connectivity has become a basic imperative.

This was not always the case. Historically, with much of its accommodation internet connectivity outsourced, the university had struggled to establish minimum standards of network access. With fee-paying students demanding a consumer-grade experience – not just for learning, but for media streaming, Alexa and gaming – Powell says it was vital for the university to re-establish control.

"We began a programme to bring network connectivity in student accommodation back under our control and committed to delivering a next generation wireless experience," he says.

Delivering a Home-From-Home Network Experience

Aruba is at the heart of the transformed network. Canterbury Christ Church University is blanketing its buildings withAP-515 Wi-Fi 6 access pointsto deliver high density coverage, efficiency and performance.

The access points are managed byAruba-7220 controllers由mobility conductor. The entire campus access layer is powered byAruba-2930M switches. In addition,Airwave网络管理constitutes the monitoring platform, whileClearPass Policy Manager提供编排，政策以及基于角色的网络访问控制。

As a differentiated service, the university offers AirGroup to each student. This Aruba feature allows a personal network segment to be created for each registered student, where they can create an environment which includes all their favourite and familiar devices, and to share them with their guests.

"It means students can bring any device and register it with Azure single sign-on," says Powell.

The engagement transforms the network experience throughout the university buildings. It establishes, in Powell's words, a "home from home" experience for students in the university residences.

"We also provide a gaming enabled network for our student gamers with the most demanding connectivity needs," says Jim Manuel, Senior Network Engineer. "Our students can register their gaming device via the portal and we can ensure it gets the level of service it requires using ClearPass and its device fingerprinting feature."

这是大学年度全国学生调查中获得82％满意度评级的一个因素。

"We've been able to provide a wireless-only service in all student accommodation, such is the quality of the network," says Powell. "It feels more like a hotel experience for students."

"We've been able to provide a wireless-only service in all student accommodation, such is the quality of the network," says Powell. "It feels more like a hotel experience for students."

Underpinning the University's £150m Expansion

TheAruba Edge Services Platform还支持大学的扩展计划。坎特伯雷基督教会大学最近开设了这座6500万英镑的Verena Holmes大楼，这是科学，技术，健康，工程和医学课程的所在地。该建筑是该大学1.5亿英镑计划的一部分，该计划在整个城市中增加了新的教学和住宿，包括对以前的监狱现场的重建。

The Verena Holmes building is an example of the university's aspirations. It houses engineers, scientists, doctors and healthcare students together in an inspirational learning environment with industry-standard, hi-tech facilities on every floor. It provides space for research, experimentation and industry collaboration, all of which are supported by a high-performance network.

The building has been provisioned with over 160 Aruba AP-515 Wi-Fi 6 access points ensuring that the students get excellent Wi-Fi service whether it be while in the anatomy lab sharing content on their iPads or sitting with friends in the café overlooking the St Augustine's Abbey. Outdoor areas are covered by the external Aruba AP-575 access points to allow simple roaming when heading to other buildings on the campus.

With a dark fibre ring connecting buildings around the city, it means the university, as it opens new buildings and refurbishes the old, is able to provide a comprehensive network experience wherever students and teachers need.

坎特伯雷基督教会大学现在能够确定谁在使用网络以及如何使用网络。控制和可见性简化了整合大学生和行业的任务，同时保护敏感数据。

Ensuring Clear Segmentation Between Different User Groups

坎特伯雷基督教会大学现在能够确定谁在使用网络以及如何使用网络。控制和可见性简化了整合大学生和行业的任务，同时保护敏感数据。例如，该大学的肯特与梅德韦医学院（KMMS）与英格兰公共卫生的课程一起工作。

"KMMS is a partnership between ourselves, University of Kent (UKC) and the NHS," says Powell. "We have a number of shared services that span the two universities. Identity management helps control access to those systems."

Powell says further, deeper integration is inevitable as the university collaborates more closely with public bodies, industry and employers: "We're a much more hands-on university. Our teaching is closely aligned with the needs of employers. There is a greater expectation from students – our customers, at the end of the day – that we deliver a service and value for money. We need smarter ways of defining, managing and assuring the quality of these services."

Reducing Network Management as Attention Switches to Innovation

The next challenge is to further optimise the user experience. The university recognises the journey is not over and that it needs to be proactive about detecting potential issues and resolving them.

"We know students won't always contact a service desk but we shouldn't have to wait for a support call. We're looking at Aruba UXI Sensors to tell us about the true user experience. Connectivity from the control centre can often look green but what is it performing like from a client's point of view? UXI can be our network's eyes and ears." says Manuel.

Aruba Central is also on the roadmap to more as-a service evolution. "Our strategy is cloud-first," says Powell. "Everything as a service, over time; software first, then infrastructure. Aruba Central is certainly in our vision as we look to simplify network management.

"Technology is going to play an increasing role in the education industry. Our efforts should be spent finding and applying that technology, not fixing it."