Abbotsleigh boosts AV & learning with new Fabric Connect network

Abbotsleigh, an independent school for girls in Sydney, has deployed a new physical network built on Extreme Networks' Fabric Connect technology to support a broad range of educational and operational needs.

Abbotsleigh comprises a Senior School with approximately 1,000 students in years 7 to 12, a Junior School with 500 students, and an Early Learning Centre for 70 pre-kindergarten children. The school offers boarding to around 170 students and operates various sports, arts, and educational facilities for students and the wider community.

The challenge

Planning and design of several new building projects in 2018 and 2019 led Abbotsleigh to reconsider the role of its data network as the backbone for core building systems, such as lighting, audio-visual, and HVAC systems. The existing network was reaching the end of its service life, and increased digital learning demands highlighted limitations in the older infrastructure.

Paul Barrett, IT Technical Services Manager at Abbotsleigh, explained that complexity and insufficient capabilities were hindering the network's effectiveness.

"There was no true multi-pathing, and the infrastructure was growing in complexity. This was resulting in increasing management overheads and made adds, moves, and changes difficult to complete in a timely manner."

The integration of audio-visual technology exacerbated these challenges. The school's AV strategy involved introducing Crestron NVX for fixed AV installations in new buildings, along with other platforms like Dante and NDI, which would further increase bandwidth demand and the complexity of network management.

"As a result of the widespread use of Crestron NVX within our new buildings we needed a solution which would be readily able to handle large volumes of multicast traffic and provide high levels of fault tolerance," says Barrett. "Achieving this with the legacy network design would have resulted in further complexity, not just in the configuration itself, but every time equipment was moved between locations."

The solution

The school reviewed several options before deciding in early 2021 to implement a network based on Extreme Networks' Fabric Connect technology. The solution was built using Extreme Networks' VSP core switches and 5000 series universal edge switches, with management and authentication provided through ExtremeCloud IQ and Extreme Control (NAC).

Barrett stated:

"Extreme Networks' Fabric technology automated the task of deploying network switches as well as services across the entire network fabric. Because it is based on the concept of shortest-path bridging, Fabric Connect greatly simplified configuration of the entire network. It delivered us much greater levels of resilience and provided both a true multi-path network solution as well as automatic load sharing across available paths."

The transition began with shifting the network's core to Extreme Fabric, followed by the installation of new Fabric-enabled switches. This architecture enabled the automation and simplification of network management and helped to eliminate many of the manual processes previously required.

Operational benefits

With the new network fully operational, Abbotsleigh's IT team has noted reduced time and effort for deploying new switches. Tasks that previously required hours now take minutes, and the configuration workflow has become more efficient due to templating.

The network's design supports dynamic creation of virtual services between AV devices such as NVX, containing multicast traffic to only where it is needed. Each service is extended solely to authorised receivers to maintain security, and full resilience is provided through all available network paths. This ensures quick failover and efficient utilisation of bandwidth for new AV services.

Barrett observed:

"Overall, it has made day-to-day management of the network much easier for the school's IT team. Configurations have been simplified through the use of templates, freeing up staff time to focus on other activities.

Through the use of the NAC and the resilience provided by Extreme Fabric, our AV team can utilise the network to distribute real-time, low-latency multimedia for live events anywhere a data point exists and without the need for the network engineers pre-configuring ports."

The increased capacity from higher bandwidth links and load sharing has enhanced overall network performance. The automatic handling of Crestron multicast traffic now directly supports the school's AV requirements while reducing administrative burden.

"The Extreme Fabric automatically handles the Creston multicast traffic. This directly supports the audio-visual strategy of the school without increasing complexity or negatively impacting network performance.

Extreme Networks' focus on constantly improving the performance of its fixed network components means the school can take advantage of future enhancements as they are released. I am confident they will remain a valued technology partner for many years to come," adds Barrett.