Aruba Wi-Fi 6，Central和AIOPS提供智能的自我修复网络，用于学习今天和明天不限制

With its strategic plan calling for learning without limits, Vestavia Hills City Schools found itself at a technology crossroads.

"Our legacy wired and wireless networking infrastructure was limiting teaching and learning," says Keith Price, Director of Technology for the 7,200-student PK-12 district located in suburban Birmingham, Alabama. "As we were rapidly adopting cloud-based classroom applications and moving toward a 1:1 mobility environment, we needed to improve connectivity reliability, security and performance across the district."

普莱斯说：“我们绝对赞赏零接触以及在我们所有网站上创造共同环境的能力。”“这大大简化了管理。”

Aruba Wi-Fi 6，由Central提供动力，明确的选择

为了满足联邦电子利率资金要求和州的授权，Vestavia Hills以竞争性的出价流程开始了旅程，其中包括惠普（Hewlett Packard）企业公司Aruba。

"Aruba was the clear choice for the quality of its solution combined with the services we needed to help us install, configure and maintain a modern, future-ready wired and wireless networking platform while stewarding taxpayer funds," Price says.

By selectingAruba's Edge Services Platform (ESP), Vestavia Hills gained centralized, automated, cloud-enabled network management from a single intuitive dashboard usingAruba Central. The solution also includesWi-Fi认证6访问点（APS），基于最新的IEEE 802.11AX标准wired aggregation edge switches， 和Aruba Clearpass用于安全，颗粒状和集中式访问控制。

Central + AIOps Advances Deployment, Management & Reliability

During deployment, Vestavia Hills used Central's zero-touch provisioning capabilities to automate AP and switch implementation and configuration. With Central, traditionally time-consuming and error-prone manual deployment and network optimization tasks are reduced to fast, accurate points and clicks.

普莱斯说：“我们绝对赞赏零接触以及在我们所有网站上创造共同环境的能力。”“这大大简化了管理。”

Availability users can count on

Vestavia Hills also appreciates the network reliability enhancements provided by the AIOps (artificial intelligence operations) framework underlying the Aruba ESP platform. It preempts network problems by uniquely combining machine learning with anonymous data, gathered from millions of devices throughout Aruba's global customer base.

AIOPS驱动的平台与中央的颗粒状可见性和管理工具相结合，提供了学校系统教师可以依靠的Wi-Fi连接。

普莱斯说：“在实施阿鲁巴之前，教师报告了零星的无线连接。”“由于Aruba和Central作为故障排除和纠正问题的一站式位置，我们将老师的停机时间从四到五个小时减少到几分钟。”

Multi-Layered Zero Trust Security and Cyber Catalyst^SM优点

To support Zero Trust security best practices, while further unifying its network to build consistent wired and wireless experiences, Vestavia Hills is adding ClearPass to Aruba's native security capabilities.

With its customizable and template-based policy enforcement approach, ClearPass automates discovery, profiling and access control for users, devices, and "things." It also enables rapidly drilling down to specific devices, whether it's a printer, security camera or laptop.

"With ClearPass, we can offer more streamlined network access and improve user experiences, while increasing security and network integrity," Price says.

普莱斯说：“在实施阿鲁巴之前，教师报告了零星的无线连接。”“由于Aruba和Central作为故障排除和纠正问题的一站式位置，我们将老师的停机时间从四到五个小时减少到几分钟。”

Insurance benefits stem from Cyber Catalyst^SM指定

As a whole, Aruba's security features have achieved Cyber Catalyst^SM指定, making organizations like Vestavia Hills eligible for enhanced conditions on cyber insurance policies from participating insurers.

Further, Aruba's tight integration with other industry-leading security platforms enables quickly and easily creating a multi-layered zero-trust approach.

Supporting Modern Experiences in Classrooms, on Athletic Fields, and After School

尽管Covid-19暂时改变了Vestavia Hills的指示，包括混合，远程和分类模型以及面对面的学习，但其新网络是提供所有四个选项的关键。普莱斯说：“在大流行期间，我们的网络支持混合，远程和分类模型所需的学习平台。”

In traditional classroom settings, curriculum innovations include traffic-intensive Google AR & VR along with other IoT-enabled learning tools. "In addition, our teachers use web conferencing internally for building-to-building and class-to-class projects," says Price. "We also partner with universities and others, which frequently involves video-enabled collaboration."

Vestavia Hills' new network also shines in high density areas, like gymnasiums, cafeterias and large conference rooms. "All of these are multi-use spaces in today's educational environment," Price says. "Whether it's robotics competitions, guest speakers, or online testing, we've gained the capability to stream content to any gathering."

"We also partner with universities and others, which frequently involves video-enabled collaboration,"says Price.

网络将Vestavia Hills留在游戏中

For the athletic department, the network supplies the capability to fulfill contemporary requirements. This includes real-time score streaming as well as providing visiting teams and coaching staff with smooth and secure Wi-Fi guest connectivity for access to Hudl and other athletic platforms.

Additionally, the infrastructure supports the courtside scoreboard and statistical system for basketball, volleyball, and wrestling along with the football team's instant replay and scoring solutions.

"Athletics today are a high tech endeavor," says Price. "Our network ensures we can fully participate."

Extending controlled access to community events

为了使学生和社区受益，Vestavia Hills还举办了各种课外活动，在这里，Wi-Fi是关键的。普莱斯说：“例如，我们举办了一个年度的戏剧节，我们将与与会者扩展。”

"With our new infrastructure, we're able to serve the larger needs of our students and community while also having granular control over who, and what, we allow to connect," he says.

Significant Business, IT and Operational Rewards

From a business and operations perspective, the network modernization is also a plus. With Aruba's Wi-Fi 6 supplying military-grade Suite B cryptography, Vestavia Hills ensures optimal, secure experiences in the most congested settings. Sustainability is also improved with capabilities like Green AP mode, which offers energy savings of up to 70%.

普莱斯说：“由于我们的1：1部署预计在任何给定时间都将在网络上平均带来8000个设备，因此我们现在可以准备每天和峰值数据流量负载。”“这包括支持我们的教职员工参与多个内部和外部学习社区。”

On the wired side, Vestavia Hills' VoIP telephony, security cameras, door access, intercom and HVAC utilize the new network. "Supplying power to all of those devices via PoE is a considerable savings over running more cable," Price says.

普莱斯说：“由于我们的1：1部署预计在任何给定时间都将在网络上平均带来8000个设备，因此我们现在可以准备每天和峰值数据流量负载。”

Less IT overhead makes funds go further

In IT, Price reports his lean staff is significantly more productive and agile. "System upgrades that formerly required weeks to schedule and provision now take minutes," he says. "Similarly, our regular monthly maintenance windows are slashed from 48 hours to less than two."

Moving forward, Vestavia Hills plans to leverage more of the automation advances within its network solution, such as dynamic segmentation. This feature replaces manual configuration tasks, across wired and wireless networks, with dynamically and efficiently routing data traffic based on the user, device, and 'thing' roles that Price's team establishes.