Jodrell Bank IT Network/LAN upgrade

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The Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics is the astronomical research centre of The University of Manchester and operates e-MERLIN, the UK's national radio astronomy facility. Jodrell Bank was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2019, and the consultant needs to be aware of the heritage status of the site. Jodrell Bank is a world leader in radio astronomy-related research and technology development but also carries out research across the electromagnetic spectrum and in theoretical topics.

A LAN Switch Refresh project has been progressed for the main buildings however the circa 60 3rd party unmanaged switches that are connected to single data ports within the buildings will not be replaced. There is a mixture of 5, 8, 12, 16, 24 & 32 port switches on and under desks, in cupboards, equipment racks etc. This situation is a concern from a security, management, network connectivity and process perspective. Moving to a Wi-Fi only option is not possible due to the sensitive nature of the radio telescopes. However, there may be a requirement for occasional Wi-Fi hotspots for guests and events.

A range of options have been considered for Network Modernisation, and a preferred option identified. This involves removing all the 3rd party unmanaged switches and running additional data cables to the location of the existing comms cabinets. This will bring Jodrell Bank in line with the rest of the University's modernized network, removing old equipment, improving network stability, an enabling monitoring of all areas of the network.

The upgrade is of high importance, with the works aimed to be completed by Spring 24.