Malang – To strengthen the campus' digital infrastructure, the Information Technology and Database Center (PTIPD) of UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang has successfully migrated its main core switch devices from the Cisco Catalyst 4506-E to the latest generation Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series. This step was taken in November 2022 as part of a network modernization strategy to support the transformation towards a Smart Campus.

For more than a decade, Cisco Catalyst 4506-E devices have been the backbone of campus network connectivity. However, as digital needs, such as e-learning, cloud-based services, video conferencing, and real-time academic applications, evolve, legacy 1 Gigabit Ethernet-based devices are no longer capable of meeting today's performance and scalability demands.

Instead, the Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series was chosen for its native support of 10 Gigabit Ethernet technology, with expansion options up to 40G and even 100G. This device is an enterprise-class core layer switch designed for high-density, high-performance, and Software Defined Access (SD-Access) – Cisco's advanced architecture that enables more flexible segmentation, automation, and policy-based traffic management.

The migration process was carried out meticulously at night to minimize disruption to campus activities. The PTIPD technical team worked late into the night to perform physical installations, system reconfigurations, and thorough testing to prevent downtime for vital services such as the academic information system, institutional email, and e-learning networks. This approach proved effective. The entire process ran smoothly without any disruption to network users during the day, demonstrating the PTIPD team's professionalism and meticulousness in maintaining the stability of campus infrastructure.

With its programmable and modular architecture, the Cisco Catalyst 9500 not only delivers high performance but also enables the integration of more sophisticated monitoring systems, network telemetry, and identity-based access management. Technologies such as MACsec (Media Access Control Security) and TrustSec are also embedded, providing an additional layer of security essential for maintaining data integrity in academic environments.

In addition, the UADP ASIC (Unified Access Data Plane) technology used in the Catalyst 9500 enables more efficient data processing and is adaptive to changes in traffic, making the campus network more responsive to usage spikes, such as during online exams or webinars.

This modernization step is a crucial part of PTIPD's infrastructure development roadmap to support UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang's vision of becoming a Smart Campus that excels in the integration of science and technology. With a faster, more robust, and secure network backbone, digital service development can be more aggressive and innovative.

Going forward, this infrastructure will support various digital-based campus initiatives, ranging from administrative service automation, campus big data development, to integration with the Internet of Things (IoT) for monitoring energy, security, and the campus environment.

With this migration, PTIPD is not only upgrading hardware, but also making a major leap in the campus' digital transformation, oriented towards quality, efficiency, and continuous innovation.