Advancing Network Education: Universidad Politécnica de Madrid's Success with VyOS

““I believe the free VyOS for Good program is a good initiative and provides great value to the educational community. Not all companies have the commitment and consideration for the educational sector that VyOS has, so this collaboration is beneficial for everyone. It's a win-win agreement that enriches the learning experience of the students.””
— David Fernández, Associate Professor of Computer Networking at the “Universidad Politécnica de Madrid”

Customer Overview

Telemedia Network Cakrawala (TNC) is an Indonesian telecommunications provider specializing in internet services, network infrastructure, and managed IT solutions. They offer high-speed connectivity, data center services, and enterprise network solutions to businesses across Indonesia. With a focus on reliability and innovation, TNC supports digital transformation through robust and scalable network solutions.

Challenge

Universities encounter multiple challenges in teaching complex networks in a practical and engaging manner. The most significant challenge is often the limitation of resources and budget. The high costs of top-tier networking equipment and their licenses prevent universities from instructing on multidisciplinary corporate networks using realistic, intricate scenarios. Furthermore, crafting intricate network scenarios often requires the use of several different tools, which can delay the students' learning process in practical environments.

Why VyOS

In our case, while we had some physical routers, it was challenging to establish networks of particular complexity due to resource constraints. Therefore, the university decided to explore virtualization-based solutions. Key drivers included:

Unified Interface: The integration of all functionalities within a single configuration interface saves students from having to learn multiple tools.
Learning Curve: Its syntax, similar to manufacturers like Cisco or Juniper, greatly reduces the learning curve.
VyOS for Good: The program provides access to a free enterprise solution that offers multiple options for configuring network topologies.

Implementation

In practical settings, the university has been using VyOS for several years. It enables them to create labs focused on dynamic routing with OSPF or BGP, Firewall configurations, and VPNs, deploying equipment using virtual machines or containers. Key implementation highlights:

Complex Scenarios: Created a complex practice emulating a deployment scenario of virtualized residential networks using the NFV Open Source MANO (OSM) platform.
Automation: Students automate the deployment and configuration of virtual residential routers using scripts.
Advanced Features: Utilized extensive IPv6 support for dual IPv4/IPv6 scenarios and IP multicast support for research projects.

Results

The students have responded positively; they like the idea of managing equipment used in corporate networks. The integration of all functions under a single configuration interface allows for consistent management. Key outcomes included:

Student Engagement: Students responded positively to managing equipment used in corporate networks.
Simplified Understanding: The use of VyOS and its function integration helps simplify the understanding of high-complexity scenarios.
Automation Skills: Allows students to work on the automation of deployments and configurations, which is crucial in today's networks.

Looking Ahead

David Fernández sees a promising future for education in network technologies and believes tools like VyOS are an integral part of that future.

Evolving Networks: As networks continue to evolve, it's crucial to have tools that allow students to acquire relevant skills.
Collaboration: Open-source software, like VyOS, promotes collaboration and interoperability between companies, allowing for more agile and efficient network development.