Network Segmentation Project

Information Services and Technology (IST) has partnered with Cisco on the next generation of networking for the University of Manitoba. The new Cisco Software-Defined Access network and its associated technologies will improve network security, stability, and ease of use for all students, staff and faculty. Our IT support staff will also see improvements in administration, automation and analysis.

Cisco is our primary supplier and designer. In association with university staff, they will be responsible for the overall design and implementation of the first seven buildings selected to pilot the migration. IST will use the knowledge gained through this process to complete the remaining buildings. 

The project team will start the migrations with a phased approach in May 2023. 

The Pilot phase of this project has been successfully completed and this project is currently being rolled out to the rest of the campus. 

Buildings and migration dates

Buildings and migration dates Q1 2025 (Tentative)

The schedules outlined above may change depending on their experience with each migration. Please visit this page often for project and schedule updates.

Do you have a question or concern about the project that should be included? Contact project manager Blair Dagdick.

During each migration, the building’s local IT Administrator(s) will be the first point of contact for technical support, and the project’s networking team will be onsite to assist the administrators.

Self-help

The network protocol associated with the new Software-Defined Access network is called 802.1x. In some cases, staff and students may have to set up the 802.1x client on their desktop or laptop computer to access the new network. Please refer to Configuring and connecting to the Software-Defined Access (SDA) network (PDF) for detailed setup and connection instructions.