Publishing client : Cisco ACI multi-pod case study
Publishing Client
BestPath were engaged to help transform a publishers datacentre infrastructure; a global organisation, employing over 8000 people world-wide, with annual revenue in excess of £1bn.
Objective
As a result of a recent merger, and the need to refresh their infrastructure, the client wanted to ensure that they adopted a solution that provided a future proof network platform, allowing them to build on and refresh their wider IT systems, such as their server estate.
In addition to providing a future proof platform, the client wanted to move their network to new centralised datacentre locations and adopt an Active/Active datacentre topology.
Engagement
BestPath were engaged through the client’s trusted partner, to identify and design an Active/Active datacentre architecture to accommodate their next-generation server platform.
The project requirements were to ensure that the solution met the following key business objectives within two new datacentre locations:
- Provide 25Gbps server connectivity.
- Offer the ability for stretched active/active workloads and network appliances across multiple sites.
- Simplify the day-to-day operations of the network infrastructure.
The software-defined network solution 'Cisco ACI Multi-Pod' based on the Nexus 9000 Cloud Scale technology was chosen.
Once the solution was identified and the architecture design had been created, BestPath were required to produce a Low-Level Design covering the new datacentre locations. The low level design had to accommodate how the ACI fabrics could be provisioned in the new datacentres as well as how new and existing datacentre services could be connected to the fabrics as seamlessly as possible.
By selecting 'Cisco ACI Multi-Pod', the solution provided the client with many benefits in addition to their key business objectives, such as:
- Centralised single point of administration for the network infrastructure.
- Increased visibility and control for changes and incidents.
- The ability to simplify the extension, and movement of services across multiple sites without complex hardware, features and configurations.
- Configuration (policy) consistency across multiple datacentre locations.
- Software Defined solution that will provide APIs and automation capabilities.
- Cost reductions, through the reduction of services within a single datacentre, opting for redundancy across sites, such as Cloud and MPLS services.
ACI Multi-Pod Engagement
Using our tried an tested engagement model, we were able to help this client find value in the solution from start to finish.
Benefits
The project helped the client achieve the following outcomes:
- Cost: Cost savings for the client were achieved through the consolidation of hardware and services. The consolidation of hardware was allowed through the customers use of server virtualisation, and a reduction in the overall number of unused network ports, whilst cost efficiencies were seen by opting for service resiliency across different geographically separated locations.
- Operational Efficiencies: Through the use of a centralised controller and hierarchical policy model, configurations are now consistent in their deployment allowing for operational standards to be applied once to many devices within the network.
- Delivery: Through our flexible engagement model the reseller and client were able to continue leveraging existing relationships with their proven datacenter vendor.
- High Performance Network: The Cisco ACI Multi-Pod solution allowed the client to increase the available bandwidth for server connectivity within their datacentres by around 150%, whilst at the same time increasing their end-to-end payload (MTU), and multi-pathing capabilities; and reducing the need for complex features and hardware.
- Software Defined Networking (SDN): The Cisco ACI Multi-Pod solution has given the client the ability to perform configuration and monitoring of the datacenter through RestFUL API.
Since the initial project completed successfully, BestPath have continued to be engaged through the trusted partner for the client, helping them achieve the next steps in their journey.
Core Principles
The application and maintaining of our continuous core business values and lifecycle to this project, allowed us to help the client and their trusted reseller achieve the core project requirements in addition to the benefits that a software defined network technology brings.
Our key business values and outcomes are what we strive to achieve on all of our projects.
Re-Imagine your Datacentre today and empower the heart of your organisation with BestPath and Cisco ACI.
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