News
City Council selects Brocade solutions to update its IT infrastructure
January 2015 by Marc Jacob
Brocade has been selected by the City of Bordeaux to deploy an Ethernet fabric-based network architecture connecting all its data centre and terminals. The move comes as part of Bordeaux’s network modernisation in order to help it deal with the changing demands made on a modern network infrastructure.
Faced with an aging infrastructure that was originally installed in 2001, the City of Bordeaux recognised the urgent need to update its bandwidth capacity and technology. Because many council services are now available for self-service online, there has been a huge increase in traffic on the network compared to ten years ago, which meant that the network was struggling to cope with the demand. In 2011, the City launched a competitive tender process that resulted in the decision to deploy a Brocade Ethernet fabric.
Consolidating the IT Room
Phase one of the project involved the migration of the servers and the two existing data centres. Towards the end of 2013, the City of Bordeaux began testing the deployment. The migration of the routing, servers, and the fibre-optic sites (approximately 200) was implemented by early 2014 in partnership with Tibco.
“We chose the Tibco/Brocade proposal as it exactly matched what the City needed, particularly in terms of capacity and functionality. Brocade was the only network provider able to build all the functions into a single system. In addition, their business proposition was way more attractive,” explained Pierre Narbey, Head of the Architectures Unit -Digital Installations Department, Bordeaux Council.
Brocade’s proposal of an Ethernet fabric based on Brocade® VCS® Fabric technology was the only available solution combining everything within just one component (the fabric), without the need to have peripheral components to answer just 10 percent of the City’s needs. The IT room is now fitted with one single Ethernet fabric extended over many sites. As a result, the City avoids the need to manage multiple components while administrating all the various elements distributed across the IT room from a single position.
The project also includes a Level 2 backbone connecting the two data centres with the use of 20 switches (Brocade VDX® 6710, VDX 6730, and VDX 6740 models). With the old system entirely removed, the City of Bordeaux network now runs several 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) links between its data centres and its main sites.
Advantages and Benefits of Brocade Ethernet Fabrics
• Optimal performance by enabling replacement of old equipment
• No technological break: the fabric is compatible with all the equipment available, allowing gains in terms of data centre and network evolution
• Flexibility: Elements can be added as needed, scaling up as required by new applications
• Enabling a high-speed, mesh, redundant, Level 2 network at the City level
Integrating Terminal Equipment
The second phase of the project focuses on the terminal equipment. The new City Hall complex, unveiled in August 2014, hosts 850 employees and 10 dedicated switch rooms with four switches in each. Brocade will first equip the administration building, then the other sites, one by one.
Over the coming years, the City Council of Bordeaux plans to move all its technology to Brocade, replacing all legacy infrastructure by the end of 2016, by which time the overall infrastructure will include 200 Brocade ICX® campus switches as well.
“We’re really happy with the services Brocade has provided. They have been with us through all stages of the deployment and we’ve worked closely with them to roll out this solution, which perfectly meets our needs,” concluded Pierre Narbey.
