Case Study NTT DATA Hokuriku Corporation NTT DATA Hokuriku Corporation in Hokuriku, Japan, a system integration and networking system services company, selects an Allied Telesis network solution, providing redundancy and high performance in an easy to use, robust package.
Case Study NTT DATA Hokuriku Corporation Introduction NTT DATA Hokuriku Corporation is a system integration and networking system services company in Hokuriku, Japan. Their company network was proving difficult to configure, and required constant troubleshooting, and they needed a new network that was reliable and robust, yet simple to run. As a system Integrator, NTT DATA Hokuriku had successfully partnered with Allied Telesis before, using advanced switching technology for customer network installations. When upgrading their own network, Allied Telesis was an easy choice to provide the right solution. Kanazawa, Japan Kanazawa is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan. It is the biggest city in the Hokuriku region, with a population of 450,000. The city is surrounded by the Sea of Japan, the Japan Alps, Hakusan National Park and Noto Peninsula National Park. Two rivers run through the city; the Sai and the Asano. Due to its temperate and rainy climate, it has been successful at developing such products as rice and sake. They now have two SwitchBlade x908 Advanced Layer 3+ modular switches using VCStack TM at the network core, and x900 Advanced Gigabit Layer 3 Expandable switches - providing them with both the simplicity and redundancy they need. Customer Profile NTT DATA Hokuriku Corporation is a subsidiary of parent company NTT DATA, a system integration and networking system services company. J A P A N Kanazawa NTT DATA has steadily expanded their business, and NTT DATA Hokuriku Corporation was established in January, 1991. NTT DATA Hokuriku provide information system integration, and they support customers in many sectors, including public, finance, farmers' cooperative, and Enterprise. NTT DATA Hokuriku s mission is to act locally to create tomorrow s community". They develop the businesses that create the Hokuriku community. NTT DATA Hokuriku s head office is in Kanazawa city, in Ishikawa, Japan. Page 2 Allied Telesis Case Study: NTT DATA Hokuriku Corporation
Customer Requirements Robust, reliable, resilient, and easy to use. Established in January, 1991, NTT DATA Hokuriku provides information system integration. They build and support large networks, for customers in a diverse range of industries. NTT DATA Hokuriku supports customers in many sectors, including public, finance, farmers' cooperative, and Enterprise. NTT DATA Hokuriku s number one objective was to increase productivity. Customer demand has steadily increased, and the extra demand put pressure on NTT DATA Hokuriku s original network, causing problems. They needed a robust network that could cope with large amounts of traffic, such as customer requests. Their network was also hard to configure, requiring regular maintenance and troubleshooting. When they had to reconfigure a switch, the network ceased to run, which meant business was stopped as well, so the new network had to be extremely reliable and resilient, to eliminate network downtime. Furthermore, because the network was so difficult to maintain, it required an expert engineer - and one was not always available. The new network had to be easy to use so that maintenance was no longer an issue. Scenes from Kanazawa City Page 3 Allied Telesis Case Study: NTT DATA Hokuriku Corporation
Case Study NTT DATA Hokuriku Corporation NTT DATA Hokuriku Corporation's advanced new network Router Servers Internet VPN Remote Access SwitchBlade x908 1 Gigabit link 10/100 link Link aggregation Page 4 Allied Telesis Case Study: NTT DATA Hokuriku Corporation
The Solution Recently, NTT DATA Hokuriku have focused on installing networks that are simple to manage and maintain, as well as providing superior performance. To achieve this, NTT DATA Hokuriku have promoted the Allied Telesis VCStack solution to customers. So when it came to their own network upgrade, it made perfect sense for NTT DATA Hokuriku to choose a VCStack solution. They selected an Allied Telesis SwitchBlade x908 for a VCStack network core, plus switches, also using VCStack, on each of the 5 floors in their building. We focus on increasing our customers productivity, because it is the key purpose of IT infrastructure. VCStack is a great solution for our customers, because of its high reliability and simple management. Plus, its functionality and high-value meet key requirements. Because we have seen it work for our customers, we knew that with VCStack, we could build a simple, yet powerful resilient network for our own company - Mr Noboru Tateishi, Quality Guarantee Manager at NTT DATA Hokuriku NTT DATA Hokuriku now have two SwitchBlade x908 Advanced Layer 3+ Modular Switches, to replace their head office s original core switches; and ten x900 Series Advanced Gigabit Layer 3+ Expandable Switches, to replace the original floor switches. The Allied Telesis SwitchBlade x908 industry-leading modular switch is the ideal solution for the modern enterprise network core where resiliency, reliability and performance are the key requirements. The x900 series switches have high-speed 60Gbps expansion bays, which provide a high level of port flexibility and application versatility, and use the same expansion modules as the SwitchBlade x908. With expansion options including copper or fiber Gigabit ports, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and a stacking module, the x900 switch family is the most flexible 1RU Gigabit Ethernet switch on the market. The x900 switches are resilient, scalable, reliable, high-performing, easy to manage, and secure all of which means NTT DATA Hokuriku s new network now performs in all the key areas. NTT DATA Hokuriku have a Virtual Chassis (VCStack TM ) network core with the SwitchBlade x908, and they also use VCStack with the x900 switches on each of the floors in their building. Each VCStack is made up of two individual physical units. And, as the x900 VCStacks are connected to the core SwitchBlade x908 VCStack with link aggregation, NTT DATA Hokuriku enjoys a highly resilient solution, with no single point of failure. The new network makes full use of all bandwidth via the aggregated links, and the stacked switches work seamlessly as virtual chassis. This provides total redundancy - should a link or individual switch fail, the traffic would simply route via the remaining links and units, ensuring minimal network disruption. The SwitchBlade x908 and the x900 series switches run the advanced AlliedWare Plus TM Fully Featured Operating System delivering a rich feature set and an industry-standard CLI. AlliedWare Plus is Allied Telesis' next generation operating system, providing NTT DATA Hokuriku with advanced IPv4 and IPv6 features combined with even greater robustness and ease of management. Page 5 Allied Telesis Case Study: NTT DATA Hokuriku Corporation
Case Study NTT DATA Hokuriku Corporation "With VCStack, we have an easy to use, resilient network, and there is less downtime in case of an emergency. Expansion is easy with the rear stacking ports and the 8 XEM bays on the SwitchBlade x908 - Mr Noboru Tateishi Benefits of the New Solution Uninterrupted network service Both the SwitchBlade x908 and the x900 series switches use VCStack TM, which delivers chassis-like resiliency and redundancy features without the high price tag. The virtual network core created with VCStack provides fast failover for uninterrupted network service. Sophisticated high availability features ensure traffic flow continues even during outages. Virtualization of the network core ensures access to information when required, so NTT DATA Hokuriku can be confident of access to any online resource anytime. High-performing Superior performance is guaranteed, as the SwitchBlade x908 VCStack core switches are connected with 160Gbps chassis stacking connectors, for maximum data throughput. The non-blocking architecture and Quality of Service (QoS) features available on the SwitchBlade x908 and x900 series switches ensure wirespeed delivery of all critical network traffic. Simplified Management The VCStack network core appears as one virtual chassis with a single IP address to simplify management. VCStack increases port density and resiliency without increasing management complexity, greatly simplifying NTT DATA Hokuriku s network management - allowing them to focus on increasing productivity. The AlliedWare Plus industry standard CLI reduces training requirements, providing NTT DATA Hokuriku with advanced IPv4 and IPv6 features combined with even greater robustness and ease of management. "Using AlliedWare Plus decreases the training needs for our IT engineers. Even if it is their first time configuring a switch, they know the standard CLI - so they can easily understand the switch structure and how to configure it. - Mr Noboru Tateishi The availability of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for the SwitchBlade x908 and x900 series switches provides another way to simplify management and monitoring of the network. Administrators can also choose from a range of secure remote management options including SNMPv3 and SSH. Reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) With VCStack and Alliedware Plus, NTT DATA Hokuriku can easily operate and maintain their network, lessening the need for IT staff and lowering NTT DATA Hokuriku s IT administration and support costs. NTT DATA Hokuriku estimate the TCO cost reduction to be 30% every 5 years. "We appreciate that we can operate our new network without requiring highly skilled network engineers, and there are few problems and limitations Reliable The SwitchBlade x908, and the x900 series switches were all designed with reliability in mind. The SwitchBlade x908 has dual power supplies, fan modules and a comprehensive range of expansion modules (XEMs), which are all hotswappable, so NTT DATA Hokuriku can maintain and reconfigure when necessary without affecting network uptime. Network services continue for their staff, even during maintenance or reconfiguration. The x900 switches also feature hot-swappable XEMs and redundant hotswappable power supplies. The ability to connect each power supply to a separate power source adds a further layer of network reliability and redundancy. Secure - Mr Noboru Tateishi AlliedWare Plus has Advanced security features that protect NTT DATA Hokuriku s network from the edge to the core. Network Access Control (NAC) provides unprecedented control over network user access, and assures end-user computer security. Page 6 Allied Telesis Case Study: NTT DATA Hokuriku Corporation
Future Proof With the SwitchBlade x908, NTT DATA Hokuriku can expand their network core as required without replacing any hardware they can simply add more XEMs from the range: 10/100/1000Mbps in copper and fiber, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) fiber. Service and Support Allied Telesis Service and Support Engineers tested the network prior to installation to ensure it would provide the non-stop access and high performance that NTT DATA Hokuriku required. Ongoing Partnership Allied Telesis continue to support NTT DATA Hokuriku and their new redundant network, providing the company with advanced network services, and increased business opportunities. A mall in Kanazawa City About Allied Telesis Inc. Allied Telesis is a world class leader in delivering IP/Ethernet network solutions to the global market place. We create innovative, standardsbased IP networks that seamlessly connect you with voice, video and data services. Enterprise customers can build complete end-to-end networking solutions through a single vendor, with core to edge technologies ranging from powerful 10 Gigabit Layer 3 switches right through to media converters. Allied Telesis also offer a wide range of access, aggregation and backbone solutions for Service Providers. Our products range from industry leading media gateways which allow voice, video and data services to be delivered to the home and business, right through to high-end chassisbased platforms providing significant network infrastructure. Allied Telesis flexible service and support programs are tailored to meet a wide range of needs, and are designed to protect your Allied Telesis investment well into the future. Visit us online at. Page 7 Allied Telesis Case Study: NTT DATA Hokuriku Corporation
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