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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Challenge
Smals is a Belgian ICT shared service organization specializing in infrastructure and
applications for public institutions in social security and healthcare. It hosts more
than 300 custom-built applications, including DmfA, the quarterly multifunctional
declaration of labor and wages for 270,000 employers and 3.5 million workers,
and the eHealth platform facilitating secure electronic exchange of medical data
for 350,000 medical practitioners and 11 million citizens. These applications
used to run on 1700 servers across legacy data centers in Brussels, so a project
was started to consolidate the infrastructure into two new data centers, linked by
multiple fibre uplinks.
applications for public institutions in social security and healthcare. It hosts more
than 300 custom-built applications, including DmfA, the quarterly multifunctional
declaration of labor and wages for 270,000 employers and 3.5 million workers,
and the eHealth platform facilitating secure electronic exchange of medical data
for 350,000 medical practitioners and 11 million citizens. These applications
used to run on 1700 servers across legacy data centers in Brussels, so a project
was started to consolidate the infrastructure into two new data centers, linked by
multiple fibre uplinks.
As part of this initiative, the organization decided to review data center switching, with
a view to introducing new technology that would serve its needs for the foreseeable
future. Kenneth Claes, network infrastructure manager for Smals, says: “We need to
plan five to 10 years ahead, so the change was driven not by any shortcomings, but
rather a process of natural evolution.”
a view to introducing new technology that would serve its needs for the foreseeable
future. Kenneth Claes, network infrastructure manager for Smals, says: “We need to
plan five to 10 years ahead, so the change was driven not by any shortcomings, but
rather a process of natural evolution.”
At the same time, like many public sector institutions across Europe, Smals was facing
budget restrictions and was eager to standardize on a technology that would deliver
greater efficiency and cost savings. A final requirement, given the mission-critical
nature of many of the applications, was to help ensure the transition could be made
without negative operational impact. “We were migrating live data centers, so it was
crucial to minimize downtime,” says Claes.
budget restrictions and was eager to standardize on a technology that would deliver
greater efficiency and cost savings. A final requirement, given the mission-critical
nature of many of the applications, was to help ensure the transition could be made
without negative operational impact. “We were migrating live data centers, so it was
crucial to minimize downtime,” says Claes.
Solution
Over the years, Smals had developed a heterogeneous server estate, with vendors
usually chosen on the basis of competitive pricing. But, when it came to the switching
platform, the service provider was keen to apply an end-to-end Cisco® approach.
Claes says: “We not only had favorable prior experience with Cisco, but also my
colleagues and I have good knowledge of its technology.”
usually chosen on the basis of competitive pricing. But, when it came to the switching
platform, the service provider was keen to apply an end-to-end Cisco® approach.
Claes says: “We not only had favorable prior experience with Cisco, but also my
colleagues and I have good knowledge of its technology.”
Customer Case Study
Cisco Nexus switching platform with FabricPath gives Smals greater data center availability and
efficiency with less risk
Customer Name:
Smals
Industry:
Public Sector
Location:
Belgium
Number of Employees:
1700
Challenge
• Reduce costs and minimize risks by
consolidating and virtualizing legacy
data centers
data centers
• Create infrastructure to serve company
for foreseeable future
Solution
• Cisco Unified Data Center architecture
based on Cisco Nexus switching
platform with FabricPath and VDC
platform with FabricPath and VDC
• Cisco Services for design validation and
implementation support
Results
• Less than three-year return
on investment in switching
infrastructure expenditure
infrastructure expenditure
• Eight-fold reduction in energy costs, with
improved business resilience
• Trouble-free deployment with
Cisco Services
© 2013 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information.
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