Cisco Cisco ASA 5585-X Adaptive Security Appliance Guía De Información
MERDI’s projects include bringing HPC resources to regional laboratories, providing
basic IT services for local government, launching a virtual desktop infrastructure
(VDI) initiative in the Butte School District, and many others. This diversity poses
significant security concerns.
basic IT services for local government, launching a virtual desktop infrastructure
(VDI) initiative in the Butte School District, and many others. This diversity poses
significant security concerns.
Some data center services must meet regulatory requirements such as the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Others must comply with the
stringent security demands of government and military projects. Still others must
protect intellectual property across a shared data center infrastructure. These
security solutions not only must be simple to manage by MERDI’s small staff, they
must be easily repeatable across multiple customers.
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Others must comply with the
stringent security demands of government and military projects. Still others must
protect intellectual property across a shared data center infrastructure. These
security solutions not only must be simple to manage by MERDI’s small staff, they
must be easily repeatable across multiple customers.
“As we look to meet customer requirements for hybrid fiber networks, virtualization,
VDI, and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) initiatives, we have to make informed
decisions about our technology purchases,” says Curtiss. “We need solutions that
not only will allow us to perform better at the things we’re doing now, but also will
give us capabilities for the future.”
VDI, and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) initiatives, we have to make informed
decisions about our technology purchases,” says Curtiss. “We need solutions that
not only will allow us to perform better at the things we’re doing now, but also will
give us capabilities for the future.”
Solution
MERDI has long relied on Cisco® for nearly all its IT needs, from the metro
fiber network to the data center infrastructure. By 2012, however, the data
center network was beginning to show its age. The organization overhauled the
infrastructure with a Cisco Nexus® switching backbone, Cisco edge routing, and
is even in the process of upgrading its HPC system to a Cisco Unified Computing
System™ (UCS®)-based cluster. To meet increasingly complex multitenant
requirements and lay a foundation for future services, MERDI turned to the Cisco
Secure Data Center solution, leveraging the ASA 5585-X Series Adaptive Security
Appliance with Next-Generation Firewall Services.
fiber network to the data center infrastructure. By 2012, however, the data
center network was beginning to show its age. The organization overhauled the
infrastructure with a Cisco Nexus® switching backbone, Cisco edge routing, and
is even in the process of upgrading its HPC system to a Cisco Unified Computing
System™ (UCS®)-based cluster. To meet increasingly complex multitenant
requirements and lay a foundation for future services, MERDI turned to the Cisco
Secure Data Center solution, leveraging the ASA 5585-X Series Adaptive Security
Appliance with Next-Generation Firewall Services.
“We considered other vendors, but while their devices may be capable, they
were limited to an enterprise data center model, and we are not an enterprise
data center,” says Curtiss. “We are not serving one entity; we’re supporting many
different people and projects. That makes a huge difference in the kinds of network
services we need and the demands we place on our hardware. The Cisco ASA
5585-X platform was the most capable solution for meeting our multitenancy and
other project-related demands.”
were limited to an enterprise data center model, and we are not an enterprise
data center,” says Curtiss. “We are not serving one entity; we’re supporting many
different people and projects. That makes a huge difference in the kinds of network
services we need and the demands we place on our hardware. The Cisco ASA
5585-X platform was the most capable solution for meeting our multitenancy and
other project-related demands.”
Security Foundation for the Future
MERDI’s Cisco ASA 5585-X Series platforms provide granular visibility into and
control over client traffic flows, along with global threat correlation, intrusion
prevention system (IPS) services, and content security. The platforms also provide
industry-leading performance, capacity, virtual private network (VPN) connectivity,
and scalability. They allow MERDI to meet a diverse set of customer security needs
while reducing the hardware footprint and simplifying the infrastructure.
MERDI’s Cisco ASA 5585-X Series platforms provide granular visibility into and
control over client traffic flows, along with global threat correlation, intrusion
prevention system (IPS) services, and content security. The platforms also provide
industry-leading performance, capacity, virtual private network (VPN) connectivity,
and scalability. They allow MERDI to meet a diverse set of customer security needs
while reducing the hardware footprint and simplifying the infrastructure.
Curtiss also points out the ease of designing and deploying its new Secure Data
Center solution. “We used to have five large firewall appliances, standalone VPN
concentrators, and several smaller security appliances, all managed separately,”
says Curtiss. “All of that was replaced by a pair of Cisco ASA 5585-Xs.”
Center solution. “We used to have five large firewall appliances, standalone VPN
concentrators, and several smaller security appliances, all managed separately,”
says Curtiss. “All of that was replaced by a pair of Cisco ASA 5585-Xs.”
MERDI now can also provide more advanced security capabilities. Global threat
correlation, for example, provides security updates in as little as five minutes after
threats are reported, and allows MERDI to implement updates immediately for all
customers with a minimal staff.
correlation, for example, provides security updates in as little as five minutes after
threats are reported, and allows MERDI to implement updates immediately for all
customers with a minimal staff.
Customer Case Study
2 © 2014 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information.
Phillip J. Curtiss, PhD
Chief Technology Officer
MERDI