Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine 2.1 Guide D’Information
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Last year, for example, the hospital introduced a computerized physician
order entry system, and many of Chilton’s doctors are putting all their
orders online, from medications to lab tests and radiation studies. Still
to come are more extensive documentation applications for the doctors,
including voice dictation from wireless workstations.
Hospital executives knew the hospital’s old wireless network would not
stand up to new demands. “We had issues with coverage and roaming,”
says Morgan Geoghegan, senior network engineer at Chilton. “Given the
older networking protocols of our wireless adapters, simple microwave
ovens used to heat patients’ meals would create interference and cause
drops in our wireless connections.”
But, while mobility was the hallmark of many of the improvements
they had in mind, Chilton IT staff knew they had to work on the wired
network too. The core switches did not provide the power over Ethernet
needed for a planned upgrade of the hospital’s phone system to voice
over IP, nor an adequate level of security or centralized management
capabilities. Desktop connectivity was limited to 10 megabits, nowhere
near the bandwidth needed for telepresence and other new services
that were under consideration. The moment was right to modernize.
Network Solution
Meraz Nasir, Chilton’s director of technology services infrastructure,
worked with IT and managed services provider Presidio, a Cisco® Gold
Partner, to redesign and rebuild the whole network. They started with
the core.
Because redundancy was important for ensuring the network’s
availability, they installed twin Cisco Catalyst® 6509 16-port switches,
each with a 10 Gigabit Ethernet base module, configured as a virtual
switching system. If one core fails, the other provides sub-second
failover to prevent any loss of connectivity to the 11 closets that make
up the wired network. To provide highly secure user authentication on
both the wired and the wireless sides, Chilton deployed twin Cisco
Identity Services Engine 3315 hardware appliances in the core as well.
In the wiring closets, the IT team stacked from two to eight Cisco
Catalyst 3750-X 24-port or 48-port switches, each with a PoE base
and an optional 10-Gigabit network module linking it to the core.
Offering both generous desktop bandwidth and high-volume wireless
access points, these versatile, scalable switches enhance user
productivity and help enable a range of rich services, including VoIP and
video. Intent on a complete overhaul, Chilton’s IT team also updated the
entire network fabric with 10-Gigabit-rated fiber from end to end and
new category 6 cabling and patch panels, all color-coded to make it
easy to troubleshoot service desk calls.
The wired component of Chilton’s network was based on Cisco
equipment, both before and after the overhaul. On the wireless side,
Cisco was not the incumbent technology provider. But Chilton’s IT team
decided to go with Cisco wireless solutions for the future.
“It just made sense to have one vendor for both wired and wireless,”
says CIO Mark Lederman. “As a long-time Cisco customer on the
wired side, we were familiar with the company’s reputation for excellent
service. We also knew we could readily get support for our Cisco
equipment from other providers, including our IT partner, Presidio.”
To achieve the same redundancy on the wireless side as they had in
the network core, Lederman and his team deployed two Cisco 5508
Wireless Controllers. Featuring Cisco CleanAir® technology to monitor
and mitigate interference in real time, these controllers centralize control
and help ensure a high-quality mobile experience with efficient roaming
for a wide range of mobile devices, including the tablets that many
of Chilton’s physicians are adopting as their bring-your-own-device
(BYOD) preference. On the wards, Chilton deployed a fleet of new
mobile workstation carts with updated adapters and bandwidths four to
six times higher than the old carts.
Business Results
“Performance. Security. Manageability. Those were the goals,” says
Lederman, “and we’ve achieved all three.”
For example, as he explains, physicians can now access the network
For example, as he explains, physicians can now access the network
from anywhere, using a VMware view virtual desktop. They can use
any secure device, including their own BYOD tablet or smartphone, to
access and augment their patients’ records from anywhere. Visiting a
patient’s room, they can not only consult the patient’s record, but also
access, present, and explain a lab result or radiology image in order to
discuss diagnoses and treatment options.
Medical Center Supports Network-Based Care
Case Study
Cisco Public