Client

Large Multinational Pest Company

Needs & Requirements

Transition national network vendor with new routing/switching/QoS for 30 branches

Expertise & Process

Number of Users Affected: 800 | Business Units: 30

Scope of work: Coordinate, schedule and implement 30 branches switch configuration testing to new provider with minimal downtime in production.

Business Challenge: Existing national MPLS provider service level is bad with no control over QoS for future applications and solutions. No portal reporting and all MPLS routing goes through one legacy switch at Head Office (no redundancy). Propose a programmatic way to cut over to new provider one circuit at a time with full mesh routing and switching utilizing both MPLS providers. Coexistence is required for this process and custom programming.

Work Tasks:

• Months in advance planning and SoW for CDR, QoS and CoS services on switches bench marking new standard configuration. Including future
phone system, conference calls, video conferencing and Citrix requirements were considered for CDR scope planning and bandwidth.
• Choose standardized VLAN configuration and routing practices as well as provider managed service considerations.
• Meet with multiple vendors of MPLS and other technologies and 3rd party vendor SMEs. Lead team and knowledge for ownership of tasks and
confirmed configuration.
• Purchasing and burn-in of 30 new PoE core and branch switches. Shipping and logistics to all branches to mount hardware and prep for cutovers.
• Asset management of all equipment and cataloging.
• Integrate new redundant core switches with configuration to accommodate current core switching and routing. Switch over production core
for all branches with old national network vendor routes to new L3 switch implementing new vendor routes. Coexistence maintained.
• Branch by branch coordinated cutover with vendor PMO and testing after hours during coexistence.
• Decommission old legacy network and hardware
• Test QoS with services and confirm all levels of CoS are working for future services.
• Add SMNP to switches and monitor with SIEM internal solution. Managed national vendor escalation and portal for circuit metrics.
• Knowledge transfer to network admins to monitor and manage switched environment and helpdesk with network vendor.

Results
  • Consolidation of network and improperly scaled nodes
  • Oversized network and CoS was negotiated by while saving costs
  • QoS implemented for applications, VoIP and future use
  • Service level more reliable and managed network is accountable with SLA
  • Provider service reporting portal for circuits helpful in determining problems