Zen Internet Upgrades Network With Foundry's Convergence-Ready FastIron SuperX Switches
Foundry Networks, Inc., a total solutions provider for end-to-end switching and routing, has announced that Zen Internet, one of the UK's first ISP's providing high quality services to predominately business users, has upgraded its network infrastructure installing two FastIron SuperX convergence-ready PoE (Power over Ethernet) switches at its headquarters in Rochdale, Lancashire.
Zen Internet has used a range of Foundry technology since 2002 as the business has grown and expanded to multiple sites. Today, the company's complete Ethernet switching environment at its four office locations in the Greater Manchester area is now Foundry based.
Zen Internet offers its customers a range of services from the latest in high-speed DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) Broadband Internet access, complete hosting packages, state of the art database driven Web site design and e-commerce solutions, along with managed network security. Additional services include ISDN network connection, permanent leased line connectivity, Intranet systems and VPNs (Virtual Private Networks).
The FastIron SuperX switches have been deployed as a pair at Zen Internet's £1.5 million custom-built headquarters. They complement six BigIron 4000 backbone switches, four ServerIronXL Layer 4-7 application switches, and numerous FastIron Edge and FastIron Edge X switches the company has purchased over the past four years that are deployed at various company locations. Zen Internet has as a policy of installing switch technology in pairs to ensure resilience given its business as an ISP is so dependent on service availability.
Foundry is used in two ways — core backbone switches in the distribution layer, with FastIron Edge devices installed as aggregation devices as the network has been expanded. The Foundry edge products are designed to complement the core switches so Zen Internet gets operational benefits by having consistency in its network.
David Reader, senior network engineer, explains, "Each network site typically has two backbone switches which are used to distribute traffic around all the devices and router equipment located there, with the smaller aggregation switches used for direct customer connections."
In terms of doing this, Foundry plays a direct role providing Ethernet connectivity where hosting, co-location and certain types of leased line customers' plug directly into the LAN switch infrastructure. This contrasts with serial leased line or DSL service customers who first connect to Zen Internet via a router and in turn to the Foundry switches.
Clearly, Zen Internet uses Foundry for, not only customer related networking purposes, but its own as well, connecting its mail and web servers, for example, to the Internet. The ServerIronXLs are deployed to provide load balancing and resilience for its email platform as well as the UseNet News Service, a legacy system for distributing text-based articles over the Internet which a number of its customer still use.
Internally, Zen Internet uses an Avaya-based VoIP solution, underpinned by Foundry's PoE enabled FastIron switches. Reader says, "As we look to take on more office space, the SuperX looks interesting as this is a higher end VoIP-ready solution."
Reader concludes, "We've genuinely found that the equipment performs in the way it should, it works well, its been very reliable which is crucial for us as an ISP and we've received all the technical support needed. We've used Foundry long term and, based on our positive experiences, haven't had any reasons to change."
Bob Schiff, Foundry's vice president and general manager, enterprise business unit, says, "Zen Internet is an excellent example of how a successful and growing organisation can cost-effectively expand and evolve their infrastructure with our latest generation systems. It is a strong statement of support when long-time customers like Zen Internet build their next generation networks using Foundry's next generation solutions."
SOURCE: Foundry Networks