A real life case study of a large scale manufacturing industrial unit deploying a wireless network is as follows:
A large scale manufacturing industrial unit in the automotive industry was facing challenges with its traditional wired network, including slow data transfer speeds and limited network coverage. This was affecting the productivity and efficiency of their operations. To address this issue, the company decided to implement a wireless network solution.
After a thorough evaluation of different vendors, the company selected Cisco as their vendor of choice for the wireless network deployment. The Cisco wireless network solution consisted of Cisco Aironet access points, Cisco Wireless LAN controllers, and Cisco Identity Services Engine.
Background:
A large-scale manufacturing industrial unit has multiple sites spread across a large area, and they require a reliable and secure wireless network to connect their employees and machines. The current network was facing issues of slow speed, limited coverage, and frequent disconnections. The goal was to design a robust wireless network that could cater to the needs of the industrial unit while ensuring reliability, security, and scalability.
Problem:
The existing network infrastructure was inadequate to meet the growing demands of the industrial unit. The wireless network faced several issues, including limited coverage, slow speed, and frequent disconnections. This was affecting the productivity of employees and machines. The industrial unit required a wireless network design that could cater to the needs of their employees and machines and also ensure reliability, security, and scalability.
Solution:
The solution was to design a wireless network using Software-Defined Networking (SDN) principles. SDN helps in reducing the complexities of network design and provides better visibility and control over the network. The design incorporated the following key elements:
Network Access Layer: The access layer was designed to support a large number of wireless devices, including smartphones, laptops, and industrial machines. The access layer consisted of high-density wireless access points that ensured adequate coverage and high-speed connectivity.
Edge Computing: The edge computing layer was designed to process the data generated by industrial machines in real-time. The edge computing layer consisted of edge devices, such as industrial routers and switches, that were capable of performing data processing and analysis.
Edge Access: The edge access layer was designed to ensure secure and reliable connectivity between industrial machines and the central network. The edge access layer consisted of industrial routers and switches that provided reliable and secure connectivity to the machines.
Edge Security: The edge security layer was designed to ensure the security of the network and prevent any unauthorized access to the industrial machines. The edge security layer consisted of firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and virtual private networks (VPNs) that helped in securing the network.
Service:
The industrial unit was provided with a complete solution, including network design, deployment, and ongoing support. The network design was implemented by a team of network architects and engineers who were experienced in designing wireless networks for industrial environments. The deployment was carried out by certified technicians who ensured that the network was deployed according to the design. The industrial unit was also provided with ongoing support, which included regular network audits, software updates, and security patches.
Outcome:
The new wireless network design helped the industrial unit to overcome the issues they were facing with their existing network. The new network provided reliable and secure connectivity, high-speed connectivity, and adequate coverage. The edge computing and edge security solutions helped the industrial unit to improve their operational efficiency and ensure the security of their network and industrial machines. The industrial unit was satisfied with the solution and was able to achieve their goals of improving productivity and ensuring security.