Aalborg Kommune boosts service delivery with HP

Aalborg Kommune has selected a core-to-edge wired and wireless HP Networking infrastructure to help ensure 24x7 IT availability in its environmentally friendly new data center.

Aalborg Kommune, the third largest municipal district in Denmark, provides services such as healthcare, education and waste disposal to a population of more than 200,000. The municipality’s new primary data center, which has a much lower environmental impact than the old one, is located on the other side of a fjord from its secondary data center.

“Although we aren’t on duty 24x7, Aaalborg Kommune needs to run 24x7,” says Peter Holmberg Jakobsen, network and data systems engineer, Aalborg Kommune. “Over the years, our IT department has worked closely with HP to ensure that our IT systems meet market demands, and our new data center is a showcase example of how to do things right. The flexibility, scalability and 10GB connectivity of the HP network mean that the system can easily grow to meet our future needs.”

Aalborg Kommune’s servers, storage and business-critical applications run on a highly available network of more than 1,200 HP switches, enabling the efficient administration of local and national affairs. In each of Aalborg Kommune’s data centers a separate HP network utilises the same fibre connections and physical infrastructure to support more than 7,500 PCs and more than 400 applications. HP network switches capable of using IEEE 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet to cut power consumption in periods of low link usage, which reduces power and cooling costs and contributes to the lower environmental impact of Aalborg Kommune’s new data center.

At the network core, resilient 10Gb HP 8212 switches ensure system continuity and enhance network productivity. A backbone of forty intelligent HP 5400 Series Switches delivers continuous availability and the highest levels of access security. Top-of-rack HP 3800 Series Switches with virtual local area networks (VLANs) separate network traffic for optimum bandwidth availability, while stackable HP 3500, 2600 and 2900 Series Switches at the network edge save valuable floor space.

A multi-service HP wireless local area network (WLAN) based on HP MSM765 zl Mobility Controllers simplifies mobile device connectivity, enabling Aalborg Kommune’s staff to work anywhere on-site for greater productivity.

HP Intelligent Management Centre (IMC) provides single pane-of-glass management of all of the municipality’s network resources, streamlining efficiency and lowering administration costs. HP IMC allows the IT team to see the whole network, manage it from a central console, and deliver maximum performance and availability across the organisation. Additionally, HP PCM Plus v4 Network Management Software Series centralises management of both LAN and WLAN, increasing productivity for PSV’s IT team.

“Aalborg Kommune wanted the ability to implement and create new network systems and add new equipment as required,” says (HP spokesperson). “HP Networking is easily scalable to meet changing demand, and life-time warranty on the HP 8212 and 3800 Series Switches made it a very attractive value proposition.”