The situation was complicated by the fact that the head office did not plan to transfer the existing infrastructure "as is", i.e. the configuration of the network and server equipment was planned to be cleared to factory settings at the time of departure. In addition, the existing wireless network equipment did not allow its further use, since the vendor "left the market" of the Russian Federation, thereby suspending support and licensing of equipment in our country.
To top it all off, the Customer, as an industrial production of strategic importance, was subject to restrictions from the Regulator on the use and application of FSTEC-certified equipment, i.e. it was necessary to carry out import substitution for key systems.
The company faced a number of significant problems:
• lack of access to the management of the current infrastructure due to political circumstances;
• short timeframes for preparing for the transition to a new infrastructure and tight time frames for the transition itself during technological windows in production;
• lack of qualified IT personnel to configure and administer network, server and user equipment using domestic software products.
All this led the Customer to the need to involve the ICL Services team for the successful implementation of the project without damage to the business.
Key Challenges
- Build a network infrastructure from scratch after separation from the parent company
- Conduct a survey of the existing wireless network in the head office and production. Based on the survey, determine the composition of the wireless network equipment required to replace the "out-of-support" equipment.
- Develop a concept for upgrading the wireless network for all divisions and offices of the company; a methodology for the phased switchover of the existing infrastructure to the new one.
- Develop a design for the core-level network infrastructure and secure communication channels between branches, based on the requirements of server and cryptographic equipment from domestic manufacturers.
- Implement and configure the core network infrastructure and wireless network during technological windows in production.
- Provide technical support and consultation for the Customer's personnel at the initial stages of the new IT infrastructure.
Thanks to our extensive expertise in designing and upgrading wireless networks, we were able to quickly determine the equipment specification and conduct a radio survey at the Customer's site.
In the absence of access to the configuration of the current equipment, through technical interviews with "Western colleagues" and the Customer, key functional and technical requirements for the network infrastructure being developed were formed and, based on them, design documentation was created.
Having extensive experience in carrying out work at continuous production facilities, we developed a detailed transition and possible rollback plan, based on the timely provision of services for the Customer's business processes.
The ICL Services team also trained the Customer's IT department personnel to work with new equipment on the network and provided design and executive documentation.
Results
- We prepared and launched the new IT infrastructure within the established timeframe.
- We ensured the continuous functioning of business processes, eliminating production downtime.
- We adapted the Customer's employees to work with new services and equipment.