Download PDF
Smart Edge Visibility Into AWS Cloud Assures Global Employee Productivity Over VPN
Technology Category
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Cloud Computing
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Cloud Middleware & Microservices
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Hybrid Cloud
Applicable Industries
- Equipment & Machinery
Applicable Functions
- Discrete Manufacturing
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Remote Asset Management
- Remote Collaboration
Services
- Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
- Data Science Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
The pandemic’s arrival marked the start of increased complexity in the company’s client, network, data center, and cloud service edge environments. Shortly after COVID-19’s emergence and the company’s expansion of virtual private network (VPN) services to support thousands of employees moving to work-from-home (WFH) environments, IT Operations conferred with their NETSCOUT PSE resources about maximizing the use of nGeniusONE and nGeniusPULSE to better inform their investigation and resolution decisionmaking. That effort quickly resulted in IT Operations using VPN split-tunneling to ease WFH users’ access to UC&C services directly over the Internet. Longer-term, IT Operations’ remediation approach involved establishing nearly 20 VPN access points and Palo Alto Network (PAN) f irewall services in Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud resources. That approach seemed to address their remote network bandwidth issues quickly and securely, but it also revealed a gap in how well IT Operations could visualize VPN and firewall services were performing in AWS. Performance over these network service edges in the AWS environment was critical to WFH employees’ success. With only NetFlow and MIB2 data available to them, IT Operations struggled to make sense of the discrepancies between the disparate, siloed data sources. Further, IT Operations was losing visibility into performance at one remote site due to blind spots in the traffic traversing from their wide area network (WAN) into AWS.
About The Customer
This U.S. company manufactures specialized equipment and applications used by businesses across numerous industry verticals. Their workforce is segmented into division-specific practice areas, which has enabled the company to expand their service delivery reach to more than 100 countries. Some 10,000 global employees are focused on developing and supporting products used by 250,000 clients. In the last decade, information technology operations (IT Operations) teams have relied on NETSCOUT technology and contracted Premium Services Engineering (PSE) to assure business continuity and a high-quality end-user experience. During that time, PSE resources have helped IT Operations to maximize the efficiencies offered by their NETSCOUT investments, including Service Assurance analytics (i.e., nGeniusONE, nGeniusPULSE, and nGenius for Flows) and Smart Edge visibility (i.e., InfiniStreamNG, vSTREAM, nGenius NetFlow Collector, nGenius Packet Flow Switch, and nGeniusPULSE nPoint hardware and virtual sensors) solutions.
The Solution
IT Operations orchestrated a coordinated approach to closing blind spots by collaborating with their PSE resources to map out an AWS Cloud Visibility design that enabled the company to refactor some earlier-deployed NETSCOUT investments and quickly add only as-needed data sources to deliver the end-through-end visibility that had been lacking. In improving visibility in AWS, the design plan involved: Architecting vSTREAM virtual appliances to monitor VPN and PAN Firewall services operating in the cloud. Refactoring nGenius Flow Collectors into Virtual Flow Collectors for deployment in the cloud. Deploying Remote ISNG appliance technology at the regional facility where IT Operations experienced blind spots into the traffic traversing from their WAN into AWS. Migrating select nGeniusONE Server instances to AWS cloud, so IT Operations could leverage nGeniusONE Service Dashboard and Service Monitor views based on NETSCOUT Smart Data generated in real-time from vSTREAM and nGenius Collector data sources to refine their AWS monitoring capabilities.
Operational Impact
Related Case Studies.
Case Study
Smart Water Filtration Systems
Before working with Ayla Networks, Ozner was already using cloud connectivity to identify and solve water-filtration system malfunctions as well as to monitor filter cartridges for replacements.But, in June 2015, Ozner executives talked with Ayla about how the company might further improve its water systems with IoT technology. They liked what they heard from Ayla, but the executives needed to be sure that Ayla’s Agile IoT Platform provided the security and reliability Ozner required.
Case Study
IoT enabled Fleet Management with MindSphere
In view of growing competition, Gämmerler had a strong need to remain competitive via process optimization, reliability and gentle handling of printed products, even at highest press speeds. In addition, a digitalization initiative also included developing a key differentiation via data-driven services offers.
Case Study
Predictive Maintenance for Industrial Chillers
For global leaders in the industrial chiller manufacturing, reliability of the entire production process is of the utmost importance. Chillers are refrigeration systems that produce ice water to provide cooling for a process or industrial application. One of those leaders sought a way to respond to asset performance issues, even before they occur. The intelligence to guarantee maximum reliability of cooling devices is embedded (pre-alarming). A pre-alarming phase means that the cooling device still works, but symptoms may appear, telling manufacturers that a failure is likely to occur in the near future. Chillers who are not internet connected at that moment, provide little insight in this pre-alarming phase.
Case Study
Premium Appliance Producer Innovates with Internet of Everything
Sub-Zero faced the largest product launch in the company’s history:It wanted to launch 60 new products as scheduled while simultaneously opening a new “greenfield” production facility, yet still adhering to stringent quality requirements and manage issues from new supply-chain partners. A the same time, it wanted to increase staff productivity time and collaboration while reducing travel and costs.
Case Study
Integration of PLC with IoT for Bosch Rexroth
The application arises from the need to monitor and anticipate the problems of one or more machines managed by a PLC. These problems, often resulting from the accumulation over time of small discrepancies, require, when they occur, ex post technical operations maintenance.
Case Study
Robot Saves Money and Time for US Custom Molding Company
Injection Technology (Itech) is a custom molder for a variety of clients that require precision plastic parts for such products as electric meter covers, dental appliance cases and spools. With 95 employees operating 23 molding machines in a 30,000 square foot plant, Itech wanted to reduce man hours and increase efficiency.
