Nokia modernizes their data center networks

Nokia IT led our business through a brownfield network migration effort to modernize and consolidate our data centers using the Nokia Data Center Fabric solution. The goal was to make the migration happen seamlessly, with no interruptions to our operations.

The migration project delivered major benefits for our business:

• 80% incident reduction
• Near-zero downtime
• Millions of US$ in OPEX savings

Read the blog: How to succeed with data center network migration

After years of growth and acquisitions, our global data centers were running on several legacy platforms that were tough to manage and susceptible to outages. We needed to modernize and simplify the data center environment in a way that wouldn’t disrupt our business. But there were big challenges to address:

• Multivendor complexity 
  The legacy network used a mix of technologies from different vendors, each of which required specialized skills. Inconsistencies and errors were common.
• Frequent outages 
  Repeated outages often led to costly production stoppages. Root causes were difficult to pinpoint, so it was hard to trust the network.
• High change risk 
  Teams had no way to validate new configurations and worried about causing outages when they made changes to the network. 
• Outdated operations and tools 
  With no access to modern DevOps, teams managed the network by hand. Configuration drift and ad hoc troubleshooting were the norm.
• Hybrid cloud strategy 
  Teams wanted to embrace a hybrid cloud approach and keep business-critical workloads on-premises, in highly reliable and automated data centers. 

Read the blog: Modernizing from the inside out: Nokia’s brownfield data center network transformation

Nokia IT defined a clear strategy for delivering infrastructure renewal and an operating model that could support predictable change at scale. The strategy focused on four key principles:

1. Simplicity
   The solution needed to enable automation readiness and be easy to deploy, configure and operate. 
2. Automation
   The solution needed to replace error-prone manual configuration tasks with automated network-as-code workflows.
3. Validation
   The solution had to provide a network digital twin that would allow teams to safely test changes offline before implementing them.
4. Consistency
   The solution had to be standardized to enable operations to be coordinated across all sites.

Read the blog:  Automation as architecture: How Nokia rebuilt confidence in its data center network

Nokia IT used our next-generation Data Center Fabric solution to introduce a standardized spine–leaf architecture and automation-first approach that realize the four key principles. The solution consists of: 

• Nokia data center switches, which deliver the reliability, simplicity and flexibility required to build high-performance infrastructures that can adapt to evolving business needs.
• Nokia Service Router (SR) Linux, an open, extensible and resilient network operating system (NOS) that makes data center infrastructures more scalable, more flexible and easier to operate.
• Nokia Event-Driven Automation (EDA), a cloud-native platform built to help teams manage and orchestrate multivendor networks with confidence. It provides a controlled digital twin environment that makes it easy to pre-check changes before they go live.

Read the blog: The data center network migration that didn’t break anything

Implementation began at a data center site that supported a large manufacturing operation. The solution validated the decision to modernize our data center networks by delivering immediate, tangible benefits at the site, including huge OPEX savings. It enabled our teams to move from reactive troubleshooting to proactive innovation and continuous improvement.

• Simplified network operations
  A unified data center fabric made operations easier and allowed teams to be more productive with fewer resources.
• 80% reduction in network incidents
  Massive improvements in network reliability cut downtime, simplified troubleshooting and enabled teams to focus on proactive projects.
• Zero change-induced downtime
  Validated automation workflows maintained disruption-free operations as they continuously deployed changes.
• Chronic outages eliminated
  Recurring outages were replaced with stable, continuous operations.
• Less risk, more confidence
  Configuration updates validated using a digital twin removed uncertainty and reduced risk.
• Workforce transformation
  Eliminating the need for constant firefighting allowed teams spend more time innovating, which led to greater operational confidence and effectiveness.

Nokia IT relied on our comprehensive data center network portfolio to power the modernization project. The portfolio features high-performance data center switching and ultra-low-power optics that deliver robust and reliable connectivity within the data center. These platforms run SR Linux, our uniquely open, extensible and resilient NOS and work with our EDA platform, a modern data center network automation platform that focuses on reducing human error to zero.