3Com implements XRN solution at Grupo Delta Caf'es

Grupo Delta Caf'es, the leading Portuguese coffee company, has chosen 3Com`s eXpandable Resilient Networking (XRN) solution to introduce more speed and availability to its network. The solution implemented at Grupo Delta Caf'es was one of the first worldwide implementations of XRN technology.

Grupo Delta Caf'es is a Portuguese group, comprising 19 companies dedicated to the processing and sale of coffee products. Called in to assess its existing communications infrastructure, 3Com diagnosed a slow and problematic network. Taking into account the future needs of Delta Caf'es` local and wide area networks, the group`s IT department decided upon 3Com`s XRN architecture as the ideal solution.

"One of pillars of the Delta Caf'es Group`s IS strategy is communications which explains the choice of XRN technology and our investment in this area," states Ant'onio Alexandre, Chief Information Officer, Grupo Delta Caf'es. "We believe that a well-managed network is critical to the ongoing success of the group`s technology strategy. XRN technology is a central piece of that puzzle and we are confident that it will be instrumental in increasing the redundancy, reliability and performance of our LANs and WANs," he concluded.

The 3Com XRN solution increases network redundancy and availability in a unique way. "In Delta Caf'es` case there were fundamentally two problems to solve: end-user level performance and network infrastructure availability," explains Fernando Capucha, 3Com`s business development manager in Portugal. "At the end-user level we installed 3Com 10/100 SuperStack 3 4400 switches, that guarantee the maximum wirespeed performance and offer advanced multilayer traffic control features. In terms of infrastructure, the existing Gigabit Ethernet backbone was reinforced by adding a 3Com Gigabit Ethernet SuperStack 3 4950 switch together with the XRN solution."

The XRN architecture allows the availability of multiple distributed switches as a single logical entity. Connecting these switches together, they act as a single network core, scalable and distributed, always guaranteeing the maximum of availability, since should one of these core equipments fails, the second one keeps the network working. This architecture also allows the creation of redundant and active links between the network core and the end-user distribution switches, therefore guaranteeing a complete network availability in all its points.

The XRN architecture grows as the company grows, allowing for the addition of more commuting capacity in the form of new equipment, optimising the technology investments.