Reduced Complexity with Central Management: AMF Delivers for Major Printing CompanySanko Printing Co. Ltd, in Tokyo, selects AMF to optimize the management and efficiency of their new network.

Success Story

The customer

Sanko Printing Co., Ltd. was founded in 1928. Recently they redesigned their company-wide network using Allied Telesis Management Framework (AMF), together with advanced Allied Telesis equipment. Sanko now have a highly effective network solution which functions with optimal efficiency, thanks to centralized management.

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Customer profile ■ Who: Sanko Printing Co., Ltd. ■ Where: The company headquarters is in Tokyo,

and the factory is in the Chiba Prefecture. ■ Established: April 1928 ■ Number of employees: 254 people, as of

June 2014 ■ About: Sanko are a printing company,

specializing in large scale commercial grade printing. They aim to provide printing of the highest quality, and to keep pace with changing technologies. Sanko provide a wide range of services, including but not limited to: design, planning, printing of graphics and documents, as well as plate making, binding, and digital content production.

Sanko print magazines, books, comics, catalogs, brochures, advertising inserts, posters, calendars, and much more.

■ Website: http://www.sanko-printing.co.jp/

The customer’s requirements

Sanko needed a reliable network, capable of supporting their many printing systems. They had a number of requirements for their network redesign.

The network had to be: ■ Simple – both in design and in ease of use ■ Centrally managed – for maximum efficiency ■ High-speed – they wanted to reduce their data transmission

time to a third of its previous rate. ■ Non-stop – to facilitate transmission of time-critical data ■ Future-proof – able to integrate new network

infrastructure and facilitate new systems

Digitization creates a need for new strategiesIn 2014, Sanko launched the Network Strategy Development Office. Mr. Koichi Nishida, section chief of the Development Office, says: “We have been actively involved in print digitization, as a focus for the modernization of our business. It used to be standard to transport print proofs by bicycle courier, but in recent years it has become much more common to send proofs electronically, over an FTP server. Also, from our headquarters in Tokyo we transmit print data to our factory in Chiba. We do this over the network, and the data is uploaded to the factory’s server over a VPN connection.”

Sanko launched a project to revamp the network in May 2013. This timing was chosen to coincide with the scheduled network equipment renewal the following year.: “The opportunity for the project was provided by the scheduled equipment renewals. But at that time, the network had a variety of challenges in addition to just equipment renewal.” said Mr. Koichi Nishida.

SimplificationFirstly, simplification of the network was a key requirement in the redesign. Due to the preceding few years of rapid digitization, the factory had insufficient internal IP addresses available, and extending their corporate network had become difficult.

Effective managementIn addition, the increase in network complexity had added to their administration workload. Managing the network effectively and efficiently, with their small network administration team, was another very important requirement. With company headquarters in Tokyo and the factory in the Chiba Prefecture, any configuration changes required staff to travel, further increasing management overhead.

“Due to repeated expansions, the network had become very complex, and our management workload had increased. We needed to optimize our network management, to achieve more with less. The network needed to be simplified.” says Mr. Nishida.

High speed, high performanceSanko were extremely busy, and required an increase in the speed and overall performance of their network.

A non-stop networkSanko prints weekly magazines, which added the requirement that data transmissions absolutely must not be disrupted. Sanko needed a “non-stop network”. So redundancy, and robustness were very important requirements.

Wireless LANSanko wanted to be able to support new mobile devices, which added a requirement to install wireless LAN equipment.

“The exchange of data in-house also increased, further driving - year after year - our need for a high capacity, high quality and high performance data network”

Mr. Kakutani, Deputy Director of the Data Division of the Accounting Department

Sanko Printing Co. Ltd | 3

Prior to the upgrade, Sanko had not used Allied Telesis products in their network. Since they needed a complete redesign of their network, they began an investigation process during which competing vendors were contacted. For over six months, Mr. Nishida met with multiple companies to hear their proposals, and examined the options available. He also actively participated in visits to see demonstrations of the equipment that was on offer.

Finally, the decision was made to adopt a solution propsed by network integrator OSINet, utilizing Allied Telesis equipment.

Preparations for the introduction started in January 2014, and the network design was altered and improved over time. “We met several times and had regular discussions with OSINet’s partner company who were responsible for the network installation” Mr. Takeshi MomijiSawa, President of OSINet explains. “The theme that was repeatedly requested in the design was to simplify the network. We had to work hard to meet a variety of requirements, which was challenging”.

Section chief of the Development Office

Mr. Koichi Nishida

“We chose Allied Telesis because their proposed network met all our requirements, and because using AMF simplifies and automates network management, reducing our operational costs.”

| Allied Telesis Success Story alliedtelesis.com4

Sanko choose Allied Telesis

The solution

Sanko: the new network

WAN10 Gigabit link1 Gigabit link Link aggregation

MasterMember

Server Farm Member

x510 NetworkAttachedSorage

x210

x210

Router

x510

RouterRouter

Router

VPN

x510

x510

SBx8100SwitchBladex8100

TokyoHeadquarters

Chiba PrefectureFactory

The new network design incorporates an Allied Telesis SwitchBlade x8100 core switch which acts as the AMF Master. The switch is designed to deliver high availability, wire-speed performance, and a high port count.

AT-x510 Series Switches and AT-x210 Series Switches were chosen for aggregation and edge deployment.

The network is divided between the production system and the administrative system, in a multi-layer structure. The operation of the entire network — from headquarters in Tokyo across WAN links to the factory in Chiba — is managed centrally using Allied Telesis Management Framework (AMF).

AMF is a sophisticated suite of management tools that provide a simplified approach to network management. Common tasks are automated and every-day running of the network made extremely simple. Powerful features like centralized

management, auto-backup, auto-upgrade, auto-provisioning and auto-recovery enable plug-and-play networking and zero-touch management.

In addition, the network backbone was upgraded to 10Gbps. “By using link aggregation, pairs of 10Gbps links have been bundled together to create resilient 20Gbps links. This provides improved performance, and gives us a network that does not stop,” said Mr. MomijiSawa.

Allied Telesis AT-TQ2450 and AT-TQ2403 access points have been used for wireless connectivity.

Mr. Nishida says: “We were able to install the wireless LAN efficiently. The power and the area coverage of the wireless network have been no problem, and we have introduced a stable wireless LAN environment.“

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“With AMF we have achieved centralized network management across the WAN network outside the main plant. Now, even if there is a problem in a remote location, we can manage it from our central site. ”

Mr. Kakutani

Benefits of the new network

With the network design completed, the holiday break in May 2014 was used for implementing the new network. Mr Shiratori notes: “We had a window of just four days to install the network. It would have been very difficult to adjust the schedule beyond that window.” Fortunately the time taken to implement the network was short, partly thanks to meticulous preparation in advance. The network was installed without any major problems and the job was completed smoothly. Since then, the network has continued to run steadily, and Sanko are enjoying the significant features and benefits of their new network.

Allied Telesis not only provided the equipment, but also provided consultancy services, such as network administrator training in advance. To support the strengthening of Sanko‘s digital printing system, Allied Telesis have created a reliable network infrastructure.

Simple, and easy to manageThe Allied Telesis Management Framework (AMF) provides practical network virtualization, by using a management plane technology that achieves integrated management in the network. With AMF, multiple devices can be upgraded, or have configuration updates done simultaneously.

Furthermore, management and configuration changes can be performed from a remote location. It is even possible to perform zero-touch device replacement.

This means that Sanko’s staff no longer need to travel between headquarters in Tokyo and the factory in the Chiba Prefecture, simply to reconfigure or upgrade a network device. AMF takes care of these needs. The resulting reduction in network operation and management effort provides real operating cost reductions.

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High performing, high-speed“The network speed has significantly improved. For example, when we are uploading print data to the factory, transfers that used to take 45 minutes are now completed in 15 minutes. In addition, the time it takes us to perform in-house print jobs has also become much shorter. This is a major benefit of the network performance improvement, “said Mr. Sumiya.

Mr. Nishida says: “Even as the amount of desktop publishing data has increased, the bandwidth is not being oversubscribed. This is a big improvment in our network performance.”

Non-stop Redundancy protocols plus options for bandwidth management and redundant power supplies make the network resilient, and ensure a very high level of network service availability. The Allied Telesis devices are compact without compromising performance, and feature redundant power supplies which are integrated in the switches – meaning they use less rack space. An optimized horizontal cooling system allows the devices to operate even in very high temperatures. High performance, extensive Quality of Service (QoS), and effective management guarantee accurate control of the network.

Ready for innovative applications in the futureSanko are currently working to reform their mission-critical systems. Mr. Kakutani says: “Replacing mission-critical systems is a big project. I think it is good that we have revamped the network prior to this next project. In order to continue to expand, a good underlying system infrastructure is important.”

Mr. Shiratori, of OSINet, adds: “Sanko will be handling increasing amounts of data. It is important that both the network and servers can keep up with this increase. We will continue to support and advise Sanko on their future infrastructure projects as they increase their capacity, speed and resiliency.”

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Simplifying Network Management with AMFManaging network infrastructure is time intensive, costly, and has traditionally required expensive, third-party applications to effectively manage larger networks. Cloud computing and converged infrastructures deliver a great deal of business value to the enterprise, but they also add complexity. In turn, networks must be more fluid and evolve at increasingly greater speeds in order to keep pace with the modern applications and service delivery models that are driving that complexity. For everything from virtualization to mobility and BYOD, networks must be able to keep pace with business. Allied Telesis Management Framework (AMF) helps IT do just that by greatly reducing the time and cost of managing network infrastructure.

Based on Software-Defined Networking (SDN) principles, AMF is an embedded technology native to Allied Telesis switches that delivers real and immediate value to businesses. Many enterprises see SDN as the “silver bullet” to simplifying

The products

and optimizing the management and performance of their environment. But many applications of SDN today are relevant only to very large data centers. However, IT’s most pressing needs demand a single, converged infrastructure that can be managed as a single entity, reducing complexity and TCO and allowing more to be done with less.

AMF achieves this and more by delivering: ■ unified network management from any device across the

network ■ network automation that simplifies and automates tasks

across the network ■ network intelligence that reacts to changes within the

network and automatically changes the topology of the network

■ automatic backup, restore, and recovery of devices as they are added to the network

Through this combination of robust features, AMF drives lower network operating expenses by reducing the complexity and level of effort required to maintain the network. One Allied Telesis customer has reported a 60% reduction in operational costs by deploying AMF.

ALLIED TELESIS MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

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TQ2450IEEE 802.11N WIRELESS ACCESS POINTS

The Allied Telesis AT-TQ2450 Enterprise-grade access point features two concurrent IEEE 802.11n dual-band radios.

The AT-TQ2450 offers two-spatial-stream Multiple Input and Multiple Output (MIMO) technology and antenna diversity, improving wireless bandwidth, efficiency, and robustness.

The access point operates in either standalone mode or companion mode with a wireless controller, meeting Enterprise business needs.

x210 SeriesENTERPRISE EDGE SWITCHES

The Allied Telesis x210 Series Layer 2+ switches offer an impressive set of features in an affordable package, ideal for applications at the network edge.

x510 SeriesSTACKABLE GIGABIT SWITCHES

The Allied Telesis x510 Series of stackable Gigabit switches includes a full range of security and resiliency features, coupled with easy management, making them the ideal choice for network access applications.

Allied Telesis x510 Series switches are a high-performing and feature-rich choice for today’s networks. They offer a versatile solution for enterprise applications.

SwitchBlade x8100 SeriesNEXT GENERATION INTELLIGENT LAYER 3+ CHASSIS SWITCH

Allied Telesis SwitchBlade x8100 Series Advanced Layer 3+ chassis switches are designed to deliver high availability, wirespeed performance, and a high port count. Two control card options, CFC400 and CFC960, provide solutions for medium and large networks. The ability to stack two chassis when using the CFC960 provides a powerful and completely resilient network core solution, which can even be distributed over long distance.

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About Allied Telesis, Inc.Founded in 1987, and with offices worldwide, Allied Telesis is a leading provider of networking infrastructure and flexible, interoperable network solutions. The Company provides reliable video, voice and data network solutions to clients in multiple markets including government, healthcare, defense, education, retail, hospitality, and network service providers. Allied Telesis is committed to innovating the way in which services and applications are delivered and managed, resulting in increased value and lower operating costs.

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