CHARTERHOUSE DEPLOYS WIRELESS

CAPABILITY TO FINALISE CONVERGED

INFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGY
Case Study
Controller-based wireless solutions initially cost more
but the unit cost falls as the number of access points
rises. A controller-less environment was cost prohibitive
because we plan to steadily expand our wireless
network over the next three years. Iain Wilson,
network manager, Charterhouse
HP customer
case study:
Charterhouse
deploys an HP
Networking
wireless solution to
complete its new
server, storage
and networking
infrastructure
Industry:
Education
Objective
Replace an outdated networking, server and storage
infrastructure with a robust, high-performance solution
to support mission-critical applications and enhance
the learning experience
Approach
Adopted a single vendor strategy, conducted
market research and attended several technology
demonstrations; identified and worked with a supplier
who advised, implemented and maintains the chosen
vendor technology
IT improvements
Increases the server estate by 70 per cent while
lowering rack space by 30 per cent, creating space
for additional computing power
Offers reliable wired and wireless networking within
a converged infrastructure, boosting availability and
reducing complexity
Provides additional bandwidth, scale and
connectivity, supporting the schools current and
future needs
Provides centralised network management,
saving time and releasing staff for more important
project work
Business benefits
Creates a fully-immersed, more accessible IT
environment, enhancing the students learning
experience
Supports new technologies, satisfying students
expectations and reinforcing the schools prestigious
reputation
Provides highly scalable storage technology,
safeguarding business continuity
Charterhouse, one of the UKs leading independent
schools, is a boarding school for boys aged 13
to 18 and girls aged 16 to 18, with day pupils in
the sixth form. Approximately 800 students and 250
staff study and work within this dynamic educational
establishment. Based in Godalming, Surrey, the
school adopts a clear-sighted approach to education
and highly-qualified teachers focus on academic
excellence with sympathetic and imaginative
teaching. Charterhouse has embraced a proactive
attitude to introducing modern technology for many
years as it strives to further enrich the pupils learning
experience and maintain an esteemed reputation.
Relocation leads to site expansion
Founded in 1611, the school moved from London
in 1872 to accommodate increasing student numbers
and has steadily expanded by building additional
accommodation, classrooms, art and science
centres. Today, Charterhouse comprises a mixture
of magnificent Victorian gothic buildings, modern
housing accommodation and first-class academic,
cultural and sporting facilities, set in over 200 acres
of wooded grounds.
























































































Outdated multi-vendor infrastructure
Like most forward-thinking educational establishments,
Charterhouse has welcomed the use of technology
to support activities in its 15 teaching departments
and administrative offices. However, an outdated
networking and server infrastructure had evolved
across the site over the last decade leading to
reliability and availability issues for mission-critical
applications. In addition, the infrastructure did not
support the learning environment to a level that
satisfied the students and teachers expectations.
Our multi-vendor infrastructure lacked the
performance and resilience to support the latest
technologies, which would create a more accessible
IT environment for students and staff, explains Iain
Wilson, network manager at Charterhouse. Our
data centres, offices and classrooms contained a
myriad of servers, switches, PCs and other devices.
We wanted to boost the pupils learning experience
by replacing this IT landscape with a fully-immersed
infrastructure that accommodates all their and the
schools IT requirements.
Another important goal was to reduce the number
of suppliers and support contracts. The schools
multivendor environment, various Service Level
Agreements (SLAs) and management software
packages had inadvertently driven up support cost.
Wed two options: update the old infrastructure
or start anew, continues Wilson. By adopting the
latter with a phased approach, we could introduce
more powerful servers, a fully redundant networking
infrastructure, a high-availability link between data
centres and support new applications. We could then
deploy a wireless capability and technologies such
as virtualisation and Internet Protocol television (IPTV).
Establishing a wireless network would provide remote
connectivity to laptops, tablet PCs, iPhones

and
BlackBerrys

, or any other device that staff, students

or visitors may wish to use.
Charterhouse adopted a single vendor strategy.
After selecting HP Gold Partner Nouveau Solutions
as its key supplier, the two parties conducted a
benchmarking exercise to determine the schools IT
requirements. When we initiated the tender for new
servers, we were looking for one vendor and one
supplier to fulfil a series of projects. This approach
avoids the complexity associated with multiple vendor
solutions and management tools, says Wilson.
With our limited resources, we needed to identify a
partner that could deliver reliable and cost-effective
networking, server and storage solutions.
After conducting market research, attending several
demonstrations and assessing various solutions
proposed during the tender process, Charterhouse
chose HP. HP had the best networking, server
and storage offerings for our market, comments
Wilson. It delivers high-quality solutions, offers good
value-for-money and provides a robust management
interface for our server and switching infrastructure.
The HP Converged Infrastructure model resonates well
with our IT philosophy. Moreover, Nouveau Solutions
has proven expertise of delivering these technologies
into the education sector.
Creating the converged infrastructure
On its journey to create an HP Converged
Infrastructure, Charterhouse initially replaced the data
centres outdated server estate with six HP ProLiant
DL360 G6 and three HP ProLiant DL380 G6 rack-
mounted servers, which employ the Microsoft

Windows Server

2008 R2 operating system.

Microsoft

Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 acts as

the virtualisation software. HP Insight Control and
Microsoft

System Center software manage the server

and virtualised environments, significantly reducing
the administration time. Managing these environments
and users now takes minutes rather than hours.
The next project involved connecting the data
centres with a 10 GB fibre link and deploying four
HP P4300 LeftHand Storage Systems, creating a
highly scalable, high-availability Storage Area
Network (SAN) with no single points of failure. The
devices automatically replicate mission-critical data
between the data centres, providing a robust disaster
recovery capability to safeguard business continuity.
Building a reliable wired networking infrastructure
across the campus followed. Charterhouse
deployed an HP Networking solution comprising
two HP Networking 5400 Series core switches
and 78 HP Networking 2800, 2600, 2520, 1800
and 1700 intelligent edge switches. The new wired
network involved laying 100 miles of Category-5
cable and 60 miles of fibre across the site. Five
HP Networking 2520 switches provide Power over
Ethernet (PoE) to support the planned wireless
network.
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Wireless infrastructure debate
When Charterhouse started the wireless networking
project, two interesting issues materialised: whether
to incorporate a network controller into the wireless
solution and how to resolve the propagation issues
within the older buildings, which contain thick stone
walls. The latter came to light following a wireless
survey by Nouveau Solutions.
Wilson reflects: Although wed chosen HP for
earlier projects, a major quandary became evident
after wed spoken to two other wireless networking
vendors. All three wireless solutions fulfilled the
required functionality but the two controller-less
wireless solutions initially appeared to offer a cost
advantage over the HP controller-based solution.
On closer examination, however, this apparent cost
advantage disappears when scalability enters the
equation.
Controller-less solutions are fine for smaller networks
but as you add more and more access points,
annual support costs soon escalate. Conversely,
controller-based wireless solutions initially cost more
but the unit cost falls as the number of access points
rises, adds Wilson. A controller-less environment
was cost prohibitive because we plan to steadily
expand our wireless network over the next three
years. For a network containing 190 access points,
we estimate the HP controller-based solution will
lower capital costs by 24 per cent and reduce
ownership cost by at least 50 per cent. This finding
gelled well with our single vendor model and
converged infrastructure approach.
Primary applications
Mobility
FlexFabric Data Center
End to End unified network
FlexManagement
Network Security
FlexCampus
Converged Infrastructure
Primary hardware
2 x HP MSM760 Mobility Controllers
53 x HP MSM466 Access Points
4 x HP Networking 2520 PoE switches
2 x HP Networking 5408zl switches
3 x HP Networking 2800 switches
40 x HP Networking 2600 switches
30 x HP Networking 2520 switches
2 x HP Networking 1800 switches
2 x HP Networking 1700 switches
6 x HP ProLiant DL360 G6 servers
3 x HP ProLiant DL380 G6 servers
4 x HP P4300 LeftHand Storage Systems
Primary software
HP PCM+ Network Management v3
HP Mobility Manager v3
HP Insight Control
Microsoft Windows 7
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
Microsoft Windows Exchange 2010 SP1
Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2
Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 SP1
Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3
Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2010
Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2
HP Services
HP Care Packs, four-hour response, next business day fix
Customer at a glance
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The first phase of the HP Networking wireless solution
involved deploying two HP MSM760 Mobility
Controllers, two additional HP Networking 2520G
PoE switches and 53 HP MSM466 Access Points.
To resolve the propagation issues within the older
buildings, the Charterhouse and Nouveau Solutions
teams installed access points in each room.
To manage the wired and wireless networks
Charterhouses IT team employs HP PCM Plus
Network Management and HP Mobility Manager
software. The HP applications provide a holistic
view of our wired and wireless infrastructures from
a central location, declares Wilson. We use the
dashboard to assess the networks condition and
rapidly identify and resolve issues. It only takes
seconds to review the network, minutes to drill
down and analyse the situation, and about an hour
to resolve a problem. Our team therefore saves a
massive amount of time.
Fully-immersed learning experience
Today, the HP server, storage, wired and wireless
networking solutions provide Charterhouse with a
reliable, high-availability infrastructure and a robust
disaster recovery capability. By virtualising the server
landscape, the data centres now contain 70 per cent
more servers but the devices occupy 30 per cent less
rack space and consume 40 per cent less power.
Seventy per cent of the campus currently has wireless
connectivity, primarily in the schools classrooms,
laboratories, accommodation and administration
buildings. By adopting a converged infrastructure
approach, a key component of the HP Instant-On
Enterprise, Charterhouse is gradually embedding
technology across the campus, serving students, staff
and visitors instantly. Moreover, the school has halved
administration and support costs.
Matters have moved on considerably over the
years. Gone are the days of blackboards and
chalk, comments Wilson. Weve introduced
multi-media interactive whiteboards, projectors,
streaming video and wireless connectivity into the
majority of classrooms. People are not restricted
to pen and paper as they can connect seamlessly
to their chosen device, creating a fully-immersed
learning experience.
Over the next two or three years, the school plans
to extend wireless coverage to the entire 200-acre
campus including the sports fields. Students, staff,
contractors and visitors will have ready access to the
internet, email and the schools intranet, regardless of
campus location.
Thanks to the HP managed wireless solution and
the engineering and design capabilities provided
by Nouveau Solutions, we can embrace students
mobile devices without any administration overhead.
Our infrastructure now offers the facilities that
students and staff expect in a modern educational
establishment, confirms Wilson.
The vast majority of teachers, especially the younger
members of staff, have welcomed this transformation.
Feedback via our parent and pupil portals suggests
the HP wireless solution is reinforcing our existing
prestigious reputation, concludes Wilson.
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Copyright 2012 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only
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4AA3-9149EEW, Created January 2012