Case Study:

German University Powers Supercomputing Research with IPv6 Network

A Case Analysis Submitted to the Faculty

of the Graduate School of the
AMA Online University

In Partial Fulfillment of the requirement

for the Degree of Master in
Business Administration

ALMARIO G. PARCO, JR., CPA

20200113412
 Table of Contents
Page

TITLE PAGE......................................................................................................1

I. INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND................................................................3

II. POINT OF VIEW...........................................................................................4

III. TIME CONTEXT...........................................................................................5

IV. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM..............................................................5

V. STATEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES..........................................................6

VI. AREAS OF CONSIDERATION (S.W.O.T)..................................................7

VI. ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION....................................................8

VIII. STRATEGY FORMULATION....................................................................9

IX. ACTION PLAN/PROGRAMS....................................................................11

X. CONCLUSIONS..........................................................................................13

XI. ATTACHMENT..........................................................................................14

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I. Introduction

In Munich, Germany one of the major clients of Cisco is the Leibniz

Supercomputing Centre or Leibniz-Rechenzentrum (LRZ). It has been a
pioneer in supporting research and training for colleges in the Munich,
Germany since 1960’s. The inside gives general IT administrations to in
excess of 100,000 college students and for the Bavarian Academy of
Sciences and Humanities. LRZ likewise underpins an assortment of
cutting-edge research activities and has spearheaded probably the most
recent correspondence advances. LRZ relies upon its system to give its
examination and instruction clients the apparatuses and framework that
they must remain ahead in scholarly investigation. The primary focal point
of this investigation is the pattern wherein the advanced education
network turned out to be especially centered around IPv6, the cutting edge
Internet Protocol in the course of recent years, while LRZ used IPv4
system to convey the administrations that its customers required and that
IPv4 has its natural restrictions that started to make some authoritative
issues.

II. Point of View

The researcher stressed how significant was the Cisco network

solution, as it empowers LRZ to meet its pledge to offer the most recent
systems network innovation to help the most progressive research and
training ventures. For LRZ, using the most recent systems network
innovation underscores its attention on remaining ahead. LRZ thinks about
future abilities and adaptability. They need to be included direct in the
most recent exploratory and creation systems. Furthermore, they need to
contribute their operational information to the IPv6 item, to help improve it.

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 To remain ahead in scholarly investigation, IT frameworks must be
developed and organizes must be moved up to meet the ever-changing
client needs. This is valid too for LRZ to migrate its current IPv4 system to
new generation IPv6. With its larger address space, IPv6 would empower
the organization to convey the versatility and adaptability its student need.
To meet the bandwidth and performance demands of IPv6, the
organization required an answer that would give a similar demonstrated
soundness as its current system, to encourage progress and permit
across the board use.

III. Time Context

LRZ had to reconfigure its current system to a new one in order to

address the demand of address space in 2009.

IV. Statement of the Problem

The study emphasizes on changes as it moves past the beginning

up stage. Distinguishing open doors for business development turns into a
need for long haul achievement. The study attempts to answer the
question regarding with the existing network infrastructure of LRZ.

1.) How to provide advanced network services to more than

100,000 higher-education students and researchers and meet
escalating network demands;

2.) The higher education community has been particularly focused

on IPv6, the next generation Internet Protocol while LRZ utilized
IPv4 network to deliver the services that its clients needed and

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 that IPv4 has its inherent limitations that began to create some
administrative issues; and

3.) How to come up with solution that is cost-efficient, to enable

IPv6 services without significant new hardware and software
expenses

V. Statement of the Objectives

For this case study, the main objectives for finding the right
alternative course of action for LRZ were:

1) LRZ will deliver the scalability and flexibility its clients need;

2) Meet the bandwidth and performance demands of IPv6, LRZ

needed a solution that would provide the same proven
stability as its existing network, to facilitate transition and
allow widespread use;

3) Enable IPv6 services without significant new hardware and

software expenses;

4) Meet customers’ needs with a one-size fits all approach

VI.

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VII. Areas of considerations

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

1.) Being a leader in supporting 1.) The inherent limitations of IPv4

I groundbreaking research and education which began to create some
N for universities in the Munich, Germany administrative issues.
T 2.) LRZ also supports a variety of 2.) The main issue with IPv4 in which
E advanced research initiatives, and has the public addresses are a scarce
R pioneered some of the latest resource, and LRZ has to employ
N communication technologies. mapping to conserve address space.
A 3.) Previous system did not offer an
L 3.) Efforts to stay ahead in academic unlimited number of IPv4 addresses
exploration by giving its research and which made it more and more diffi cult
education customers the tools and to maintain accurate views of LRZ’s
infrastructure needed. network configuration

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

1.) IPv6 would enable LRZ to deliver the 1.) The threat of introducing additional
scalability and flexibility its clients hardware
need which would require additional capital
expenditure
2.) Cisco IPv6 network which lets LRZ 2.) To not be able to utilize the latest
E meet customer needs with a ‘one size networking
X fits all’ approach. technology which would directly
T impact their
E focus on staying ahead
R 3.) The networked platforms at the LRZ
N Supercomputing Centre deliver a more
A cost effi cient, systematic, and faster
L alternative to costly, time-intensive 3.) To not be able to meet escalating
experiments. network demands
4.) IPv6 is a promising protocol for
mobile
applications, providing secure
connectivity to
multiple devices and support for
unplanned
networking

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VIII. Alternative course of action

Below is a list of alternative courses of action Cisco IT can take to

solve its problem or meet the challenges in their organization.

(1.) Collaboration Approach - Collaborate with Cisco Services for help in

growing from a break/fix way to deal with help a more extensive
arrangement of IT abilities while keeping operational and capital
expenditures down.

(2.) Proactive Approach - Adopt a proactive way to deal with IT tasks and
operations to help guarantee total, start to finish support in conveying
ITaas.

With elective number (1.), the benefit of collaborating with Cisco

Services is for Cisco IT to recognize various operational abilities that could
be improved by utilizing the individuals, procedures, and innovation skill of
different Services groups. The advantage could altogether improve cost
and time investment funds. Cisco IT could resolve bolster gives a lot
quicker than previously situation.

With elective number (2.), adopt a proactive approach to IT tasks to

help guarantee total, start to finish support in conveying ITaas. In a full life-
cycle engagement, it would begin with foundation configuration surveys,
move to usage, and in the end center around tasks and improvement
direction. This is a progressively vital approach to convey their IT financial
plan and speculation deliberately.

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 The two approaches likewise hold chances; the threats that the
group up may not be effective or may fall apart or being proactive may not
suit their present industry which could prompt more operational expenses
rather than savings.

IX. Strategy Formulation

Attributable to the raising system demands and the weight from

educational institution overall who are firmly reassuring the organization of
IPv6 services, LRZ strategically chose to redesign its past IPv4 arrange
into IPv6 to address client issues with a 'one size fits all' approach. With
IPv6, LRZ doesn't need to talk about what number of frameworks the
clients will associate in the following month, or even the following year.
With its much larger adderss space, IPv6 would empower LRZ to convey
the adaptability and adaptability its customers need. The arrangement was
totally perfect with existing APIs. Its system spine uses Cisco Catalyst
6509 Switches, conveyed in eight points of quality in the more prominent
Munich. Cisco Catalyst 6509 Switches convey the adaptability and high
port densities that are perfect for the wiring wardrobe, dispersion, and
center system. Running with the Cisco Supervisor Engine 720, the
switches convey scalable performance and rich highlights like nature of
administration and security. Schmidt and his group were satisfied that the
Cisco arrangement could scale to accommodate IPv6 without incurring
significant update costs, LRZ reconfigured the Cisco Catalyst 6509
backbone switches with dual stack services to run IPv6 in parallel with
IPv4. LRZ likewise conveyed Open Shortest Path First Version 3 and
Border Gateway Protocol, empowering the system to convey IPv6
administrations with no extra system hardware. Web Protocol variant 6
(IPv6) is the latest form of the Internet Protocol (IP), the interchanges
convention that gives a distinguishing proof and area framework for PCs
on systems and courses traffic over the Internet. IPv6 was created by the
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 Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to manage the since quite a while
ago foreseen issue of IPv4 address fatigue. IPv6 is planned to supplant
IPv4. With its much larger address space, IPv6 would empower LRZ to
convey the versatility and adaptability its customers need, thus, LRZ'S
choice was sensible and justified.

X. Programs

Action Specific Tasks Responsible Area

IPv6

The IPv6 network supports the

LRZ Linux cluster, which can be
accessed by researchers from the
Munich universities. The Linux
cluster powers a diverse range of
applications, providing support
Continuous research for
for developing and testing serial
adding and upgrading the LRZ Linux
and parallel programs. Together,
services
the networked platforms at the
LRZ Supercomputing Centre
deliver a more cost effi cient,
systematic, and faster alternative
to costly, time-intensive
experiments.
LRZ reconfigured the Cisco
Catalyst 6509 backbone switches
with dual stack services to run
Utilizing the scalable, flexible IPv6 in parallel with IPv4. LRZ also
network infrastructure based on deployed Open Shortest Path
LRZ
Cisco Catalyst® 6500 First Version 3 and Border
Series Switches Gateway Protocol, enabling the
network to deliver IPv6 services
with no additional network
equipment.

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XI. Conclusion

To conclude, the quality of Cisco products availed by LRZ which is

the IPv6 was able the company to survive them to upgrade the services
offered. Also, on this partnership Cisco was able to gain the full trust of
LRZ to address the companies weakness and threats on employing such
new generation of network infrastructure.

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 XII. Attachments

German University. (2009). Powers Supercomputing Research with IPv6

Network
CISCO. (2018). 2018 Annual Report.

https://www.trustradius.com/products/cisco-catalyst/reviews

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