Cactus Group connects data centers with ADVA FSP 3000

ADVA Optical Networking (FSE: ADV) says that the Cactus Group, a retailer in Luxembourg, has deployed the ADVA FSP 3000 WDM system to provide optical connectivity as it rolls out a new fully redundant data center network infrastructure. The ADVA FSP 3000 will be the foundation for the Cactus Group's business continuity applications, ensuring that its operations remain online and running. The equipment was deployed by ADVA Optical Networking’s longstanding partner, Telindus.

Cactus operates a large production and point-of-sale network that interconnects malls, more than 30 food stores, a catering service, a coffee-roasting facility, and a major food-products factory. With some 4000 employees, the Cactus Group ranks as Luxembourg's third-largest private employer. The company opened its first store in 1967 and pioneered the shopping center concept in Luxembourg, making it one of the nation’s most famous brands.

"With such a large and public brand as ours, it's critical that we effectively manage our IT systems and operations," said Jean Gavroy, IT director, Cactus Group. "We cannot afford any downtime, any lost revenues, or any lost customer confidence. This is why we're working with Telindus and ADVA Optical Networking. They know how to keep your networks running every second of every day of every week. What’s more, they know how to scale. We’re continually growing and we expect our network to do the same."

Replacing an array of individual point-to-point connections provided by local network operators, the new WDM-enabled fiber-optic network uses two distinct paths to interconnect Cactus Group sites through the company’s new main data center in Windhof and backup data center in Bertrange. The ADVA FSP 3000 installation supports 40 wavelengths of 1-Gbps and 10-Gbps Ethernet and also 8-Gbps Fibre Channel over a network that leverages Cactus Group’s own dark fiber.

“Given how much business is being conducted across its network at any given moment, Cactus Group’s recovery-point and recovery-time objectives are very challenging — transactions must be continually backed up and, in the event of an interruption, service must be re-established quickly,” said Jacques Ruckert, director products and solutions, Telindus. “The ADVA FSP 3000 has repeatedly proven itself in precisely this type of networking environment and its industry-leading storage-area networking (SAN) qualification program extends terrific flexibility in deploying multi-vendor Fibre Channel technologies."

For more information on DWDM equipment and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.