Back to Case studyPower Distribution Company of Madhya Pradesh Improves Branch Access to Centrally Stored Applications via TTBS Smart VPN
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The enterprise manages the distribution of electric power to different parts of Madhya Pradesh. It follows the central government-driven reforms under the Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Program (APDRP) that was launched to improve the financial viability of state power utilities, reduction of AT&C losses, improve customer satisfaction and enhance the reliability and quality of power supply.
When the government introduced the second phase of APDRP, called the Restructured APDRP, the projects to be managed under it were segmented into two parts. One of these was about instituting baseline data and advanced IT applications for energy accounting/auditing, and some digital consumer service centres.
Tata Communications bid for one of the projects under the Restructured APDRP scheme and an important job under the same was entrusted to Tata Tele Business Services (TTBS).
We had to set up a virtual private network (VPN) using a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) technique to connect the electricity company’s dispersed offices in Madhya Pradesh. Our team had to facilitate these work centres’ access to the IT applications that were stored within a central server located in the company’s headquarters premises.
TTBS is India’s top enabler of enterprise connectivity and communication solutions. Our MPLS-based Smart VPN builds secure private networks using data services provided by any telecom company. Our expertise in handling high-value projects and years of experience of working for government-owned agencies made us a suitable vendor for this project in Madhya Pradesh.
Business Challenges
Handling the electricity generation, transmission and distribution in a large state like Madhya Pradesh is a challenging task in itself. It became more complicated when basic internet services made it difficult for the branch offices of the electricity company to connect with the main data centre – this connectivity was essential to use the IT applications that were stored in the head office’s servers.
To overcome the vagaries of different data services used by the geographically dispersed branches, it was necessary to keep them connected on a private network. The VPN to be shared by all the branches had to be telco-agnostic with inbuilt security features for data privacy.
The state electricity department also expected some other facilities:
- The organisation wanted the network to be configured in minimum time and reliable uptime along with automatic backup system to ensure that the network keeps running even if there is a problem with the active link.
- The network performance had to be monitored and the administrative team needed assurance that all branches would have consistent access to the apps they needed in their daily operations.
- Another requirement was the flexibility to scale the network so that new worksites could be included in it whenever required.
The electricity company asked for Quality of Service (QoS) with the VPN solution attribute. It preferred a traffic-engineering capability to divide the traffic load on different routes to avoid network congestion.
TTBS Solution
Our solution architects deployed the TTBS Smart VPN solution to connect 375 work sites for the organisation. They used hub and spoke architecture in which all spoke locations were connected to the network’s data centre and disaster recovery (DCDR) setup for seamless traffic flow.
We supported the customer MPLS network with our Smart VPN solution and helped improve collaboration between different customer branches as well as access to the applications they need in their workflows. The customer appreciated our team’s attention to the performance, uptime and security of the said network. They also expressed confidence that we were the go-to organization for all the ICT services they may need in future
They also took particular care in building strong last-mile connectivity systems for For high availability, the TTBS team terminated the availability links on different MPLS points of presence. The DC-DR setup was configured in the active-passive mode for quick backups to maintain seamless uptime. The Secure Connect feature of Smart VPN played the role of protecting the network from cyber threats and data theft attempts. TTBS was able to meet its customer’s expectations on all fronts: TTBS Smart VPN also came with QoS flexibility, allowing the authorised IT administrators to prioritise access to mission-critical enterprise applications. They could use traffic-engineering to route delay-resistant traffic through alternate routes. We completed the task of building the MPLS network within the timeline communicated to the organisation and maintained compliance with the clauses of the agreement signed between the involved parties.
Benefits
- Seamless and secure traffic flow on a private enterprise network built with failover capabilities
- Secure connectivity not vulnerable to the risks affecting public internet services
- More efficient power distribution with smooth functioning of digital processes on the private network
- Future-ready architecture to incorporate more sites when required
- Improved productivity supported by more reliable uptime for employees in all offices
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