The lifeblood of the city. Extreme Networks’ Automated Solutions drive Brussels Metro into the future!

18 October 2019

Modern cities are like living organisms. Pulsing with light and commotion, constantly assimilating and expanding, spawning new settlements and smaller suburban areas to repeat the cycle. While the buildings could be considered bones and muscles, the communication routes and public transportation systems are definitely arteries that keep the organism alive. In order to make sure that the entire system operates perfectly and to prepare it for the challenges to come, Brussels Metro decided to deploy autonomous network solutions from Extreme Networks.

More than 850,000 metro, tram and bus journeys every day. Over 1.14 million residents, commuters, visitors and counting, as the number of passengers using public transportation in the capital of Belgium is growing exponentially with year-over-year demographic growth.

Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company (STIB) runs a nearly 24x7x365 operation, so every potential disruption or drop in service would mean serious issues. During peak periods the system has hit the roof in terms of what manually controlled operations can achieve. The Brussels’ metro systems required a solution that would leverage automation to maximise the efficiency of its current and future capacity.

The metro system in Brussels is the lifeblood of the city. Without it, public life would grind to a standstill. Over the years, the metro lines have gradually reached the limits of what they can achieve in terms of capacity, efficiency and operability. This has brought us dangerously close to not being able to keep up with demand anymore.

Pierre-André Rulmont, VP, Information Systems, Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company

A Mission-Critical Network Solution

STIB issued a formal RFP to collect and review potential options. The proposed network solution, labelled by STIB as the “Mission Critical Network,” had to allow for real-time automated control of metro traffic. For safety and security reasons – for STIB staff and its travellers – automating transit services also required a large video surveillance environment. However, to power this connected system, network performance, reliability, and scalability were must-have competencies.

Lastly, integrating manual and automated management of the transit system was key to the new strategy for increased capacity. STIB needed to maintain human oversight but also wished to alleviate (or eliminate all together) the potential for human error. Optimizing system availability, incorporating system and service resiliency, and enhancing network visibility were central requirements as part of the overarching solution.

A shared vision

STIB concluded that an update to their IT network solution would meet the critical needs today, and by utilizing network-powered automation effectively, Brussels’ metro would see an estimated increase in capacity of 33%.

After an extensive evaluation process, STIB chose to partner with Extreme Networks to design and deliver the ‘Mission Critical Network’ for the Metro Brussels transit system. STIB selected ProData-Systems not only for consulting and implementation services but also to manage the entire network on behalf of STIB.

Throughout the entire process of installation, implementation and testing, Extreme Networks and ProData-Systems worked in close partnership to ensure that the solution put in place would meet the high requirements of STIB.

A flexible, resilient and self-driving network is the foundation upon which the smart city of the future will be built on. We have worked with Brussels Metro to put a network in place that doesn’t just help resolve its current challenges by driving efficiencies and increasing capacity, but it also lays the groundwork for the metro system to meet the demands of the smart city of the future.

John Morrison, SVP EMEA, Extreme Networks

Choosing the right solutions

To deliver on STIB’s vision, Extreme Networks designed a converged IP network infrastructure based on Extreme Elements™, including Extreme Fabric Connect™ technology, Extreme Management Center™ software, and ExtremeAnalytics™. Today, STIB has automated control of Brussels Metro traffic via a converged IP network, allowing for real-time monitoring of rail conditions, extended passenger services and reduced network downtime. Specific new capabilities include:

Real Automated Control of Network Traffic – Extreme Management Center software provides a path to real-time automated control of the network, end-to-end. By utilising automation to offload routine tasks traditionally carried out manually, STIB is empowered to unlock efficiencies in the organisation’s day-to-day operations, increasing current and future capacity across the Brussels Metro environment.
Extensive IP-based Video Surveillance Network – Nearly 15,000 high-definition, IP-based video surveillance cameras are now supported by the network, keeping passengers and staff on the transit system safe and secure. Making use of Extreme’s Fabric Connect network virtualisation technology, STIB now has the flexibility to quickly and easily provision additional services where needed for optimal efficiency.
Manual and Automated Management of the Transit System – Integrating manual and automated management of the transit system was key to achieving increased passenger capacity. Optimising system availability, incorporating system and service resilience, and enhancing network visibility enables STIB to maintain critical human oversight and minimise the potential for human error. With a sub-second failover of links and/or associated switching systems, Extreme Fabric Connect also gives Brussels Metro a far more robust and resilient network than competitive alternatives.
Unrivalled Networking Simplicity – By eliminating traditional PIM layered protocol stacks and replacing them with a simplified ISIS routing / IGMP snooping combination, Extreme Fabric Connect Multicast is simple to implement and operate, less error prone and fast to converge when adverse network conditions occur. With it, STIB benefits from the optimum blend of network reliability, efficiency and ease of use.

Addressing the present, preparing for the future

The updated solution ensures network performance, reliability, and scalability in the Brussels’ metro environment, utilizing automation to offload routine tasks traditional supported manually by STIB staff and infusing greater efficiencies into the organizations day-to-day operations.

Making use of Extreme’s Fabric Connect network virtualization technology, STIB now have the flexibility and agility to provision services, physically and logically, where they are needed for optimal efficiency. The Fabric Connect technology allowed STIB to run a robust and scalable video surveillance network with up to 15,000 IP cameras and enable seamless extension of Layer 2 services within and between data centers, supporting real-time virtual machine mobility.

Elimination of complex protocols also provided the right foundation for secure guest access services, in addition to secure BYOD, with simplified provisioning. Elimination of the overlay wired, and wireless network model delivered a truly unified converged solution. This meant STIB’s ability to evolve to a next-generation virtualized network – without wholesale disruption to ongoing operations – so STIB can implement changes at their own pace.

With STIB’s new ‘Mission Critical Network,’ Brussels’ metro has a solution that meets the specific requirements of their business today and positions their organization advantageously for the challenges and initiatives of tomorrow.

We needed a new mission critical network solution that would help us identify new efficiencies and automate manual processes. In Extreme Networks, we found a trusted and reliable partner that has helped us turn tomorrow's vision of a smart, automated and efficient metro network into a reality today.

Pierre-André Rulmont, VP, Information Systems, Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company