Izbenka (VkusVill) (SCS and wireless network infrastructure projects)

2022: Provision of network infrastructure of two distribution centers

April 14, 2022 IT-integrator First Bit"" reported that he built a network infrastructure network in two large distribution centers of a network of food stores. " Such a VkusVill To Moscow center occupies a room of 108,000  m ², and in - St. Petersburg 57,000  m ². They work continuously, 24/7.

Photo: artlebedev.ru

VkusVill does not have its own production facilities, goods come from partner companies - there are about  1,400 of them. All products from them arrive at distribution centers - large warehouses in which a team of professional technologists is engaged in the acceptance of goods and sending them to stores.

When VkusVill turned to the First Bat for help, these warehouses were still under construction. The company had four needs:

• Seamless Wi-Fi and stable LAN.
• Internal and external video surveillance.
• Number Recognition Transport Admission System (MCDS).
• Network management, monitoring and analytics system.

Engineers of the BIT.Wi-Fi office built a virtual warehouse model, conducted radio planning and prepared a scheme for the optimal placement of switches, access points and video cameras. Then the full-time stage of work began - laying cables, installing and configuring equipment. Thanks to a well-chosen solution and careful planning, the deployment of equipment in the Moscow distribution center took only two weeks.

The two main features of this project are working in a short time and ensuring complete continuity. Distribution centers are critical facilities that can easily generate millions of dollars. It is important that the Wi-Fi network is completely seamless - when picking orders, employees can move throughout the warehouse (both on foot and on a forklift truck), and their mobile data collection terminals (MSUs) must work smoothly anywhere in the room.

"At the distribution center, uninterrupted Wi-Fi operation is important in everyday processes. This ensures the on-line exchange of data necessary for the RC operation. Therefore, it was important for us to set up this system in the initial stages and be sure of the stability of its operation, " notes the head of the distribution center "VkusVilla" Vladimir Kulakov.

According to the company, First Bat managed to build a system completely protected from force majeure.

Thanks to the staggered arrangement of access points, the seamlessness of the coverage is quickly restored even when one of the switches "falls." If the core fails, a spare will be included in the case, both of which are simultaneously connected to two power sources. Disabling the controller on objects will not be noticed at all, because it is needed only to change configurations, and all roaming, power and channel control takes place locally, without a dedicated controller. The list of foreseen emergencies can be continued for a long time.

"We can break anything, but the system will continue to work. As long as at least one access point and at least one switch in the communication locker is alive, the network will live, "- commented by Alexey Elin, head of the BIT.Wi-Fi office.

After the Moscow distribution center, it was the turn of the warehouse in St. Petersburg. The second project took less time than it could, because the monovendor system launched in Moscow scales easily and quickly.

For the project, the Extreme VX 9000 virtual controller with the Extreme Management Center (XMC) management system was used, which was located in a single data center of the VkusVill network. Thanks to this scheme of work, the second warehouse only needed to buy additional licenses and install the necessary equipment, connecting it to the already operating controller.

The XMC system includes network analytics and access control modules, and Extreme Extended Edge technology allows you to manage an entire object through a single interface and configuration file. This is also important from the point of view of scalability - because the easier the configuration passes, the more complex systems it becomes possible to build.

As a result of the project:

• The wired and wireless network infrastructure was built at distribution centers in Moscow (more than 200 access points) and in St. Petersburg (more than 150 access points).
• Continuous internal and external video surveillance is organized: Moscow - more than 500 cameras, St. Petersburg - more than 350 cameras.
• In the Moscow warehouse, MCUD for vehicles has been introduced - barriers for cars open automatically: video cameras read their numbers, information is processed and verified with the "white list."