IT IN warehousing

 The following examples are of a complete network upgrade of a 2.5 million square foot warehouse. The INS Group was responsible for the architecture, staging/configuration and deployment of the WLAN, LAN, WAN, application servers, monitoring system, handheld/lift truck barcode scanners, physical infrastructure, WLAN survey, security requirements and interfacing with the WMS/Logistics (warehouse management system). The first step in this project was to do an active 802.11n WVoIP capable Wifi site survey and comprehensive analysis of the entire physical/logical network infrastructure , applications/servers, logistics pick/place system, and barcode scanning system. With this information gathered a detailed requirements specification, preliminary BoM and project cost estimates were created, with a key customer requirement that the network have longevity and be technically viable for over ten years. 

All WLAN, LAN and WAN electronics were pre-staged before deployment at the customers network staging center, following is a brief overview of the staging process:

1. Electronics are racked and connected through cross connected panels to create the physical network and powered up.

2. All electronics are then logged into through the serial port.

•  Any non-functioning electronics are RMA’d/replaced.
•  Management VLAN’s created and  IP’s assigned 
•  User ID’s and passwords setup
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3. Each switch is then logged into over the network and design configurations are loaded on all WLAN, LAN and WAN devices.

4. Perform network design/configuration testing to validate the design meets the functional technical requirements.

5. Load/stress testing

•  All switch ports and access points will have traffic driven through them up to their specified   theoretical limits.
•  Any devices that fall below the failure threshold at this point of testing are RMA’d/replaced.

6. Customer SAT (systems acceptance test) 

7. Break everything down and ship to the site

Prior to this projects approval the INS Group developed setup and performed the validation testing of the Cisco WISM WLAN controller. This was done to verify that it functioned as well or better than a standalone appliance type controller with the same AP capacity.    

The WLAN survey was performed to provide a 50% cell coverage overlap throughout the Warehouse/Production areas and standard 20% overlap coverage in the sites' administrative building and outdoor delivery marshalling areas.  Coverage cells were setup for WVoIP coverage (-67) with field strength output power matched to the production barcode readers with the weakest field strength, and laptops for the admin areas. The bandwidth requirements were such that channel bonding wasn’t required on the plant floor or admin areas, and the barcode readers required only 802.11b.  The WiFi network when installed far exceeded the customers immediate needs but will be able to could accommodate technology growth well into the future without significant upgrades. The final WiFi design required 170 Cisco 1142 access points, 2 250 AP WISM controllers and Cisco Wireless Management System (WMS). Security was setup with RADIUS authentication and WPA2/EAP-FAST for barcode readers and WPA2/PEAP for all other client devices.

LAN/WAN electronics design was made up 40 Cisco 3750G Cisco edge/access switches and two Cisco 6509E core switches. Upgrade AT&T WAN circuit with new MM fiber from AT&T demark to site network core and upgrade the existing WAN routers. This design comprehended all electronics configuration, security, connectivity, labeling, detailed electronics BoM, and network monitoring setup/configuration.

Physical site infrastructure of MM/SM ABF (air blown fiber) to be blown to a new TC (telecommunications closet) location with primary and diverse paths to the core, the sites ABF tube cable backbone was able to be utilized.  An existing TC was decommissioned and replaced with a new TC at a different location to provide a better area of coverage.  Conventional fiber MM/SM fiber was installed to this new TC location. This project also required over 300 new Cat6 cable drops for the new WLAN AP’s and client devices. Existing connections were migrated to the new electronics. All TC locations were properly grounded and new UPSs added.