Government Technology - August 2008 - (Page CA-3)

MyFloridaNet Network management tools help Florida attain peak performance of its giant new network. the state’s capacity limits, minimizing the need for future network upgrades. The large physical infrastructure of communications circuits and routing and switching equipment is spread throughout the state. A set of virtual networks was created running across the physical network that provides state agencies dedicated partitions for their own use. Thus each agency essentially has its own private network. This type of complexity, along with its size, makes managing this network especially challenging. The network is managed by Communications and Information Technology Services (CITS), a division within the Florida Department of Management Services. CITS completed migration of all customers to the new network in spring 2008. Visibility Wide and Deep Excellent network performance is vital to the state and its customers. “You have to rely on the network more and more every day,” said Charles Ghini, director of telecommunications and radio services for CITS. “As networking becomes more complex, you “You have to rely on the network more and more every day.” — Charles Ghini, director of telecommunications and radio services, Communications and Information Technology Services, Florida F lorida is home to numerous exotic things, including beaches, palm trees, ocean views and the Everglades. It’s also home to an exotic data network. MyFloridaNet is an uncommonly large and complex data transport network for the exclusive use of the state’s customers. MyFloridaNet is a new, state-ofthe-art network available for state agencies, city and county governments, school districts, universities and nonprofit organizations. The network is based on multiprotocol label switching (MPLS), a technology that allows multiple applications, such as voice, data and video, to share the same circuits while speeding up network traffic flow. The benefits of MPLS have led experts to proclaim it to be the future of networking. It works by setting up a specific path for a given sequence of packets, identified by a label put in each packet, so the packet is recognized and moved along more quickly than it would be without MPLS. “A tool doesn’t make a process. But tools empower and make the process work better. That’s what the CA tools do for us.” — Charles Ghini, director of telecommunications and radio services, Communications and Information Technology Services, Florida Florida used MPLS to create a faster, more dependable statewide network that’s highly robust and secure. It enables the state’s technology to work more efficiently while also allowing communications services to evolve with the state’s needs. The new network also increases need a robust, capable and well managed network to run your business, especially the business of government these days.” Ghini listed law enforcement agencies and continuity of operations as two examples of areas in which network 3

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - August 2008

Government Technology - August 2008 Contents Point of View The Last Mile Big Picture On the Scene Four Questions for... Net Gains A Government Technology® Industry Profile: CA CA Contents IT Network Management: State and Local Governments Face New Challenges MyFloridaNet Arkansas Department of Information Systems Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Government Tightens Its Belt Rocking the Vote High-Speed Portal Project On Track Wi-Fi on a Shoestring From Paintball to Video Virtually Vulnerable How It Works Products signal:noise

Government Technology - August 2008

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