Laboratory of Molecular Biology deploys Arista 10GbE
Customer Company Size
Large Corporate
Region
- Europe
Country
- United Kingdom
Product
- Arista 7100
- Nortel switch
- Dell Switch
Tech Stack
- 10Gb Ethernet
- InfiniBand
- Gridengine software
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Productivity Improvements
- Cost Savings
Technology Category
- Networks & Connectivity - Ethernet
- Networks & Connectivity - Network Management & Analysis Software
Applicable Industries
- Healthcare & Hospitals
- Life Sciences
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
The Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) is a world-class research facility located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It focuses on understanding biological processes at the molecular level using methods from physics, chemistry, and genetics. The lab has been a pioneer in modern molecular biology, contributing to significant scientific advancements such as protein structure determination, DNA sequencing, and the invention of monoclonal antibodies. LMB has a rich history of scientific excellence, with its researchers winning multiple Nobel Prizes and other prestigious awards. The lab is home to 20 research groups and has been instrumental in founding successful biotechnology start-ups. It continues to work on translational research to develop diagnostic and therapeutic agents.
The Challenge
The Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) faced challenges with its existing network infrastructure, which was becoming a bottleneck due to the increasing volume of data from advances in life sciences imaging and sequencing technologies. The lab's 120-core compute cluster was insufficient to handle the growing demand, and the Gigabit Ethernet network was struggling to cope with data movement to local storage and network-attached storage arrays. With plans to add more compute clusters, the IT department needed to upgrade its core switching technology to eliminate the bottleneck and support the lab's expanding computational needs.
The Solution
To address the network bottleneck, the LMB decided to upgrade its network infrastructure by deploying Arista 10Gb Ethernet switches. The lab evaluated several options, including InfiniBand interconnects, but found them to be complex and less flexible for the campus environment. Instead, they opted for Arista's 10Gb Ethernet solution, which offered low latency and cost-effective performance. The lab tested a beta unit of the Arista 7100 switch, which demonstrated excellent throughput and reliability. The deployment included connecting the Arista switches to multiple compute clusters and NFS file servers, ensuring high availability and efficient data management. The lab also integrated the switches with the core campus network and standalone servers for long-duration projects.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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