Network Technical Assessment

DVLA has a highly complex networks architecture which has grown organically over 10 years or more to become difficult and inflated to support and manage. DVLA's core and edge switching solution has become hugely complicated, with over 25 Nortel/Avaya 8600 series chassis switches making up the 'core' network. This core is distributed over three sites and many data centres, several of which are in sub-optimal locations. A Technical Initiative was agreed to deliver an entirely new networking architecture for DVLA, based on Juniper Networks technology. The technology selection was based on technical, engagement and service considerations. The requirement was to replace all legacy core, datacentre and user access switching with an integrated, next-generation networking platform. To date DVLA has successfully deployed all Pre-Production services (and a small number of production) onto the new Juniper platform, however there have been a number of major environment issues to overcome which has resulted in low confidence in the technology. As a result of ongoing issues the DVLA are initiating a Full Technology assessment to understand what alternative solutions may be available.