Extensive testing pays off for Commonwealth Games infrastructure
The IT infrastructure running the 2006 Commonwealth Games has met all expectations, according to the event’s IT chief.
The system – one of the largest temporary IT infrastructures ever established in Australia – was in development for more than three years.
‘The Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games is one of the largest sporting events in the world,’ said Brian Nourse, the Games’ technology group manager. ‘Our biggest challenge is that, for two weeks, millions of people are watching. Downtime is simply not an option.’
Nourse says extensive testing over the past 12 months and general simplicity have been key to the infrastructure’s success.
‘Although our IT philosophy has been to keep it simple, the scale and complexity of this project ensures that thorough preparation is non-negotiable. We only get one chance at it, and our deadline is immovable.’
Several vendors have contributed to the infrastructure. Dell has provided handhelds, notebooks, desktops, servers and storage technology to run critical elements of the Games, including scoring, security, ticketing and internet terminals.
Other vendors include Microsoft, which has provided software and developed the official games site; Telstra, responsible for the telecoms network; and Cisco, which has provided networking hardware.
‘The technology has been performing to our expectations, including the games data network and the Dell hardware, which has been performing exceptionally well,’ said Nourse.
‘The technologies required to support the competition have been working seamlessly.’
The Games run until 26 March, with 4,500 athletes from 71 nations taking part.
Inevitably, one of the key concerns at such a high-profile international event is security.
Some 70 Dell/EMC storage devices are being used to record, store and manage all surveillance footage from multiple sites across Melbourne.
The Games’ Technology Operations Centre houses 68 PowerEdge servers hosting business critical systems, from results and scoring information to recruitment and rostering systems for the event’s 15,000-strong volunteer workforce.
The IT infrastructure running the 2006 Commonwealth Games has met all expectations, according to the event’s IT chief.
The system – one of the largest temporary IT infrastructures ever established in Australia – was in development for more than three years.
‘The Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games is one of the largest sporting events in the world,’ said Brian Nourse, the Games’ technology group manager. ‘Our biggest challenge is that, for two weeks, millions of people are watching. Downtime is simply not an option.’
Nourse says extensive testing over the past 12 months and general simplicity have been key to the infrastructure’s success.
‘Although our IT philosophy has been to keep it simple, the scale and complexity of this project ensures that thorough preparation is non-negotiable. We only get one chance at it, and our deadline is immovable.’
Several vendors have contributed to the infrastructure. Dell has provided handhelds, notebooks, desktops, servers and storage technology to run critical elements of the Games, including scoring, security, ticketing and internet terminals.
Other vendors include Microsoft, which has provided software and developed the official games site; Telstra, responsible for the telecoms network; and Cisco, which has provided networking hardware.
‘The technology has been performing to our expectations, including the games data network and the Dell hardware, which has been performing exceptionally well,’ said Nourse.
‘The technologies required to support the competition have been working seamlessly.’
The Games run until 26 March, with 4,500 athletes from 71 nations taking part.
Inevitably, one of the key concerns at such a high-profile international event is security.
Some 70 Dell/EMC storage devices are being used to record, store and manage all surveillance footage from multiple sites across Melbourne.
The Games’ Technology Operations Centre houses 68 PowerEdge servers hosting business critical systems, from results and scoring information to recruitment and rostering systems for the event’s 15,000-strong volunteer workforce.
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