Keeping up the operations of the airport flawlessly with virtually zero downtime when so many critical systems depend on it is tough, especially with an old-school conventional network architecture. If you are responsible for airport operations, you’ll exactly know the pains of it.

A Renowned International Airport in South India Faced Similar Pains.

One of the busiest and fastest-growing airports in India, this international hub handles around 32 million passengers annually. Known for its world-class services, the airport has consistently been recognized for excellence, including winning awards for the Best Regional Airport in India & Central Asia at the World Airport Awards.

Committed to enhancing passenger experience, the airport authorities recognized the need for an infrastructure upgrade. To handle the projected increase in passenger traffic, they planned to build a new terminal, which would significantly expand capacity. The existing terminal posed several challenges, and the goals for the new terminal were clearly defined.

They partnered with Arche for their network design, infrastructure, and deployment needs.

The Goals Set by the Airport Authorities

1. Migrate the existing communication network at the current terminal to a Software-Defined Network Architecture.

2. Design and implement a future-proof, state-of-the-art integrated IT and network infrastructure for the new terminal.

3. Ensure integrated network security for the new terminal.

4. Prioritize visibility and ease of management.

5. Create a scalable and flexible network to meet the diverse needs of airport systems.

The authorities also sought a future-ready, multi-tenant network that could support the latest and upcoming technologies—like contactless check-in, biometric systems, and IoT solutions—to provide a seamless journey for passengers.

Why the Traditional Network Couldn’t Keep Up

The conventional network architecture in use, with its hierarchical design, required manual configurations and relied on proprietary routers and switches. These networks were static and lacked flexibility, often resulting in different systems operating in isolation. Such limitations made the network less efficient, scalable, and secure, contributing to frequent downtimes that hampered airport operations.

What is the difference between SDN architecture and conventional architecture?

SDN (Software-Defined Networking) architecture differs from conventional network architecture in its approach to network control and management. SDN centralizes network control, enabling dynamic, programmable, and automated network management through a centralized controller. This flexibility makes SDN more adaptable to changing demands, improving scalability, agility, and ease of network management while simplifying the deployment of advanced network services and applications.

With that said, let us look at how we solved these pains for them.

T1 Terminal: Migrating from Traditional Networks to Software-Defined Network Architecture

Migrating more than 50 systems seamlessly is a huge challenge.

Assessing the Needs and Designing the Solution

We started by analyzing the performance requirements of the various systems, assessing their peak demands and identifying bottlenecks. After thorough research, our network architects designed a unified software-defined network that segmented and isolated various systems, like the Passenger Wi-Fi and Operations Network, to ensure security and efficiency.

For instance, the Passenger Wi-Fi network required authentication and intrusion detection, while the Operations Network needed strict role-based access controls, redundancy, and failover mechanisms for near-zero downtime.

Do you want us to assess and audit your existing network infrastructure? Reach out to us here.

Why access control is required?

Access control is essential at airports for safety and security. It prevents unauthorized access to sensitive areas, enhances terrorism prevention, and ensures compliance with aviation regulations. It safeguards passengers, staff, and resources, helping deter theft and providing control during emergencies while maintaining data center security.

Identifying the Right Hardware and Software for the Network

Next, we identified and deployed SDN-compatible switches, routers, controllers, and the necessary software applications to monitor traffic, security, and quality of service (QoS).

Migration Phase

We took a phased migration approach, migrating segments of the network incrementally. First, we deployed the network segmentation and isolation. We then isolated network segments and gradually migrated each of them to the SDN network. We then installed the SDN controller and configured it with network policies, traffic flow, and routing. Our team finally integrated the data center with the network.

Security was non-negotiable, and we ensured BIAL complied with the security standards by installing firewalls, intrusion prevention/detection systems, role-based access control, and endpoint security. We tested the network and optimized it by analyzing the performance and requirements.

To enable visibility and management of the network, our team installed management and visibility tools to monitor the performance, utilization, and potential issues. It would throw alerts when it detects any anomalies. We also deployed robust disaster recovery redundancy and failover mechanisms to ensure maximum uptime.

This way, our team successfully migrated the entire T1 terminal network and all its systems onto the new SDN network.

T2 Terminal: Designing a Robust and Reliable Software-Defined Communication Network from Scratch

The new terminal had to meet higher performance demands due to projected increases in passenger traffic. Our network design was built from the ground up, considering future technologies like IoT, smart irrigation, intelligent lighting, and more, all aimed at enhancing sustainability and efficiency.

We followed a similar process as we did for the T1 terminal, but with greater scalability and flexibility, making the new network architecture state-of-the-art.

Designed Considering the T2 Terminal Demands

We went through all the exercises that we did to design the software-defined network architecture for the T1 terminal. But the ceiling of performance that it allowed was higher. It had to be state-of-the-art infrastructure, especially with the increased projected passenger traffic.

BIAL wanted to implement IoT systems that would help them be greener, more efficient, and sustainable - smart irrigation and water management, cooling systems and air purification, intelligent lighting, and so on. We designed the network architecture considering all these systems and their performance demands.

We recently implemented an advanced IoT-based irrigation and water management system at the T2 terminal. You can read more about it here.

The steps involved in deploying the T2 terminal network were similar to that of the T1 terminal. We didn’t have to migrate the old network to the new one. Instead, we set it up from scratch, integrating the different systems incrementally with the network, albeit with careful planning and execution.

How Did It Benefit the Airport?

An innovative, multi-tenant, and integrated network architecture for both terminals at BIAL operates seamlessly despite increasing traffic and a plethora of systems running off of it.

High Availability and Agility

With improved traffic management and dynamic allocation of resources, the network never faces bottlenecks. It improves reliability, agility, and optimized traffic flow for critical airport systems like flight scheduling or baggage handling.

Quality of Service

Passenger Wi-Fi operates smoothly without impacting the airport's other systems, enabling self-service check-in kiosks to work flawlessly.

We also installed a unique Passenger Wi-Fi Onboarding solution at the same airport. Click to know more.

Streamlined Airport Retail

Point of Sale (POS) systems benefitted from improved network connectivity, leading to faster and more reliable transactions at airport shops and restaurants.

Centralized Security

Access control systems are centrally managed and updated, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access secure areas and access privileges can be revoked in real-time. With Intrusion detection systems (IDS), authorities can analyze network traffic and rapidly identify anomalies, allowing security personnel to respond to potential threats promptly.

Reduced Downtime With Disaster Recovery and Redundancy

Maintenance systems schedule updates and repairs during non-peak hours to minimize disruptions to airport operations. And with disaster recovery and redundancy mechanisms in place, the airport hardly faces any downtime.

Efficiency, Scalability and Flexibility

With lowered downtime and optimized energy usage, the airport has reduced utility costs and minimized the environmental impact of its operations. As the airport expands and introduces new subsystems or services, the SDN ensures scalability and flexibility as it can easily scale to accommodate additional devices and traffic.

Arche did a commendable job, kudos to the ground level team, they have been stretching hard to complete the project on time and have always been proactive! - Vice President - IT, Projects

The Operations Have Never Been Smoother

It was a complex project, with 50,000+ IP endpoints spread across 50+ airport subsystems. We executed it with meticulous attention to detail, planning, and close coordination with all the stakeholders. Our team and its technical expertise in IT/OT and know-how of airport operations was a key factor in the success of this project.

31.97 million passengers went through the gates of the airport with zero hiccups during 2022-23. And that is a testament to how well it all works together.

When we asked the General Manager of IT projects, about the Terminal 2 design and concept, he said, “We have addressed the constraints of the Terminal 1 engineering and aesthetic look and feel, with a future-proof, airport-inside-a-garden concept, with a natural feel-good infrastructure, having a garden pavilion with energy conserving superior design.”

Arche takes great pride in achieving what it has achieved for this airport. And we continue to be their IT partner. More details to follow soon.

Keen on how we can help you turn around your airport IT infrastructure? Let us connect