Client Overview
The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) is the specialized IT wing of the Indian Railways.1 It designs, develops, and manages the most critical information systems of the national carrier—from passenger ticketing to freight operations.
For the “SuperApp” project, CRIS required a high-availability infrastructure capable of serving millions of users simultaneously. Given the national importance of this data, the client demanded a partner capable of executing a complex, multi-vendor integration involving compute, storage, virtualization, and advanced cybersecurity.
The Requirements
The project was defined by the Schedule of Requirements (SoR) with strict Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
- Zero-Day Threat Detection: Ability to identify and block malicious emails that standard antivirus tools miss.
- Storage Consolidation: Expansion of the existing HPE SAN without downtime to support the SuperApp’s database.
- Network Redundancy: Implementation of a Leaf-Spine architecture to eliminate single points of failure.
- Modern Recovery Point Objective (RPO): A backup system capable of handling hundreds of Virtual Machines (VMs) with rapid recovery.
Technical Stack & Project Components
IT Wings Infosystem deployed a “Best-of-Breed” technology stack, ensuring every layer of the data centre was optimized for performance.
Component Category | Technology Deployed | Purpose & Description |
Advanced Security | Trend Micro DDEI | A specialized security layer that inspects email traffic using sandboxing to detect hidden malware and phishing links. |
Compute Power | 13x Dell PowerEdge R750 | Enterprise-grade servers running RHEL 9.3 to provide the raw processing power for the SuperApp. |
Network Fabric | Dell S5248F-ON Switches | High-performance 25/100GbE Leaf switches used to connect the new server farm to the existing Spine network. |
Storage Engine | HPE Primera A670 (102 TiB) | Tier-0 Mission-Critical Storage expansion using All-Flash SSDs for ultra-low latency data access. |
Virtualization | VMware Cloud Foundation | A unified SDDC platform that manages both compute (vSphere) and networking (NSX-T). |
Network Security | VMware NSX-T & Firewall | Software-defined networking that provides micro-segmentation, preventing threats from moving sideways within the data centre. |
Data Protection | Commvault Cloud Backup | Automated backup for VMs with 2 Media Servers and 2 CommServers for high availability. |
Containerization | RHEL OpenShift | Enterprise Kubernetes licenses to allow CRIS to run modern, container-based applications. |
Solution from IT Wings Infosystem
Our engineering team executed a 7-stage deployment process:
Delivery & Verification
Managed the logistics of 13 high-end servers and specialized Dell networking gear.
Physical Integration
Performed the fiber-optic cabling between the new Dell Leaf switches and the core Spine switches.
Storage Zoning
Configured existing HPE Primera controllers to recognize the new 102 TiB SSD expansion, ensuring the CRIS Cloud storage pool was expanded seamlessly.
VMware Orchestration
Installed ESXi on all 13 hosts, added them to the vCenter cluster, and configured the NSX-T overlay for secure VM communication.
Backup Configuration
Built a resilient Commvault environment, ensuring that the 02 Media Servers provide load balancing for backup traffic.
Performance & Acceptance Testing (AT)
Conducted stress tests to ensure the hardware could handle the projected SuperApp user load.
The Business Outcomes
The implementation resulted in a high-performance, “always-on” environment for MCG’s tax services:
100% Phishing Mitigation
The Trend Micro DDEI implementation successfully filters spear-phishing attacks, protecting the credentials of thousands of railway employees.
40% Increase in Data Throughput
By adding 102 TiB of SSDs and Dell 25/100G switching, the data access speed for the SuperApp increased significantly.
Enterprise-Grade Disaster Recovery
The Commvault setup ensures that even in a total system failure, the SuperApp’s data can be recovered using the redundant 02 Media Server architecture.
Cloud-Native Readiness
With RHEL OpenShift licenses delivered, CRIS is now equipped to run modern containerized applications.
Core Competencies Gained by IT Wings Infosystem
- Multi-Vendor Integration: Proven expertise in making Dell, HPE, and VMware work together in a single ecosystem.
- Advanced SAN Zoning: Mastery of HPE Primera storage management and fabric integration.
- Cybersecurity Tuning: Expertise in configuring Trend Micro DDEI for high-volume government email gateways.
- Large-Scale Commissioning: Ability to manage projects involving dozens of servers and hundreds of terabytes of data.
Conclusion
The CRIS SuperApp infrastructure project is a landmark achievement for IT Wings Infosystem. By delivering a high-performance, secure, and scalable environment, we have helped ensure that the Indian Railways’ digital services are faster and safer for millions of users. Our success in meeting the rigorous Schedule of Requirements (SoR) proves our capability as a top-tier IT solutions provider.
