Active Equipment
The system design is based on non blocking backbone architecture with 2 of the highest quality backbone units which are each equipped with redundant supervisor, load sharing, power supplies, system clocks, uplinks, switch fabrics and cooling fans.  This allows for substantial future expansion either in users numbers or increased traffic.  The structure will support the latest available technology and provide maximum utility and long term reliability.  The backbone switches are also of the highest quality and deliver high performance, scalability and a high availability switching solution.  Matching edge switches and gigabit Ethernet switches ensure that the system delivers premium performance with manageability and flexibility. 

Cabling
The terminal is interconnected using 8 core steel armoured, single mode fibre optic cable in star topology to provide a data distribution system that has multi layered backup and the highest possible level of reliability.  All data and telecommunications cabling is in isolated, separate and sealed ducting to avoid electromagnetic interference and protect the cables from physical damage due to rodents and the like. 

Servers and Workstations
To complement the quality of the active equipment and cabling only the highest quality and most advanced servers have been installed using Xeon processors and Gigabit bandwidth connections ensuring fast and reliable connections for any number of work stations and transaction volume.  Workstations too; have not been neglected, all of them being up to the minute high specification and reliability units that more than meet the needs of the users.

Zero Time Failure System

To guarantee that the terminal is able to operate for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year the IT system has to have built in redundancy and automatic back up systems.  Some of the  measures taken to achieve this are:

• Isolated secure ducting for all data and communications cables.
• Point to point fibre optic cables – star topology.
• Digital telephone modems available at short notice if required.
• High capacity UPS units and generators for critical areas.
• Installation of on line back up switch.
• Clustered servers for full database server redundancy.
• Up to the minute software and hardware firewalls for hacker protection.

Disaster Recovery Measures

To ensure that the IT department is able to continue to support NCT’s core business, even in a disaster situation, a parallel server has been put in place in a remote and protected location which can be used to restore the system in the event of a serious disaster.  There is also a full and formal back up protocol to maintain the integrity of data in the same situation.