Reliable communications are critical to any first responder organization. For the South African Police Service (SAPS), providing security across the nation includes a radio network that functions in both urban and rural areas. Uplogix Local Management is deployed at radio tower sites and switching centers to manage trunking radio and networking gear.
Some of the key benefits Uplogix provides SAPS include:
- Continuous Monitoring | Console access to gear ensures more frequent and network-independent monitoring.
- Automated Response | Based on monitoring data, Local Managers can take automated responses to device issues, saving time and service calls.
- Integrated Out-of-Band | Using the most cost-effective source available at the location, Uplogix gives remote technicians access over cellular or LEO satellite to gear as if they were onsite.
Following the end of apartheid, the South African Police Service was formed to prevent, combat and investigate crime, maintain public order, protect and secure the inhabitants of the Republic and their property, uphold and enforce the law, create a safe and secure environment for all people in South Africa. They are the first responder charged with preventing anything that may threaten the safety or security of any community.
As a large country with vast rural land, the South African Police Service (SAPS) relies on their communications gear for ensuring the public safety as a primary first responder. Uplogix is deployed to manage remote radio transmission stations, reducing support costs by detecting and recovering from device issues automatically, or by providing remote access to gear before deploying a truck for a support call.
Local monitoring is more reliable and robust
Uplogix Local Managers (LMs) continuously monitor critical device statistics and user interactions with managed devices via an always-on, serial connection with no impact to network performance. For SAPS, this is especially important because some sites are extremely remote and difficult to access, yet important for communications. Uplogix generates zero network traffic when polling the devices to which they are connected for status and other information and are intelligent enough to issue alerts to central managers when issues are detected. This allows for polling to be much more intensive, usually in the 30 second range, allowing IT to be far more responsive to problems when they occur.
Going beyond alerts – taking actions when there are issues
Uplogix lowers the cost and complexity of management by diagnosing and automatically fixing common problems in the radio mesh infrastructure. In fact, Uplogix local management can address and resolve most of the issues that commonly impact distributed networks such as configuration errors and nonresponsive devices.
Using device manufacturers’ best practices, Uplogix LMs have hundreds of built-in management procedures that enable the appliances to take action when certain conditions occur.
Secure, always-available access
When the network is up and running, admins access devices through Uplogix LMs over the network. If that connection is broken or not yet established, the appliances “dial-out,” providing a two-way, secure management link independent of the primary network.
Out-of-band is critical for supporting remote sites like the SAPS relay stations that do not have trained IT staff onsite. Remote OOB links can utilize wireless signals over cellular or satellite modems to ensure connectivity and keeping the first responder network.
First responder networks require local management
Uplogix is helping the South Africa Police Service make the country safer by deploying intelligent monitoring, automation and secure access to where comms devices are located to improve security, performance and availability.
Download the complete case study
See how the South African Police Service uses Uplogix in their communications network.
