The Scripps Institute – SV8500 Migration
In 1924 Scripps Metabolic Clinic, was founded by Ellen Browning Scripps. Today it is better known as The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI). TSRI’s main focus is on research in biomedical sciences. Today the TSRI is home to 3,000 scientists, technicians, graduate students, and administrative and other staff, making it among the largest private, non-profit biomedical research organizations in the world.
Since 1985 TSRI has been utilizing NEC switches for their communication needs. Realizing that the NEC 2400 platform was reaching its end of life support, they need to begin planning for the future. Some of the challenges of the upgrade were budget and prior investments.
Being a non-profit TSRI relies heavily on grants and private donations and being a research facility, the science ALWAYS comes first. With the overall budget being tight, the telecom team had to do more with less and maintain equipment to stretch longevity. 
Considering the budget restrictions and the prior investments in equipment and training, TSRI decided that the NEC Cable Migration to the SV 8500 was the best solution.
In August 2010, TSRI and Digital Telecommunications Corp (DTC) began discussing the Cable Migration. TSRI was utilizing an NEC 2400 IPX – U Fusion which supported 16 buildings, over 3900 ports, various trunks, PRIs, T1s, DIDs, and 53 digital remote units. The TSRI and DTC team started planning out what was necessary to upgrade the end of life switch, while retaining as much as possible of the existing equipment.
Since, the TSRI telecom staff has always been responsible for the installation, maintenance, programming, and repairs of the NEC equipment, the DTC worked very closely with all the members of the telecom staff. In order to keep everyone on the same page, there were weekly 2 hour meetings. During the meetings, DTC helped with educating and clarifying the TSRI staff, and the open conversations helped resolve any foreseen issues. Also a living timeline was created, this ever changing, expanding, and updated helped both teams plan for a successful cut over.
“NEC’s Online Learning Center provided help, but it was the countless hours spent in the switch room with the DTC technical staff that paid for its self tenfold” – Randy Rosa, TSRI, Telecommunications Manager
On January 14th 2011, everything was a go. TSRI is a 24/7 operation, receiving 911 calls and other emergency calls, so the cut was to take place at 8pm. The team had planned for a 12 hour cut. At 8pm the telephone switch was powered down, and then it was all hands on deck. Within 3 hours both switches were up and running. Not one call, voicemail, or email was received about service interruption.
This Cable Migration was a well planned, implemented, and a complete success.
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