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Nitrado immerses gamers in exceptional experiences by amping up network performance and reliability. People all over the world log into Nitrado servers to play ARK, DayZ, Minecraft, and hundreds of other popular online games. But soaring numbers of users, combined with remarkable improvements in gaming apps, led Nitrado to invest in a more scalable network that can deal with increasing demand.
Beyond delivering a better gaming experience, Nitrado wanted to expand its cloud and application hosting services to businesses. Nitrado worked closely with HCD Consulting GmbH to revamp its global network based on Juniper Networks solutions.
„Having a globally connected network means we can sell dedicated cloud solutions to clients across the world. Gaming customers can provision and manage their game servers from anywhere. We get a lot of flexibility, better security and consistent and automated operations to keep up with our annual traffic growth in excess of 40% with a Juniper network.“ – Marcel Bößendörfer, CEO Nitrado
Impact
4X capacity
- More bandwidth supports gamers and growing B2B customer base
- Upgrade from multi 10G to multi 100G
Superior experience
- Low latency and reliability for gamers
Exceptional security
- Reduces the impact of DDoS attacks and BUM flooding
200.000 users
- Average users in 2020
Challenge
Building a future-proof network for high-stakes gaming business
Nitrado promises its customers that they can find a server and start playing in seconds. To keep that promise, its network needed to be powerful and agile enough to handle thousands of servers. But fast growth meant its eight data centers had grown organically. A lack of consistency was impeding growth. Layer 2 domains and the Spanning Tree protocol limited scale and compromised reliability.
For Nitrado’s new data center in Moscow, HCD Consulting GmbH recommended a seamless IP fabric using Ethernet VPN/virtual extensible LAN (EVPN/VXLAN) for the overlay network to address all potential network weaknesses. Another recommendation was to move to more consistent and efficient operations through automation.
The performance, automation, and reliability of a Juniper network would ensure that gamers would continue to have amazing experiences, from small co-ops to large multi-group game play.
Solutions
Every game has network rules: low latency, high capacity, and security
Nitrado reimagined its global network for modern-day gaming’s heavy apps and fast performance by employing Juniper Networks® MX204 Universal Routing Platform to connect its global data centers, delivering greater performance, redundancy, and protection against DDoS attacks.
The new Moscow data center, which features a flexible fabric, serves as a blueprint for the future. With a Juniper Networks QFX10002 Switch supporting the physical network and EVPN/VXLAN for the overlay network, Nitrado now has both the speed and agility it needs. The new architecture enables Layer 2 segments to be dedicated to individual games, while the data center supports tens of thousands of simultaneous instances.
Outcome
Juniper future-proofs Nitrado network in the fast-growing gaming market
Nitrado has transformed its network and removed limitations that were holding back future growth. Gamers around the world can login to a nearby server and instantly immerse themselves in a different world.
Behind the scenes, automation moves the gamer onto the best server and intelligently routes traffic to ensure an optimized digital experience. Servers don’t lag even during peak loads. Ultra-low latency routing means gamers have immersive experiences that feel more realistic and less virtual.
With four times more network capacity, Nitrado is adding new revenue streams with cloud application hosting and other business services, such as Enterprise Console and SteelShield™, Nitrado’s ultimate and proprietary DDoS mitigation solution specifically designed for game traffic.
With a flexible, agile Juniper network, Nitrado is primed to win more market share in the fast-growing gaming market, which is forecast to grow 40 percent annually and reach $8 billion in 2025.