Enterprise Networking & Infrastructure Pulls Together to Restore Cut Fiber
On Monday, July 10, 2023, UK Information Technology Services (UK ITS) was alerted of damage to fiber optic cables due to construction in front of McVey Hall. These damaged fiber optic cables resulted in a disruption in communications, impacting several services like wired and wireless network access for buildings including Funkhouser and Chem Phys, which connect through McVey Hall, as well as other ancillary services which support University operations. There were more than 1,500 strands of fiber running in the damaged pathway, and more than 600 of them were damaged.
Immediately, the Enterprise Networking & Infrastructure division of UK ITS deployed various teams to the site to determine what was necessary to fix the damaged cables and restore all connections. UK ITS Enterprise Networking & Infrastructure technicians, engineers, and project managers worked together to assess the damage and communicate with other groups impacted on campus. In assessing the damage, it became apparent that there would be a considerable amount of work necessary to restore the damaged cables which were cut in four different places underground.
Enterprise Networking & Infrastructure teams were pulled together to begin splicing and pulling new fiber optic cables as well as rerouting connections to restore network to buildings on campus. Relying on network monitoring tools and documentation stored in UK’s geospatial database, it was essential that each individual cable be accurately identified and repaired to fully restore connections. Due to the volume of new fiber optic cable that needed to be spliced, UK ITS worked with a vendor, Davis H. Elliot Company, Inc. (Elliot) to assist with restoration.
After approximately 12 hours of arduous repair work, network services were restored in impacted locations, and following an additional two days of effort, ancillary services were restored as well. Some residual impacts still existed but redundant connections and equipment were still active keeping key services up and running. Throughout the remainder of the week, teams continued to work to ensure that a full plan was developed to address remaining residual impacts, as well as to note lessons learned during the process.
“This was a complex project due to the number of strands running through that location. UK ITS teams and vendors working together, with the support of the administration, were crucial factors in bringing about a speedy resolution,” commented Colin Baker, director of Enterprise Network Engineering.
Enterprise Networking & Infrastructure teams, in collaboration with campus partners like Facilities Management, worked successfully and efficiently together during long hours in the July heat. Without their diverse expertise and knowledge, restoration for such a complex incident would not have been possible. Clain Hendrix, director of Enterprise Network Operations in Enterprise Networking & Infrastructure, is proud of the way teams came together.
“Even with the urgency to get service back online, we had great collaboration between the teams from UK ITS and Elliot to keep the repair moving forward during some long days after the cut. It was a great team effort!”
After work on the project was completed, 5 new cables had been pulled and 10 cables were spliced. UK ITS would like to recognize the dedicated work of all UK ITS employees who worked to restore network services, including Shelby Avery, Colin Baker, Jeff Banks, Miles Fortner, Clain Hendrix, Robert Holder, Jim Owens, Jordan Peters, Rob Quammen, Ron Robinette, and Matt Vaught. Without their skilled knowledge, excellent collaboration, and hard work, this incident could not have been resolved in the timeframe achieved.