Case Study: Deutsche Bahn achieves full visibility and control of 350,000 ports (including 20,000 hidden endpoints) with Auconet BICS

Managing 15,000 devices and 350,000 ports at Deutsche Bahn

Deutsche Bahn, the world’s second-largest transportation and logistics company, needed to centrally secure, control, and account for a complex, multivendor network of more than 15,000 switches and routers and roughly 350,000 network ports across a dozen countries. Existing tools (CA Spectrum) could not detect every endpoint, and DB Systel — Deutsche Bahn’s internal IT service provider — required single-console visibility and accurate intra-company billing. Auconet was engaged, using its Business Infrastructure Control Solution (Auconet BICS).

Auconet deployed BICS as a near plug‑and‑play solution (parameters entered in under four hours) and completed full discovery in under two days, integrating with CA Spectrum and providing persistent, real‑time visibility and control. Auconet BICS discovered 20,000 previously unknown endpoints (inventorying more than 15,000 devices and the company’s ports), enabled blocking of unauthorized devices, and produced accurate intra-company chargebacks worth several million dollars per year, delivering faster audits, improved security, and measurable cost allocation.

Deutsche Bahn

Anton Kress

Deutsche Bahn