Case Study: ARZ achieves a 650‑firewall scalable, centrally managed cluster with Barracuda Networks NextGen Firewall F‑Series

A 650 firewalls cluster equipped with and managed by Barracuda NextGen Firewall F

ARZ, the Tyrol-based data centre that provides network infrastructure and controlled internet access for about 70 commercial banks (and other public and health-sector customers), needed to replace legacy, non‑Y2K-compliant firewalls while dramatically improving security, customer segmentation and manageability. The brief called for a per-branch firewall rollout across 650 branch offices, support for legacy ATM traffic (OS/2 with SNA), flexible bank-specific policies, and a solution that could scale without overwhelming operational overhead.

After testing, ARZ deployed the Barracuda NextGen Firewall F-Series as a cluster of 650 software appliances on standard Intel hardware, using a combined profile- and device-based management model with centralized OS configuration. The rollout delivered the world’s largest managed firewall cluster, cutting hardware and administration costs, simplifying branch deployment, improving availability and compliance, and enabling centralized, scalable management for highly critical environments.

ARZ

Helmut Gratl

Project Manager