Introduction
This leading telecommunications company with a large market share in Greece commissioned Accutech for a complex, multidimensional data center migration project and its support.
The telecom sector tends to be very technologically competitive, with firms eager to become early adopters and communicate their state-of-the-art infrastructure to the public, as this carries the promise of improved services for their own customers.
Consequently, this client demanded cutting-edge technology that streamlines processes, allows for increased productivity and accuracy, and safeguards the data center, protecting it both from cybercriminals, and from downtime and failures caused by natural disasters and human error.
During the discovery phase that followed the initial consultation and briefing, the client’s existing IT environment was outlined and assessed. It included both frequently used applications and operating systems, including Unix – Microsoft and Oracle products, and custom-made and legacy applications created for the client in the past, which also had to be migrated to the new data center.
Challenge
The client’s brief was especially demanding, as an always-on, tech-savvy telecoms leader.
Specifically, the client requested:
- Migration of existing, complex and multiplatform IT infrastructure to a new, improved data center
- Consolidation and migration of more than 280 physical and virtual servers to a virtual-only setup
- Creation of a new backup to disk environment
- 24/7 support, 365 days a year, with prompt response
- Establishment of a disaster recovery site
- Creation of an efficient, holistic business continuity plan
- Scalability improvements in the IT infrastructure
Moreover, the client sought to reduce the administrative and operational costs of the physical data center environment, and achieve compliance with a series of regulations and mandates.
Solution
Tapping into its extensive experience and top-of-the-line partnerships, Accutech was able to study the client’s environment in detail, and design a solution that makes use of innovative software. It is custom built around the client’s particular needs in the area of backup and virtualization solutions, combined with Accutech’s reliable support services.
During the discovery stage, Accutech conducted a storage quality assessment, with comprehensive evaluation of the usage and performance of storage media. A full audit of current and historical data stores was completed, to accurately identify the location and capabilities of the available storage space, so its potential could be maximized. To better understand and describe the current situation, Accutech prepared a visualization of the available storage space per the demands, needs and specifications of systems and applications.
At implementation, a variety of steps were taken to bring the new data center to life, protecting and streamlining all data and processes:
- Server consolidation: Transition of existing IT infrastructure to virtual platforms – installation, configuration and transition of virtualization services.
- Agentless survey: Following a workload virtualization assessment, the IT infrastructure was optimized to collect data for hardware, software and directory services, and workloads to all central systems without any interventions or disruptions in the operational environment.
- High availability: Installation and configuration services for highly available systems and application solutions based on OS potential and using recognized software.
- Storage consolidation: Installation and configuration of services for storage systems using merge and virtual technologies, thus optimizing performance and enhancing storage space.
- Protection and recovery: Configuration and deployment of business continuity solutions that respond to disasters and failures stemming from internal and external threats, accidents and disasters.
- Full deployment of new data centers across all operating platforms in local array systems (multi-node clusters) or cross-site solutions (site clusters).
- Streamline management: Optimal resource management and centralized infrastructure management.
- Always-on support: Around-the-clock, 24/7 support of the new environment 365 days a year, with two-hour service SLA by the Accutech team.
Outcome
Within less than a year, Accutech’s solution fully achieved the client’s goals. The new data center is optimized, boasts virtual capabilities and meets all new availability requests. Moreover, it is scalable and adaptable.
Specifically, this data center consolidation and migration project increased productivity by 45% within just the first quarter. At the same time, the client saw a fast return on their investment, with the digital infrastructure’s operational costs dropping by 64%.
