SABAG: Robust Storage Solution for Streamlined Operations

Project Overview

• Initial Situation

  The family-owned business recognized the advantages of a VDI infrastructure, namely the reduced demand for on-site IT service and the alternative method of software distribution. As a result, the company implemented VMware Horizon View as part of the introduction of Microsoft Dynamics AX as the central ERP system. Due to the high performance requirements, existing storage environment already utilized Flash technology in the form of Fusion-IO cards to achieve the necessary performance. However, this existing storage solution was intended to be replaced due to its limited functionality and approaching end-of-life cycle.

  "With our existing solution, it was not possible to make changes in the Logical Unit Number (LUN) setup. Additionally, the performance demands from the central ERP system, MS Dynamics AX, were high. Thus, it was evident that everything was leading to an All-Flash storage solution," explained Peter Weibel, Head of IT at SABAG Group.

   

• Objective

  The decisive push for transitioning to an All-Flash setup came from BNC, which introduced SABAG to a Pure Storage All-Flash solution. SABAG was persuaded by the advantages of All-Flash, such as higher performance, reduced risk of mechanical failure, and the flexibility to explore diverse storage environment approaches in the future. Additionally, the IT team anticipated a multitude of possibilities from the new solution, particularly in fine-grained recovery of files or even entire virtual machines.

  Pure Storage had to compete with the previously employed Fusion-IO-based solution and an alternative product. The new solution was also expected to significantly simplify storage management for the IT department. Pure Storage emerged as the simpler option in terms of installation, maintenance, and administration compared to the alternative. "Ultimately, the straightforward and rapid setup, along with the easy administration of Pure Storage's Flash Arrays, proved pivotal. The proof of concept demonstrated that Pure Storage consistently delivered the promised performance with high stability," Weibel stated. Besides user-friendliness and sustained high performance, the decision in favor of Pure Storage was influenced by snapshot functionality, reliability, and price. Another crucial technical advantage of Pure Storage, in conjunction with the VDI environment, became evident in its scalability.

  "We began the proof of concept with a smaller workgroup. Once everything operated smoothly, we took the step of shifting the entire user load to Pure Storage for a brief period of a few days," Weibel elaborated.

   

• Solution

  • DI – VMware® Horizon® View
  • Databases – Microsoft SQL Server®
  • ERP – Microsoft Dynamics AX® 

• Approach

  "We weren't sure if the Pure Storage solution could handle the load of both the VDI environment and the SQL server serving Dynamics AX. Therefore, during the evaluation phase, we opted to test this solution. Similarly, we explored alternatives as well. Eventually, the number of viable options narrowed down to Pure and an alternative solution, which underwent detailed testing. We then tested Pure in a 1+1 configuration, one instance in each data center, to also assess replication mechanisms. These tests showed promising results." - Peter Weibel, Head of IT at SABAG Group.

• Benefits

  • Data Reduction Ratio of 2.8 to 1 for All Workloads Including VDI and SQL
  • Snapshot Creation Enabled