USM: Dependable Data Management for Enduring Design

Project Overview

• Initial Situation

  At USM's headquarters in Münsingen, production processes and IT are closely intertwined. Core applications such as the ERP system, production controls, CRM, file services, and Microsoft Exchange are centrally and fully virtualized from this location.

  To ensure seamless operations, Remo Leone, Head of IT Infrastructure at USM, places value on reliable and skilled partners. For many years, BNC has been the go-to contact for networking, virtualization, and storage matters. Since 2001, USM's data storage solutions have been provided by NetApp.

  Leone appreciates the ease of management and high reliability of NetApp systems. With operations spanning three continents, there is always someone at USM needing data access. Hence, high availability and disaster recovery through NetApp MetroCluster Software are essential for USM, and this functionality remains active even with the latest hardware generation using NetApp Clustered Data ONTAP.

• Solution

  USM operates on a NetApp Hybrid Storage with 48TB, configured as a 2-Node MetroCluster. One node runs on pure flash storage, while the second node is a flash pool with a combination of flash and disk. This solution is highly cost-effective as frequently accessed data is accelerated using flash technology. NFS is used for virtual machines, and CIFS is utilized for files, providing the necessary protocols.

  The decision factors for this current solution included performance, cost, tight integration with Veeam and VMware, and the excellent support and guidance from partner BNC, who also handled the migration. "We are very satisfied with the performance and are far from reaching its limits," says Leone. "We particularly notice the flash effect with VMware, SQL reports, and backup operations." USM also has ample capacity reserves and intends to utilize the system for another five years. If the need arises, capacity and performance can be increased as required.

• Approach

  Remo Leone views the implementation of the new storage operating system in a positive light: "The entire management, regardless of the task, is interruption-free and supports our IT exceptionally well." This sentiment extends to features like NetApp FlexClone. A two-terabyte SQL database is regularly needed at USM for testing purposes. FlexClone provides a fully functional clone within minutes, without impacting production and storage operations.

• Benefits

  • An Economical Hybrid Solution
  • Flawless data backup with NetApp and Veeam
  • Effortless execution of database tests within minutes using functional clones
  • Seamless database management for highly available central IT services