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WWZ Group: Establishing a Micro Data Center as a First Aid Box

Ensuring Data Availability and Integrity in Critical Infrastructures

The WWZ Group, one of the largest employers in Central Switzerland, faces the challenge of advancing digitalization in various areas. Their IT department must comply with regulatory requirements and data protection laws while operating critical infrastructure elements on-premises. In collaboration with NetApp ONTAP Select, BNC recommended the implementation of a micro data center as a "first-aid box" to ensure quick recovery in the event of a total Tier1 infrastructure failure. Two identical micro data centers were set up in different data centers, protected by secured hardware components and synchronous data mirroring, guaranteeing data availability and integrity. NetApp offers an independent and automated security solution.

 

WWZ Group

As one of the largest employers in Central Switzerland and ranked among the top 100, the WWZ Group plays a crucial role in providing essential services such as energy, telecommunications, and water supply to the population and businesses in the region.

wwz-energie-1

THE QUEST FOR THE OPTIMAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE

To stay ahead in the digital era, the WWZ Group is focused on driving digital transformation across various areas of its operations. From time tracking and material catalogs to complex applications like geographic information systems, the IT department faces the crucial task of implementing regulatory requirements and data protection laws.

While the WWZ Group has already embraced the cloud for standard software like Office 365, managing critical infrastructure elements on-premises presents unique challenges. This raises important considerations such as the most suitable data storage methods, ensuring swift retrieval of archived data, safeguarding against unauthorized access and internet risks, and establishing cost-effective redundancy measures. The WWZ Group is actively seeking solutions to address these complex data management needs and ensure the utmost efficiency and security in its IT infrastructure.

„Currently, in the event of a complete MetroCluster failure, we would be blind for a long period since all operational tools, such as password tool and system management tools, are also on this cluster. In the future, we can access our 'Datacenter in a Box' and have the appropriate tools immediately available to implement a disaster recovery scenario.“ Stefan Willi CTO IT, WWZ Energie AG. 

 

 

Project Overview

Conclusion

The services have been restored without any manual intervention from the administration. Patrick Schmidli, the Storage Administrator at WWZ, praises ONTAP Select from NetApp for its technological maturity, cost-effectiveness, and stable performance. The failover test was successful, and ongoing operations require minimal effort. NetApp Active IQ also proves helpful for administration, providing daily system data to the manufacturer and offering visually processed information online. 

„BNC deserves a 10 out of 10. The team is highly competent, always easily accessible, and helps us manage our limited internal resources. NetApp is also a reliable source for advice and assistance,“, says Stefan Willi. 

 

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