Solved intelligently – success stories

Using storage capacities intelligently: virtion Object Storage vOBS

“We are faster, with reduced costs“

The CEO of our customer is pleased: “Together with virtion GmbH, we have developed the optimal storage solution, which we can flexibly adjust to our daily business requirements. We have become faster and were able to reduce costs. By using vOBS, the amount of files could be reduced to 70% of the previous number due to eliminating redundancies, which resulted in an optimization of storage space by approx. 40%. With the central image delivery, we are perfectly positioned for future enhancements and our customers’ needs. At virtion, our data is in safe hands. We have found a reliable partner, and we can always count on virtion’s all-round service.

Initial situation

Our customer (who is active in the “automotive” sector) offers solutions for online management and marketing of cars to his clients. Each solution is tailored to the individual CI requirements; for example, the same images have to be presented using the corresponding CI guidelines of each car manufacturer or dealer. The resulting large amounts of redundant image files are causing very high storage requirements, which makes it difficult to provide fast data delivery and search the stored image data efficiently.

Challenge

To implement the solution, there were requirements and challenges:

• Delivering images for the various web applications should be accelerated.
• The utilized storage capacity should be optimized.
• The existing image files were available at different sources.
• The daily business had to be continued without interruption.

Idea and solution

In collaboration with the customer, virtion GmbH developed the optimal infrastructure based on vOBS (virtion Object Storage), making it possible to replace the redundant and distributed data storage. The previous conventional approach of managing the data led to a massive overhead both in creating and storing the image data. This resulted in a tremendous amount of required storage ressources. With a growing amount of data, import times would have reached inacceptable dimensions. By reorganizing the storage infrastructure, storage space utilization could be optimized.

In addition, a central image delivery for all affiliated distributed web sites could be accomplished. Each image object exists exactly once now, and will be automatically prepared conforming to the respective CI requirements before delivery.

Following a migration plan prepared together with the customer, all existing image files were successfully migrated to the vOBS infrastructure, without any interruption of the customer’s daily business.

Solved intelligently – central user management with integrated self-service functionalities

“Finally a solid basis that we can expand“

The head of the IT group feels relieved: “Finally we have a solid basis that we can expand step by step. The satisfaction of employees and members has increased significantly. The online component of the members’ management provides the ability to easily integrate the stakeholders and inform them. The virtion work is characterized by a high level of commitment and partnership. Solutions are coordinated and implemented goal-oriented. I’m looking forward to the next steps.”

Initial situation

Our client, a Germany-wide operating organization with over 80 regional groups and over 13,000 members, offers a wide range of online systems as a service to its members. These systems provide different ways of communication among the members, e.g. forums, web sites, event calendars, internal communication areas and much more. The various services and systems are not operated centrally by the association, but can be operated by different service providers. Using the offered services was inconvenient in the past. Several different credentials for the different areas had to be requested. Different contact persons were involved. Likewise, extensive manual effort was partly created by the user management in the administration by the lack of automation, for example in case of a forgotten password.

Challenge

Because the services are open to members only, a central control of access to the various services should be enabled. This shall include among others:

• central user authentication – a user can use all enabled services with his user name and password
• central assignment of permissions
• control of user provisioning as well as de-provisioning in close attachment to the membership
• simple self-service for the user to reduce effort and costs of external service providers
• information distribution of membership data and associated users to the appropriate user groups
• setting up user mailing lists

Idea and solution

With virtion’s central user administration, all groups and users are comfortably managed in one central place.

With the central user administration, all groups and users are set up centrally. For each system to be used, we globally define the authorisation for each user. Users and groups are created in close coordination with the central system. Initially it has to be defined which functions and roles are generally allowed to perform which tasks in which system in the company. In close coordination with the technical experts of the company, the requirements for the technical systems are defined.

In collaboration with the IT managers, a concept for the unique needs of the organization was developed. Users and groups have been identified. Interfaces to leading systems were identified, described and specified that continue to hold the key data.

Based on a stage plan, the central member management was implemented. Detailed test phases were included, in which feedback from the participants was evaluated and taken into account, such as regular reports and transparent communication of the status of implementation.

For our customer, a flexible solution has been formed, which allows for further integration of existing systems.

For the organization, the very time-consuming processes have been partly moved towards the users and can now easily be performed by the user himself.

With the new solution, the members can, for example, manage their own credentials. The passwords are stored encrypted. The regional managers have the ability to centrally retrieve the information they need.

The view to the required functionaries and roles within the organization was sharpened. A single framework for the IT organization could be established.

Solved intelligently – mail and backup solution

„Finally a good feeling“

The manager of our customer is relieved: “Our hardware is state-of-the-art now. We have a reliable and secure backup strategy. Our data is safe. We can rely on the comprehensive services of virtion. Just in case, our data can be recovered. Particular, however, the availability of essential services has been enhanced by the conceptual redesign of our infrastructure. Backups are available in case of disaster at any time.”

Initial situation

Our customer, a medium-sized company, is working with a variety of business-critical data every day. Most of the business-relevant communication is handled via email. The availability of data is one of the critical success factors for the company. Beyond that a reliable backup of data is important. A backup solution was set up several years ago. Everything supposed to be “green”.

Triggered by the change of responsibilities within the company an inventory analysis was performed in which it was noticed that backups were done as planned though the content of the backup, however, was useless. For the necessary case of data recovery no data would have been available. In addition, the existing server landscape was dominated by outdated error prone hardware. A hard drive failure with loss of data would have caused a tremendous harm for the company.

Challenge

The following requirements and challenges had to be considered during implementing the solution:

• A reliable backup solution that actually stores the relevant data should be established.
• The existing server infrastructure should be analyzed and designed in a modern failsafe way.

The following questions should be answered in the future at any time:

• When did the last backup ran?
• Is backup data included in the backup?
• Where are the data stored?
• Who is responsible for backup, recovery tests and preparation of emergency plans?
• Is a continuous operation assured?
• The daily business had to be continued without interruption.
• A cost-effective solution should be established.

Idea and solution

The virtion GmbH developed together with the customer a tailored backup strategy. The following core ideas were implemented: Separation of the backup on-site and in sync to virtion RZ, definition of customer-internal responsibilities, outsourcing of critical processes, and monitoring.

We would be pleased to find your optimal solution. We look forward to your challenges.