DATA CENTER RELOCATION AND A NEW WAN LAYER 2 NETWORK FOR MEGA IMAGE
CONTEXT OF THE DATACENTER RELOCATION PROJECT
Being a company that is constantly expanding, Mega Image IT infrastructure follows the same expansive path. In the context of the data center relocation and the need for creating a new WAN Layer 2 network, Mega Image assigned this task to Datanet, a company that could guarantee the project will be done within a fast and efficient process. (reference project)
TECHNICAL SOLUTION FOR DATACENTER RELOCATION
Mega Image and Datanet Systems did a step by step network upgrade and expansion. The phase by phase implementation initialized before the actual transfer of the equipment to the new datacenter, had been implied by the critical necessity of ensuring the redundancy and continuity of the business process.
Datanet Systems has designed and set the new infrastructure network based on Cisco equipment (Catalyst 4500 and Nexus 9000 series) to comply exactly with Mega Image specific requirements. Each set-up has been intensively tested and traffic performances had been monitored before and after the actual migration of the applications and services.
Also, Datanet specialists have delivered a complete inventory of all the network components needed for the redesign and expansion phases, at the same time, keeping the existing ones. The result has been according to the client’s requirements, Mega Image managed to complete the project with a cost-saving advantage.
In the last two months before moving, Mega Image IT department prioritized the relocation project – a tough decision in a business with a high dynamic – that was received very well inside the company.
CHALLENGES
Before the actual transfer of the servers and of the storage and networking equipment, Mega Image determined a 9 months relocation time to do the network upgrade and the new design without changing its topology. A critical factor for the IT infrastructure relocation phase’s success was to ensure the operational continuity of the business process. All these compulsory requirements implied the identification of a strategic partner with advanced capabilities in the networking area, ready to deliver not only the new hardware equipment and the amended implementation services, but to also have a high level of expertise in the field.
This is why Mega Image chose Datanet Systems, the main Cisco partner and one of the most important system integrators on the local market, with demonstrated experience in infrastructure projects. Being a strategic partner, Datanet Systems participated both in the designing process of the new network design, along with Belgian consultants of Mega Image, as well as in the planning of each phase of the relocation operations, where Datanet specialists also covered the role of a local project manager.
DATACENTER RELOCATION PROJECT RESULTS
The exact migration of the equipment to the new datacenter took place at the end of the first trimester of 2016. According to the time schedule (Saturday night to Sunday morning), it has been done a gradually shut down of some of the services, according to the coordination with the warehouse that was functioning at that time.
The entire downtime lasted approximately 8 hours with the planning being strictly followed, and no negative impact on the operational process in none of the stores. The new network design within the data center ensures not only the equipment hosting but also a series of services and the Delhaize Group connection to the WAN network, that is no longer managed from the headquarter.
BENEFITS OF THE DATACENTER RELOCATION PROJECT
A first improvement brought by the new data center architecture was the increased agility and flexibility of the IT bank department. The capabilities of the virtual infrastructure are now allowing the department to test and launch in production new functionalities and services in just a matter of hours. The monitoring and analysis functionalities of the newly implemented equipment simplify the allocation process of the resources at the application level, allowing a proactive approach of the top tasks.
With the help of tools for dynamic allocation has been streamlined and the servers loading level to an optimal average of 50-60% (CPU and RAM). The new infrastructure has brought many performance advantages of over 50% in applications that process data with a direct impact on employees’ productivity and processes.
ABOUT MEGA IMAGE
Mega Image is one of the biggest and largest supermarket chains in Romania. Part of Delhaize Belgian group, the company reached a number of 500 stores by the end of 2016, with 90% of them established in Bucharest.
The business processes performed by Mega Image are sustained by a complex infrastructure, which integrates ERP applications, Warehouse Management, POS retail, IP Telephony, etc. Mega Image operates a WAN Network that interconnects locally the data center, the entire market chain, the network headquarter and the two warehouses that are working 24/7, and even a remote site set in Belgium that generates e-mail and IP Telephony services.
"Datanet Systems team was capable to cover any requirement of the migration project and was very reliable – they were very proactive and flexible, ready to help in all phases of the project, either for the upgrade process, expansion and relocation."
Adriana Bran, IT Director, Mega Image
