Data Center Consolidation

BUSINESS CHALLENGE
Businesses that have an enterprise-class architecture today typically have at least one data center and quite possibly multiple small server rooms spread across their environment. Even when these environments are relatively small in scale, bringing them up to a true enterprise environment can be an organizational challenge. Data centers can be especially difficult to upgrade when you consider the hundreds (if not thousands) of servers and storage units, multiple databases, and dozens of operating systems---all needing to work together seamlessly to satisfy 24x7 up-time business requirements and user demands. When you further consider the challenge of additional devices or data centers from acquisitions, cost reduction measures, office relocations, or outsourcing services, you end up with some very large and complex challenges, including:

• Reducing costs and inefficiencies in I.T. operations without compromising business or user needs.
• Improving application performance while reducing the number of computing systems.
• Tightening budget and managing limited resources while leveraging cutting-edge technologies.
• Securing physical and logical data stores.
• Implementing processes and controls to make sure that improvements are permanent.

COVESTIC'S SOLUTION
Data centers can be complex and expensive. They aren't merely servers and cables; data centers are comprised of network equipment, power, air-conditioning, physical infrastructure, rack-space, and many other interrelated components. When attempting to plan the consolidation of two or more data centers, you must work from the ground up and follow a plan based on data center design best-practices. This is a tremendous opportunity to not only consolidate and realize huge savings on the costs of physical space, but also to take a look at server and storage consolidation to help drive your efficiencies to the max. Covestic takes a holistic data center approach, working with your I.T. department to determine how best to consolidate and/or relocate your data centers. With our deep skills and numerous successes in this field, you can be sure it will be done right the first time.

COVESTIC APPROACH
Covestic takes a multi-phased approach when dealing with data center consolidation:

The Discovery and Strategy Phase consists of performing a thorough, detailed data collection and analysis of your current data center environment. Starting at the ground floor, we detail all the current information on your data center's physical state: size of space used, power and cooling necessities, cabling plant requirements, and physical security needs. Then we move through to the servers, storage systems, applications, and network layers. We compile everything into a highly detailed, current-state document and include the total cost of ownership for maintaining the underlying infrastructure environment.

The Planning and Design Phase commences after completion of the previous phase. Armed with business approval of the consolidation plan, Covestic starts to dig deep, working with your I.T. department to define the quick-hits and produce the long-term implementation plans, which may include physical site relocation and physical plant build requirements (floor-print, racks, cabling, HVAC, power, etc.), staffing, and network requirements. This phase provides the framework on which to develop the detailed planning and design of the target environment. Each opportunity identified in the discovery and strategy phase will be subjected to an intense architectural review as well as possible lab time and proof-of-concept before it is recommended as a go-ahead. As the phase progresses and comes more clearly into view, a detailed plan is developed to prioritize and sequence both the logical and physical consolidation efforts.

The Implementation and Operations Phase includes the detailed planning developed in the previous phase; physical plant requirements are carried out and tested, racks are installed or modified, wiring and wiring management systems are put into place. Once the physical environment has been certified for use, we help build the initial network connectivity and integrate it into your existing network. Once we are satisfied that everything is documented and complete, the next step is to begin migrating the servers. Change control policies are leveraged and/or improved to ensure that accurate and prompt communication exists between all parties to facilitate success and impart information from lessons learned. Continuous monitoring of the project status enables the consolidation to be completed on time and within budget. We employ strong vendor coordination to account for project interdependencies and to provide seamless restoration of infrastructure and application services. Finally, we help shut down, reclaim, and inventory your unused data center equipment so that it might be redeployed at a later date.