Optimus Server Solutions

Optimus Server Solutions > Server Consolidation > Server Consolidation & Services Win

Server Consolidation:
Server Consolidation & Services Win

In order to increase efficiency and cut down on costs, a large paperboard manufacturer in Georgia, wanted to implement a server consolidation project. Already having a strong relationship with IBM, the company wanted a technology partner who could offer all the essential elements—hardware, software and services—as well as work jointly with the IBM Client Team, Global Services and Global Financing. Having worked with Optimus in the past and knowing our capabilities, the company approached IBM and Optimus sales rep Jim Harrison with their needs.

After analyzing the customer’s server environment and outlining the reduced TCO that POWER5 technology could provide, the company upgraded several older remote plant servers plus an existing 830 iSeries server to an i5 570 with a 5-way/8-way processor and an i5 550 3-way/4-way server. This project consolidated numerous iSeries workloads into 11 partitions on the 570 server, with one partition dedicated to take advantage of the i5 Windows Integration capabilities. Currently, the client plans to consolidate 10 Microsoft Windows servers with seven IXS and three IXA servers on the i5 570. IBM and Optimus also planned for future workload consolidation needs by adding partitions for AIX and Linux. The i5 550 is the customer’s off-site High Availability machine and is sized to handle an ever-increasing workload. Future plans call for the continued replacement of older remote plant severs performing Windows file sharing and print sharing with new i5 520 Express units. This entire solution was packaged with a three year hardware and software ServiceSuite and was financed by IBM Global Finance. IGF and Optimus worked together and tied the lease, hardware and software maintenance with the same anniversary / renewal date.

As a result of this server consolidation and upgrade, the company now uses one single IBM machine to handle all of their server administration. This makes them more efficient and saves them significant money each year on administration costs. Optimus’ ability to provide a complete technology solution, as well as our premier partnership with IBM, has helped us become one of this customer’s key technology partners, with more business expected on the horizon.
 

CDAT (Consolidation Discovery and Analysis Tool)
LPAR (Logical Partitioning)
VMware