Intelligent Data Centres Issue 34 | Page 49

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process . Today , the company hosts eight racks of servers for DB Systel UK split between Node4 ’ s data centres . The data centres are linked by a 10GB high-performance DWDM fibre link and a resilient 1GB backup capability for added redundancy .
DB Systel UK runs Active / Active clustering between both data centres .
This prevents either location from getting overloaded and balances workloads between both sites – thereby improving throughput and response times even during peak usage . In addition , Node4 manages several direct peer-to-peer links that connect with DB Systel UK ’ s Doncaster HQ and additionally into AWS . The solution also includes backup and recovery services , Business Continuity , tape archive management and projectbased consultancy – and DB Systel UK receives remote support for day-to-day data centre management from Node4 ’ s operations and network teams .
“ DB Systel UK ’ s IS Operations team visited several data centre providers . We had a substantial evaluation process covering the key onsite facilities , including security , fire protection , CCTV and perimeter defences .
“ We also looked deeply into cultural alignment and concluded that Node4 had the same values and priorities as us ,” said Unwin . “ From day one , we had an unspoken agreement .
“ We ’ d always talk honestly and openly about our IT needs – and any issues on either side – to make sure there were no bottlenecks or potential issues that could be detrimental to our operations . Three years down the line and this policy continues to work extremely well for us – I have total trust in our Node4 account manager .”
Node4 also provides DB Systel UK with DDoS protection to mitigate against Distributed Denial of Service and phishing attacks – some of the biggest current cyberthreats faced by the business . The service delivers additional cybersecurity support and builds on the existing firewall protection . It monitors for attacks round the clock , ensuring minimal disruption to DB Systel UK ’ s IT services and securing against potential data loss .
The results
The benefits of Node4 ’ s managed data centre solution include reduced management overheads , improved profitability and increased resiliency .
It has enabled the company to successfully bid for more commercial work outside of the DB Group – generating more revenue and acting as a catalyst for growth .
Unwin notes that Node4 has also changed the way that DB Systel UK manages its data centre : “ Working with Node4 brought about a raft of positive changes and we ’ ve learned a lot from the team – particularly about data centre management and customer communications . We ’ ve always been used to walking into our data centre and carrying out upgrades and maintenance ourselves . But with Node4 , it ’ s all done by a team of remote hands – the company ’ s specially trained data centre and managed cabling experts that troubleshoot problems on our behalf and handle planned maintenance .
“ When COVID struck , we ’ d already got remote data centre management down to a fine art and were able to work seamlessly with Node4 ’ s remote hands to keep our operations up and running .
“ In fact , we ’ ve been so impressed by the way Node4 communicates with us ahead of any upgrades that we ’ ve actually adopted those processes and principles ourselves when talking to our customers .”
The solution also delivers on reliability . DB Systel UK ’ s data centres support traveller-facing technology and systems , including ticket sale machines and train service coordination – so they ’ re essential to revenue generation and customer experience . Outages can disrupt journeys , freight movement around the UK and mainland Europe and behind-the-scenes business processes .
“ Fortunately , we ’ ve never had a data centre outage or issue with Node4 , so it ’ s one less worry for me to have to think about – and it ’ s particularly appreciated as we couldn ’ t always say the same thing about our previous provider ,” said Unwin .
“ Node4 provides DB Systel UK with a highly stable platform – and is a very well-run organisation . This gives us great confidence on a day-to-day basis while also letting us develop a sustainable long-term IT strategy that benefits our customers and us .
“ We ’ re planning to take on more services from Node4 in the future – so watch this space to see how the project develops ,” Unwin said . ◊ www . intelligentdatacentres . com
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