In this IT infrastructure migration case you will learn how a lack of documentation complicates the transition to cloud solutions, how SIM-Networks experts solved this issue and how our tech support specialists optimized the client’s resource usage.
IT infrastructure audit & migration – a case by SIM-Networks
What are the specifics of this cloud migration project?
By the time the project had started, the client already had a functioning IT infrastructure that consisted of a few servers, both physical and virtual. The company’s leadership had made the decision to migrate the IT resource into a European data center, preferably in Germany for data protection and business security. The IT department expected to retain flexibility in infrastructure management, get a high level of technical support and full assistance until the infrastructure migration to the cloud is done.
We encountered issues such as a lack of documentation or a reliable network topology map with the IP addresses of all nodes. These issues resulted from the changes made to the infrastructure overtime: new services were added and old ones were turned off. It was not surprising that not all of these changed were documented well and in time. When our experts were evaluating the difficulty of the project, the client’s employees could not definitively answer some of our technical questions.
The client fully entrusted SIM-Networks with migrating the infrastructure to the cloud. For this purpose, the client gave us a list of requirements and access codes for the existing resources. The client had plenty of data (a few drives, 230 Gb each); the migration had to be carried out covertly. The migration also had to be kept hidden from the client’s previous provider, per the list of requirements.
Client’s requirements:
- migrate the virtual machines and the physical servers to the cloud, each with a few drives (2 terminal servers and a cluster of 2 email servers, 1 virtual router)
- set up a network connection between the instances and set up VPN SSTP;
- create and set up a reserve copying mechanism using BaaS (Backup-as-a-Service).
The client's technical requirements
How did we solve the client’s tasks and optimize the infrastructure?
SIM-Networks specialists carried out an IT infrastructure audit before the start of the migration. The results of the audit allowed us to evaluate the difficulty of the project and prepare a detailed migration plan afterwards. The migration plan was presented to the client and approved.
Our team transferred the client’s virtual servers into the public SIM-Cloud with minimal effect on the client’s functioning services. The drives were adapted, the data was converted into the necessary format and virtio drivers for working in the cloud were installed. Virtual instances were created and set up to replace the client’s physical servers.
Cloud infrastructure solution developed by SIM-Networks
Our tech support specialists were able to detect and optimize resources that were not being used rationally. We distributed the workloads between CPU cores and RAM blocks to improve the performance of the infrastructure and eliminate expenses on unused cores and gigabytes.
We deployed and set up a Mikrotik virtual router and recreated user access rights. Our specialists set up VPN SSTP and solved issues regarding the transfer of the client’s existing domains. We also advised the client on reissuing SSL certificates.
Reserve copying was organized using the ready-made BaaS service. We determined the necessary storage depth (the optimal number of recovery points in case of a malfunction) for the backup service and explained the basics of BaaS management to the client’s employees.
What did the client think of SIM-Networks’ work?
The client was satisfied with the way the project was carried out, as well as the end result. The infrastructure was transferred to SIM-Cloud, a public cloud infrastructure based on the equipment of a certified data center in Germany. The data center provides reliable physical & legal data protection due to German law and a number of technical measures (access control, redundant power supply, remote storage, cooling and ventilation systems, fire prevention etc.).
The entire project was carried out by SIM-Networks’ in-house specialists. The client’s employees did not have to migrate the services themselves; instead, the process was organized by experienced specialists who are familiar with such projects and who know the specifics of the cloud platform. This way, the client saved time and money while quickly getting the desired result – a safe and reliable IT infrastructure in the cloud.
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