Improving business services through the use of a next generation converged infrastructure

Transformation project to provide improved business services through the use of a next generation converged infrastructure.

RNIB is a charity and membership body for blind people and those with sight problems. The organisation provides a range of support, advice and products to enable anyone affected by sight loss to remain independent. Fundraising represents the lifeblood of the RNIB and the organisation’s IT system plays a critical role in the awareness generation and delivery of its services.

RNIB had a legacy NetApp storage system and Dell servers which was having a negative impact on the organisation’s ability to deliver its services. A number of upgrades had been implemented over the years but the system was proving to be inefficient and costly to maintain, despite the manufacturers attempts to provide RNIB with solutions RNIB’s fundraising potential was dependant on the system’s ability to generate demographic data for targeted marketing campaigns, accurately and efficiently.

A SmartStack (www.smartstack.co.uk) next generation converged infrastructure solution consisting of Nimble Storage and Cisco UCS was deployed at two sites (Peterborough and London). The new platform provides active/active business critical services from a unified platform, with increased performance, reduced management, improved operational efficiency and with a single point of support escalation for the entire stack.

• Generating the insight data required for the RNIB’s fundraising campaigns now takes 4.5 hours compared to 12-15 hours for the previous IT system.
• Total Physical Space (including London and Peterborough sites) has reduced from 2 x 42u of rack space to 2 x 3u, a reduction in space of almost 93%.
• Reduced costs : Non disruptive capacity and performance upgrades are now an affordable option; Power consumption has been reduced by 80%; Outsourced professional IT services are no longer required for complex and time consuming configuration and upgrades of compute and storage; Increased data availability and improved DR and business continuity measures.
• Ease of use – RNIB’s own Infrastructure team are able to provide all maintenance in house.
• Portability – RNIB will be relocating their data centre infrastructure in the near future – the vastly simplified solution now makes this activity relatively pain free when compared to the previous multiple rack solution.