To achieve redundancy in its data center, Roche decided to implement two NetApp V Series storage arrays (model V3240) to support its entire virtual machine environment. They took advantage of the storage upgrade to also transform their network technology, moving to a 10 GbE network to support their entire VMware environment over NFS.
The NetApp partner that led the implementation project was Bull.
Among the NetApp solutions they are leveraging, the use of deduplication to save storage space and SnapMirror to replicate volumes from one data center to another stands out, ensuring data is available as quickly as possible in case of a contingency. They also use SnapManager to integrate storage array backups into the VMware virtual environment. In the future, they plan to install new features such as SnapVault to store long-term backups on less critical, lower-cost systems, as well as virtualize existing storage arrays to utilize their existing storage capacity.
In one year of operation, NetApp solutions have provided them with various advantages, from the functionality to publish to the file server via CIFS, to efficient backup management and ease of file management. “Users can restore lost files or handle any other management needs of this type themselves. Furthermore, the Vfiler utility allows us to enjoy an automatic high-availability system in the file server environment,” explains Bernat Hosta Rovira, Director of Telecommunications Engineering and IT Systems at Roche.
