Algoma Steel Inc
Steelmaker Fortifies its IT Environment by Standardizing on Microsoft-Based Technology
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Company Overview
Founded in 1901, Algoma Steel Inc. has a long, proud history as a trailblazer in the steel industry. However, when it came to its IT environment, the steelmaker needed a refresh to keep pace with the times. Algoma’s legacy IT architecture consisted of Microsoft® Windows NT® 4.0 operating system and an IBM eServer zSeries 800/2066 mainframe, which lacked the requirements to support its pending large-scale ERP implementation. Adding to that, poor connectivity and frequent system shut downs were taking a toll on productivity and data security at the company..
Business Challenge
“We were having some reliability issues with our older infrastructure, but we previously didn’t have the IT budget to replace it. We lacked a complete view of our system and spent a lot of time dealing with network issues when the system would go down. We realized it was time to invest in significant improvements,” says Gary Disano, Manager of Information Systems operations Infrastructure at Algoma Steel. The e-mail system was also in need of an upgrade. The steel producer used an aging IBM PROFS e-mail application, along with different flavours of clients using Microsoft Outlook® Express. The patchwork of applications left Algoma Steel vulnerable to compatibility issues with more modern applications.
“It was difficult to administer our different e-mail clients and we did not have a complete view of our e-mail and messaging infrastructure. Our PROFS e-mail program was also so outdated, we couldn’t open PDF attachments. It got to the point where IT no longer helped our business – it only hindered it,” explains Michel Bond, Director of Information Systems and Business Process Improvements at Algoma Steel.
As well, employees lacked the convenience of accessing e-mail remotely. In the fast-paced world of steel production, shop floor employees need to keep abreast of changes throughout the day, and many of these updates are communicated via e-mail. Employees share a communal PC on the shop floor to check their PROFS accounts. However, the employees felt the outdated “green screen” e-mail application was difficult to learn, cumbersome to use, and inconvenient.
“Fundamental features that seem so obvious within calendaring, meeting room bookings or contact management – were not available in PROFS. In addition, PROFS did not offer remote access. So even if employees had PCs at home, they couldn’t use them to check their work e-mail, which was inconvenient,” says Matthew Boissineau, Software Designer of operations infrastructure at Algoma Steel.
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Solution
By 2004, Algoma Steel was actively seeking advice and proposals from various solution providers to help them standardize on Microsoft-based technologies. That December, the steelmaker turned to Dell Canada to identify the issues and risks involved with an IT revamp. After conducting a readiness assessment, Dell brought in Microsoft Certified Gold Partner Buchanan Associates to design and implement a plan to migrate users to a new Microsoft-based environment.
“This was a big upgrade for Algoma. Our goal was to standardize on one platform and provide SAN disk storage to accommodate a new infrastructure and the capacity for future growth. This would help improve the security and reliability of their system and enable Algoma to add new management tools as necessary – something the older infrastructure did not allow them to do,” says Alan Brooks, senior solution architect, Dell Professional Services.
Since beginning the upgrade, the steelmaker has migrated 2,400 of its 3,000 users to Windows Server® 2003 Service Pack (SP1) operating system with Active Directory® directory service, and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 – Microsoft’s messaging and collaboration software with plans to migrate the remaining 600 users before the end of 2006. The system runs on Dell/EMC CX500 storage system hardware.
Active Directory helps Algoma Steel’s IT staff to better manage the identities and relationships within the network. The company also installed Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 to help enable the delivery of software and updates to users.
“Algoma Steel is really excited about how it can use Microsoft-based tools to customize and automate server administration, and identity and access management. It will help them operate much more efficiently and help improve security,” says Josh Shortt, senior infrastructure consultant, Buchanan Associates.
Business Benefits
Since standardizing on the Windows®-based platform, Algoma Steel has virtually eliminated system downtime and integration issues, and improved the user experience.
Iron-clad reliability
Algoma Steel’s aging mainframe system was not robust enough to support its ERP implementation. The company suffered regular system outages which drained IT resources and lowered productivity. Now, the steelmaker has enhanced environment in Windows Server 2003, which features Microsoft Clustering Services (MSCS) to help balance server workload and improve availability.
“With the new IT infrastructure, not only is it much easier to locate problems, we have virtually eliminated all of our previous connectivity issues. We have stability now like we have never experienced in the past, not even in our mainframe. Since we no longer need to devote as many resources to IT maintenance, we can focus those resources on building up other areas of the business,” says Dave Tammi, Technical Specialist, Information Systems & Business Process Improvement at Algoma Steel.
E-mail on demand
With Exchange Server 2003, Algoma Steel has finally brought its e-mail system into the 21st century. Exchange Server 2003 is enabling employees to easily send and receive e-mail across the organization, helping them be more productive. Specific tools available in Exchange Server 2003, such as the Exchange Best Practices Analyser, have helped IT staff spot potential problems in the configuration of Exchange before they became an issue.
“Since moving to Exchange Server 2003, our e-mail problems have all but disappeared. For users, Microsoft Outlook lets us set up meetings easily, and send out agendas in advance so that people can decide whether the meeting requires their attendance. Workers also find Outlook 2003 so much easier to use – the user interface was a welcome change from those old ‘green screens’,” says Bond.
As well, the steel producer’s mobile workers now have access to Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA) 2003, from virtually anywhere they want to work. “In the past, workers could only access e-mail from a single PC console kept on the shop floor. With OWA, they can check their e-mail and schedules from wherever they have an Internet connection,” says Boissineau.
Forging Greater IT security
Tools available in Windows Server 2003 SP1 and Active Directory enable Algoma Steel to administer the directory more efficiently, and help keep business information accessible. For example, Distributed File System (DFS) tools allow staff to migrate corporate shared files and folders to the new file server cluster and SAN, which was impossible on the company’s legacy system.
“Not only is the information we use more readily accessible, but with Microsoft Clustering Services we can now apply security patches on the fly whenever necessary,” says Tammi. “Active Directory allows us to create a security model based on local and global security groups that are only available in Native Mode in Active Directory 2003. This provides us with greater control over network activity and access, and a complete view of the system.”
Scalability for the future
With a more robust infrastructure and network in place, Algoma Steel is now in the position to focus on adding new tools to its repertoire. Currently the steelmaker is in the production stages of deploying Windows Server 2003 R2 for greater storage, identity and access management. Algoma is also evaluating Quest Storage Suite for Windows, which will aid in the clean-up efforts following its recent file server migration by performing storage assessment and managing data consolidation.
“We can consider deploying a number of new tools to help enhance business performance that just wouldn’t work on our older server operating system. Windows Server 2003 is a scalable solution that will grow with us as we continue the long-term evolution of our IT infrastructure,” says Disano.
The Microsoft Windows Server 2003 family helps organizations do more with less. Now you can: Run your IT infrastructure more efficiently; Build better applications faster; Deliver the best infrastructure for enhancing user productivity. And you can do all this faster, more securely, and at lower cost.
For more information about Windows Server 2003, please visit:www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003
For More Information
For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to: www.microsoft.com
For more information about Buchanan Associates products and services, call (888) 730-2774 or visit the Web site at: www.buchanan.com
For more information about Algoma Steel products and services, call (705) 945-2351 or visit the Web site at: www.algoma.com
