Storage Case Studies
These case studies highlight Microsoft storage technologies, including iSCSI, multipathing for high availability, as well as, Microsoft storage platforms, such as Windows Storage Server, a NAS (network attached storage) solution. To view additional case studies by product, technology, industry, or business solution, use the Microsoft Case Study Finder.
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 | Featured Case Study |
| Windows Server 2003 |
| Windows Storage Server |
| Windows Server Storage Area Network (SAN) |
| Windows Powered NAS |
Featured Case Study
Schenck Business Solutions
Schenck Business Solutions, the 25th largest CPA firm in the US, needed to simplify their complex storage networking solution and do so within budget constraints. Heavily invested Windows applications, they used Windows Server 2003 to provide storage technologies like multipathing and shadow copies. Using Microsoft’s iSCSI capabilities in combination with an EqualLogic storage array, they were able to move to a simpler storage solution.
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Windows Server 2003
Joyce Meyer Ministries
Now a global organization serving millions, Joyce Meyer Ministries has undergone explosive growth, conducting as many as 50,000 business transactions each day. After the company’s original SAN solution proved inflexible and costly, they switched to a Windows Server 2003 and Xiotech SAN solution. Soon after they were able to realize numerous benefits, including improved manageability, faster performance, better productivity and increased scalability.
Royal Appliance
Royal Appliance wanted to explore less time-consuming and costly ways of adding storage to its Fibre Channel storage area network (SAN). LeftHand Networks IP SAN, in combination with Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003, provided the solution.
SDC Udvikling A/S
With several Fibre Channel-based SANs operational, SCD found their storage solution difficult to manage and expensive. After intensive testing of Fibre Channel and IP SAN options, SDC chose to implement the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating system with Microsoft Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) architecture using EqualLogic storage arrays.
Thomas Weisel Partners
Investment Bank Cuts Costs, Simplifies Data Storage with Utility Storage and Multipath Input/Output Solution.
Windows Storage Server
Juris Prudence
Read how Dell™ PowerVault™ NX1950 integrated network attached storage (NAS) system and a PowerVault MD3000 modular disk storage subsystem increased capacity, improved read/write performance, and capitalized on the flexibility of iSCSI-enabled application storage.
The Los Angeles Film School
Read how Dell Infrastructure Consulting Services and Dell Deployment Services helped the school’s IT group design and implement an integrated IT solution, including Dell PowerEdge™ servers and a Dell PowerVault storage system, all within a tight deployment time frame.
Selection.com
Read how Selection.com deployed Dell PowerVault NAS systems to create a mirrored storage environment with unified application and file data, and installed Dell PowerEdge servers to build a virtualized server environment.
St. John's Episcopal Parish Day School
Read how the HP StorageWorks 400 All-in-One Storage System (AiO400) centralized and simplified storage management for the school.
Zenith Marketing Group
Read how Zenith installed the HP StorageWorks 600 All-in-One Storage System (AiO600) - the first step in a long-range storage upgrade, which included a second AiO600 and replication to a disaster-recovery site.
Ajinomoto System Techno Corporation
Ever-increasing demands of e-commerce, Internet-related businesses, and developments in broadband have caused the volume of data that businesses must store and manage to increase at a soaring rate. Data storage requirements for Ajinomoto System Techno Corporation are no exception. In order to cope with rising amounts of data among increasing numbers of business users, Ajinomoto implemented Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003 with NEC Corporation's iStorage NS Series network attached storage (NAS) appliances as its data storage and management solution.
Atkins Denmark
Atkins Denmark, a subsidiary of British consulting firm Atkins, decided to implement a centralised storage solution that would replicate data from each branch to its head office in Copenhagen. Administrators can now manage storage for each office from a single location, decreasing administration time and creating a more reliable backup and restore environment.
Copenhagen City Council Server Migration Cuts Data Recovery Time from Days to Minutes
City of Copenhagen Council delivers local authority services to 500,000 people in the Danish capital and is the country's biggest employer. The council needed to replace its ageing Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 infrastructure with a cost-efficient solution that would help reduce system administration time and reduce the risk of lost data. Working in cooperation with HP and Microsoft, COM-IT implemented new hardware running Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003 with Active Directory. Not only has the city council saved money and continued its relationship with HP and Microsoft, but administrators now carry out backups automatically from a central location. Update management is also done remotely without human intervention, with accidentally lost data recovered in minutes rather than days.
Konica Minolta
After the merger of these two leading imaging companies, Konica Minolta required a storage networking solution that offered both the advantages of decentralized storage and those of integrated, centrally managed applications.
Meijer, Inc.
In 70 years, Meijer Inc. has grown from a Depression-era corner grocery store in to one of the largest privately-held companies today. Its long-term competitiveness hinges on cost control and efficiency. The company's retail information technology (IT) systems must support these goals. Over time, Meijer realized that it was extremely costly and ineffective to support and upgrade multiple configurations on its more than 150 distributed file servers, which are spread over numerous company locations. By migrating to an HP network-attached storage/storage area network (NAS-SAN) combination running Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003, Meijer is able to define IT standards and consolidate its file and print services and storage infrastructure.
Microsoft Internal Internet Service Provider
The Microsoft Internal Provider provides ISP services to internal clients. To rapidly accommodate increased usage, Microsoft Internal Provider found it necessary to add storage to existing servers or acquire more servers. Such an approach created additional management complexity and didn't provide the long term solutions they were looking for. To achieve greater scalability and manageability, Microsoft Internal Provider wanted to move to a model where Web server content could be consolidated into a centralized storage solution. They explored the possibility of a storage area network (SAN), but instead chose the Windows Storage Server 2003 solution because it offered a cost effective solution that was scalable, convenient to manage, and integrated easily with their existing infrastructure.
United States Army Reserve, the 108th Division
A training unit of the United States Army Reserve, the 108th Division strives to provide its reservists with the information they need, when they need it. To ensure that it continues to do exactly that, the 108th became an early Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003 customer. With Windows Storage Server 2003 powering the Division’s new INLINE FileStorm NAS devices, the 108th is consolidating servers from 23 separate locations into eight data centers, and increasing its storage capacity to 2.9 terabytes. Server consolidation is providing the 108th with the centralized administration and file recovery capabilities it needs, while reduced travel time for system managers, together with advanced management functions, is making administration of the servers easier and more efficient.
Wells' Dairy
For more than 90 years, Wells' Dairy has been a leader in the manufacture and sale of ice cream, frozen novelties, and dairy products. To stay ahead of the competition, company managers sought to employ cutting-edge technology. The company's management consolidated its current file server and upgraded its file and print cluster. Wells' Dairy selected a solution based on the Microsoft Windows Server System, with Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003 powering EMC NetWin 200 storage devices. The solution is cost efficiencient, capitalizes on existing server assets, and helps Wells' Dairy meet its availability and reliability requirements. It also improves the company's reporting capabilities for more effective information management.
Windows Server Storage Area Network (SAN)
Mesirow Financial
This case study documents the implementation of Windows Server 2003 R2 at Mesirow Financial in Chicago, Illinois. The white paper will provide a summarized history of the firms involved in this project (specifically Mesirow Financial and EqualLogic®), and an overview of the key features in Windows Server 2003 R2 that will be utilized by Mesirow to address their current storage management challenges.
Windows Powered NAS
AGFA Corporation
Agfa chose a Windows Powered NAS solution for its seamless interoperability in a heterogeneous environment.
Continental Airlines
Continental needed to add more network storage capacity to accommodate its growing volume of user files and data stored on the network. By deploying Compaq TaskSmart N2400 NAS appliances powered by Windows, Continental gained high availability, doubled its storage space, reduced the number of servers, and reduced IT management costs.
Draft
Real-time backup and automatic failover capabilities are virtually eliminating downtime and data loss for Draft, ensuring availability and reliability for 24x7 business operations.
East Antrim Institute
East Antrim Institute replaced a Linux-based storage solution with a Windows Powered NAS from FMS (NI) Ltd. for its ability to integrate seamlessly with the existing Active Directory-based infrastructure and lower TCO through ease of management and lower training costs.
Kaweah Delta Health Care District
To add storage, the district initially tried out a few Linux-based Snap Servers before deciding to migrate its entire jukebox storage system to Windows Powered Iomega NAS servers. The Iomega NAS servers provide hot-swappable disks for increased reliability and integrate seamlessly with the district's existing infrastructure for easier management. The lower purchase and maintenance costs for the Windows Powered Iomega NAS lowered storage costs by 30 percent.
Mimco, Inc.
Mimco chose Windows Powered Iomega NAS P400m servers for ease of management and setup, high performance, and seamless support for both the Windows and Novell platforms. By expediting backup and restore of key files, the Windows Powered Iomega NAS solution reduces user downtime and IT administration.
Nippon Phosphoric Acid
With Windows Powered NAS, Nippon Phosphoric Acid Co., Ltd., was able to organize their data management and reduce their Total Cost of Ownership.
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chose a Windows Powered NAS system to provide crime investigators with more efficient, secure access to crime scene images; reduce labor requirements; and protect original negatives from damage or loss.
RedDotNet's
RedDotNet's Multimedia Merchandising System is the first of its kind in the industry, enabling brick-and-mortar music and multimedia retailers like Barnes & Noble to improve their customers' shopping experience, while gaining valuable market & merchandise research data at the same time.
Scottish Provincial Press Ltd.
To provide its reporters, designers, and production staff with a high-performance storage solution that supports the Mac OS 9 Sherlock searching capabilities, Scottish Provincial Press replaced a Linux-based NAS solution with Windows Powered Iomega NAS devices. The Iomega NAS devices integrate seamlessly with SPP's Macintosh publishing environment, deliver round-the-clock availability, require minimal management time, and keep corrupted graphics files from bringing down the servers and network-connected desktop machines. The increased reliability has enabled the editorial staff to move deadlines closer to publication dates to ensure more timely news content.
Slovenia's National and University Library
NUL uses this solution to consolidate and streamline enterprise storage, help preserve historical manuscripts and make rare documents more accessible.
Texas Children's Cancer Center's (TCCC)
HP StorageWorks NAS B3000 provided TCCC with exceptional storage capacity while simplifying installation, file-sharing and data-consolidation activities.
VP Buildings
VP Buildings needed an affordable, easy-to-deploy, and easy-to-manage storage solution for building drawing files that would also provide designers and engineers at each of its manufacturing facilities with quick access to those files. After extensive testing, the company chose Windows Powered Iomega NAS P400m servers. As it deploys these servers in all of its manufacturing sites, VP Buildings expects to build revenue through increased uptime and reduce its total cost of ownership.