Grupo Número 1 opts for DataCore in the process of digital transformation and modernisation of its storage structure, which supports more than 50 terabytes of data
The multinational DataCore Software presents to us one of its most recent success stories in Spain, with the company Grupo Número 1, in the large-scale implementation of its virtualisation system. In partnership with Cistec Technology, the company explains the process of implementation and migration to a storage virtualisation environment of approximately 50 Terabytes of data (across four nodes) at the company Grupo Número 1.
The challenge:
As regards the situation prior to the implementation of DataCore Software, Grupo Número 1 had a DataCenter at its offices in Tenerife which is currently being moved to Gran Canaria with a new structure using DataCore SANSymphony. Beginning with a new core infrastructure for its Retail software. The context and the strategy are to set up the whole new structure in its new Datacenter in Gran Canaria, which already has a new Datacenter with DataCore, leaving the old environment behind and working with the new one. Given the dispersion of the archipelago, and since Grupo Número 1 has the capacity to use transoceanic links that it is already using, it could come to consider asynchronous replication with Datacore.
Technological background of Grupo Número 1:
Grupo Número 1 had a traditional storage environment model with 100%
Dell arrays and servers, and has moved to a new virtualised environment using DataCore SANsymphony.
The company’s main needs as regards the expansion and virtualisation of storage were: to avoid
the bottleneck, to provide solutions for its data growth, to have a modern, virtualised storage environment
offering greater performance and reduced costs, as well as the DataCore solution of an efficient
backup system. Grupo Número 1 is a 100% Canarian family business in the midst of
digital transformation. DataCore has become an important player in this process.
Grupo Número 1 is a group of companies located in the Canary Archipelago with diversified activity across
different sectors such as retail, real estate and the provision of services. It is currently the
largest multi-franchisee in Spain, managing 9 brands and 5 commercial alliances across more than 150 points of sale. As a
franchisee, it represents the following brands: Eurekakids, Levi’s, Muy Mucho, Stradivarius, Timberland, Vans, among others.
As regards the second main line, Grupo Número 1 handles the asset management of 21 shopping centres,
some owned and others under management, also located in the Canary Islands.
The solution:
A server and storage virtualisation environment was installed with DataCore. A hardware refresh was carried out, expanding the structure, live and this time with a hyperconverged structure, again using
DataCore. On this occasion, however, as virtual machines, delivering service with very high performance and without service interruptions.
Cistec Technology’s analysis and objectives in the implementation:
CISTEC Technology needed to create a high-performance environment in which
the business continuity of Grupo Número 1 would be assured, with tight investment and roll-out timescales.
CISTEC Technology had to present a high-availability solution, which in this case has been the one offered by DataCore SANSymphony.
“DataCore Software provides us with differential value compared with the traditional technologies available on the market and a far simpler and more efficient implementation. It also offers high performance and truly competitive costs. The reception on the part of Grupo Número 1 is being excellent, thereby strengthening our relationship with both companies, both as a partner and as implementers of latest-generation technologies”, states Eduardo Luquin, Business Development at CISTEC Technology. “Cistec has met the initial expectations we had as regards the implementation and solutions. Thanks to their experience everything has been very quick and the migration has been carried out as we expected and with guarantees”, states José Antonio Domínguez Luis, Systems Manager at Grupo Número 1.
Results:
The benefits: scalability in terms of capacity, performance and functionality have been immediate for Grupo Número 1.
• In the first place, the data migration has involved no setbacks or great effort, facilitating the move to the new DataCenter in Gran Canaria, in a new environment virtualised with Datacore Software.
• DataCore SANsymphony has provided a very rapid deployment which also allows rapid changes to be made. Grupo Número 1 highlights the speed and the excellent timescales.
• The increase in performance has been evident, with an increase of more than 50% observed.
• With the use of Thin Provisioning, occupancy has been reduced and can be managed “on demand”.
• The system makes it possible to use low-cost storage for non-critical purposes and higher-cost storage for critical ones, allowing the administrator to select which type of technology to use depending on the project, adjusting the cost accordingly.
• Building on the previous point, DataCore implements “Auto Tiering” functionality, by which it manages the system so that information that is not intensively used is automatically moved to low-performance/low-cost storage while intensively used information is promoted to high-performance storage.
• With a strategic project on the horizon, the use of a technology such as the one we have implemented allows us to reduce the cost per desktop significantly, since with “Tiering” we can choose the performance/cost of the storage while with Thin Provisioning we achieve faster provisioning/deployment (only what is needed is used) and a lower cost per occupancy.
“My mission is to drive the digital transformation and growth of Grupo Número 1, through the implementation of innovative and efficient solutions that bring value to the business and to customers. In the current transformation process our company is going through, DataCore Software has become a very important player that has given us agility, security and performance, at a very advantageous cost for us”, states Eneko Ferrero Martín, CIO of Grupo Número 1.
