With data backup becoming a more time-consuming and complex task, and storage capacity reaching its ceiling, Engen, one of South Africa`s leading petroleum companies, opted to install a storage area network (SAN) at its Durban refinery.
Designed and implemented by DNS Networking (KwaZulu-Natal), a JSE-listed Dimension Data Holdings subsidiary - the R 1,8 million SAN project effectively consolidated data previously held on individual file servers throughout Engen Refinery`s 1000 user local area network (LAN), and created a more functional, fully redundant system capable of meeting the plant`s stringent operational and disaster recovery standards.
Tiiu Excell, Engen Refinery`s IT co-ordinator, said the concept of a SAN was prompted by the advantages of centralised backup and storage - as opposed to Engen Refinery`s previous modular system - and a drive to optimise the use of existing assets.
"By opting for a SAN instead of replacing individual file servers and storage disks we were able to utilise the refinery`s existing servers, minus their disk drives, and link them to the SAN.
"In this way we were able to lengthen the life span of the refinery`s existing network infrastructure for what we believe will be another three to five years, at the same time giving ourselves a scalable solution capable of expanding to meet future storage demands.
"The centralised nature of the SAN allowed for tighter physical security as well as more simplified management," she said.
In tandem with the SAN upgrade, more than 200 outdated PCs in use at the plant were being converted to terminals, thereby also extended the life-span of the desktops.
Excell said the move was initiated by a comprehensive re-evaluation of Engen Refinery`s information technology (IT) infrastructure prior to last year`s Y2K upgrade, together with the need to meet the technology requirements of the refinery`s continuous 24x7 operation.
From a technical perspective, the SAN links five existing servers to a Compaq SAN fibre channel switch and two new, mirrored Compaq 8500 servers each featuring an 8-way processor and having a capacity of one Terabyte of storage. The second phase installation will include another eight servers being incorporated into the SAN.
This system supports the Honeywell Plant Historian System (PHD) and also runs the plant`s administrative and desk-top office applications. The Certain laboratory application is also linked to the system.
A separate fibre channel hub linked to a Compaq 891 tape backup unit provides additional support and redundancy.
DNS regional director, Jay Reddy, said the system, which is the first in South Africa to use the new Compaq 8500 server, is now recording disk accessing speeds of around 200 MBPS - a significant improvement from the previous 55 MBPS mark.
"This has resulted in Engen Refinery`s backup window being reduced from around 16 hours per day to just six hours. This has laid down a platform that is able to expand the SAN to include a data warehouse concept to give users instant access to archived information when this becomes a requirement.
Excell added that the partnership between DNS and Engen Refinery has strengthened over time and it has become more strategic in nature.
Currently DNS has three network technicians on site at the Refinery, which also uses the DNS managed private network (MPN) service in which the Engen Refinery network is managed and monitored at the DNS remote management centre (RMC) in Westville (Durban).
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