SA Petroleum Refineries (SAPREF), jointly owned by Shell and BP, has in conjunction with Dimension Data, revamped its IT infrastructure as part of a R20 million project.
The implementation of advanced technology has benefited SAPREF by streamlining its business processes and accelerating productivity through the implementation of the latest hardware platforms and Microsoft`s Windows 2000/XP operating systems.
Dimension Data was selected to manage the migration because of its past association with SAPREF, its deep understanding of the petroleum company`s IT needs and its ability to design and implement a Microsoft solution to meet these specific needs.
"There was significant collaboration among the partners, all sharing a common vision and being aware of the complexities involved in the migration project. We had faith in Dimension Data`s ability to do the job," says Fred Turck, IT manager at SAPREF.
"Through the project, and with our three-year desktop recycle policy, we will not be requiring upgrades for the period, yet we are able to facilitate growth and implement new services. We now have in place a stable, cost-effective system to manage and a low maintenance platform."
A user survey conducted shortly after the migration showed that end-users were pleased with the look and feel of the new operating system.
Turck points out that the switchover to the new environment was seamless and without interruption, with response times for users showing considerable improvement.
"Desktop support calls have gone down, signifying that cost of support is lowered. In fact the overall TCO (total cost of ownership) has reduced significantly following the total revamp."
Commenting on the driving factors behind the project, Turck says the existing hardware platforms could no longer be relied on for the many mission-critical applications SAPREF runs. "In addition, the hardware took up too much floor space and was costly to maintain. Further, Microsoft support is more obtainable than it is for Unix - several sound reasons for change."
The revamp included migration from Intel and RISC hardware architecture to new Compaq technologies as well as moving from a Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server and Unix-based environment to a Windows 2000 Server platform.
For its 620 workstations and notebooks, SAPREF changed from a Microsoft Windows NT Workstation environment to a Microsoft Windows XP Professional desktop operating system.
It was the first implementation of its size of Windows 2000 Server and Windows XP Professional in the KwaZulu-Natal region.
The biggest challenge engineers faced was the migration of more than 180 proprietary applications to a Windows 2000 Terminal Server and Windows XP Professional environment.
It was achieved despite the short time frame. The only downtime experienced was the switchover to the new computer room, which was completed over a weekend.
Turck says the deadline was necessary as the three-year leased hardware contract was coming to an end and no extension to the period would be considered.
"The existing hardware was replaced with 24 Compaq Proliant servers connected to a 1.4TB Compaq Storage Works storage area network (SAN). The existing Dell desktops and laptops were replaced with 580 Dell Optiplex desktops and 40 Dell Latitude notebooks.
Dell equipment also replaced 10 obsolete DECnet terminals used to support SAPREF`s process control environment utilising Windows 2000 Terminal Server technologies.
Included in the hardware and software migration project, a complete new computer room was built with rack mounts to accommodate the servers. An environment-friendly fire-fighting system and revamped air-conditioning unit was also introduced.
Chris de Chasteauneuf, engineering manager at Dimension Data KZN, says intensive advance planning was undertaken well before the migration began. This included heightening security by moving all external links to third-parties to a "demilitarised" zone.
"We implemented Primer, Dimension Data`s integrated service used to design and deploy a networking solution. It makes use of specialist project management and best practise methodologies to ensure the project is completed within budget and agreed timeframes.
"During the implementation process, Primer identifies and minimises risks while milestones are defined and expectations set around them. On completion of the project, a baseline is produced and signed off by the customer to indicate the solution is working precisely according to pre-identified business requirements.
"This baseline is then used as the basis for future capacity planning," says De Chasteauneuf.
Michael Ziervogel, account manager at Dimension Data KZN, says one of the most essential elements in the Microsoft solution is the Active Directory component which automatically "self heals" and "rebuilds" applications if they encounter problems. It allows IT management to customise users` desktops and control what applications they are permitted to access and at what levels.
"Remote Installation Services, another Microsoft tool, was used for its ability to install programs on the desktops. Without user intervention, a single desktop running Windows XP can be populated within 30 minutes - a process that previously could take several hours by experienced technicians."
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Dimension Data Holdings plc (LSE: DDT) is a leading global technology services company. It specialises in providing IT solutions that enable businesses to operate seamlessly across application networks (the result of the convergence of two previous separate areas of IT: application integration and network infrastructure).
The group`s ability to offer expertise in networking, application integration and global managed services makes it uniquely positioned to deliver the IT solutions required by businesses to connect devices, information, applications, business processes, people and organisations.
Dimension Data, founded in 1983, had revenues of $2.5 billion in 2001 and operates in 30+ countries with over 9 500 employees.
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