Redundant server cluster for a large company in the consulting industry

Learn about how SIM-Networks engineers created a high-availability cluster for a consulting company that specializes in legal, informational and service support.

What were the customer’s main requirements?

The company works with large volumes of data, which is why the client’s main requirement was high availability and uptime for the server infrastructure. The client has already had a negative experience with a low-cost provider. This experience included constant issues, frequent downtime and a lack of flexibility, which had a negative impact on the business. The client decided to delegate server cluster architecture planning to SIM-Networks engineers.

Customer’s requirements:

• set up a high-availability cluster to organize dynamic load balancing;
• organize an internal LAN networks with bandwidth of 10 Gbit/s
• connect the cluster to WAN with bandwidth of 1 Gbit/s.

How did SIM-Networks engineers implement the project?

We designed the cluster based on the expected workloads and the bandwidth requirements. The cluster is based on 4 Enterprise-class dedicated servers:

• 2 Intel Xeon E5-2620 V4 2100 MHz 20 M Cache 8 Core CPUs;
• 8 HDD/SSD slots;
• 2 power units;
• 256 Gb RAM;
• 4 SSD drives, 2 TB each;
• 2 10 Gbit/s ports;
• 2 1 Gbit/s ports;
• 1 IPMI remote control port.

Cluster solution proposed by SIM-Networks engineers

We deployed the necessary number of virtual machines using VMware ESXi. Each user got access to the data storage system. The servers in the cluster function as a redundant resource pool. The local network of the cluster uses two Netgear 10 Gbit 12-port commutators. Two HP 1 Gbit 24-port commutators are used for network control. We used a specialized router solution by Cisco to set up a firewall. The IT infrastructure was created and deployed in a data center in Germany in 5 business days.

How did dedicated server hosting solve the client’s issues?

The client’s IT infrastructure is now stable and effective due to server clustering. The autonomous VMware ESXi hypervisor provides high performance for the virtual machines in the cluster. IT infrastructure management is now the responsibility of SIM-Networks employees; the client’s staff can now focus on main business goals.

The client’s company spends less on IT due to the fact that all server and network equipment is stored in a remote data center in Germany; all costs related to supporting the infrastructure are the responsibility of SIM-Networks. The physical security measures and German laws guarantee that the client’s data is safe from intrusions.

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