CASE STUDY Network Appliance’s NAS delivered by Fujitsu
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: more capacity and faster backups with new storage system »The snapshot backup solution from Fujitsu fits our needs. NetApp® technology has made it much faster and easier to back up data.« Markku Heikura, Senior Vice President, VTT
The challenge Increasing storage capacity – at VTT, research generates a lot of data to be stored, and the amount of data has grown rapidly. In practice, there is never enough disk space available. The situation required a marked improvement. Decreasing the back-up window – taking a full backup was too slow: it could be drawn out over an entire weekend. Restoring the data, when needed, was also time-consuming and laborious. Improving flexibility – the ability to expand the system in a flexible and cost-efficient manner is essential due to the increasing data. At the same time, VTT wanted to make it easier to alter the system when needed.
The solution VTT’s five-year-old storage system had grown too small. Performing a backup required a whole weekend, at worst. When looking for a new solution, VTT’s demands included sufficient capacity, sensible time window for backups, and improving availability. Fujitsu presented the NAS system based on Network Appliance’s technology as a solution to VTT. NetApp’s® snapshot technology convinced VTT with its functionality: backups can be made in an instant and, when necessary, restoring the data is just as quick. Snapshots can be taken non-stop, while the applications are in use. Furthermore, the technology saves disk space, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is the biggest multi-technological applied research organization in northern Europe. VTT provides high-end technology solutions and innovation services. VTT aids it customers and partners to create new products, production processes, and methods, as well as services – this way improving businesses’ international competitiveness and well-being in society. Further information at www.vtt.fi
which is in constant demand by the researchers of VTT. To ensure the data is always protected, VTT acquired two systems: the snapshots from the primary system are copied to the secondary system located in another building.
Solution components Primary storage system NetApp FAS 3040 with net disk
Customer benefits The disk space available to researchers can be increased
space of approximately 15 terabytes
Performing backups takes a fraction of the time
Secondary storage system NetApp FAS 2050 with net disk
used previously
space of approximately 25 terabytes
Restoring data is easier and much faster
Operating system NetApp Data ONTAP®
Availability of the system has risen
NetApp FlexClone® software
Easier to maintain and handle
Oracle databases
Quick generating of database copies
NetApp’s Snap software: Snapshot for taking snapshots,
Comfortable creating of a test environment
SnapRestore to restore them, SnapDrive for disk space
Improved security
provisioning, SnapVault for backing up changed data blocks only, and SnapMirror for replicating data
The project
A record of success
VTT does applied research, which accumulates vast amounts of data.
According to Senior VP Markku Heikura, the biggest benefit of the
During the past two years the organization’s need for disk space has
new system is the time-saving it affords. “Depending on the size of
tripled, and the pace is accelerating. For instance, if research projects
the database we save 3–5 hours of backup time per database.” The IT
measure the unevenness of road surfaces every 10 centimeters or
team does not have to spend its weekends making backups. Snapshots
follow how yeast grows in a bioreactor, the quantity of data to be
are quick to take, and the data can be restored in minutes, if neces-
stored is enormous. Disk space is also consumed increasingly by
sary. At best, the users can even restore the data themselves, which
the use of voice and pictures. As the previous storage system grew
speeds up the process. Snapshots make it also easier to make changes
too small, VTT studied the available solutions in depth. At this
like running patches. The system is easy to return to its previous
stage Fujitsu presented the NAS and NetApp’s snapshot technology
state if something unexpected happens. Since restoring is very fast,
as an alternative to SAN. After looking at NetApp solutions in use
the administrators have more time to test that the changes work
in the same branch, VTT was convinced that the NAS and snapshot
properly, and this again improves the system’s availability. Because
technologies were suitable for the research institute environment,
the disks are filled at a growing pace, it is important for VTT that
particularly with regard to the existing oracle databases. As a state
the system can be expanded in a flexible and cost-efficient manner.
institution, VTT selected its supplier from the list of companies that have an agreement with Hansel Ltd., the central procurement unit of the Finnish Government. Fujitsu delivered to VTT a redundant NetApp storage system; approximately 2,000 users’ home directories and project folders as well as Windows file servers were transferred to it in the first stage. In the second stage the database of VTT’s ERP was also moved to the system. In the new system,
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snapshots are taken of the disks every other hour. Once a week the snapshots are transferred to a backup system, and then placed on
(each call 14 ct/min.; the prices for calls made from mobile devices can vary from this rate)
tape in case of catastrophes.
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