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Server Consolidation, VPN Solution Boosts Performance While Reducing Costs

A freight forwarder trucking company had a pair of older servers rapidly running out of space. The servers were unable to keep up with the growing demands of the office and the mail server database and were becoming expensive to maintain and expand. Cohn Consulting Corporation replaced the two servers with a single IBM e-Server xSeries server in a fault-tolerant configuration. The resulting network provides better performance and reliability. Replacing point-to-point links with a VPN framework has reduced telecommunications costs and provided secure remote access for the principles in the company.

The Challenge

The trucking company was running two Compaq Proliant servers, each with 18GB of data space. One server was running file and print services, while the second functioned as the company’s Exchange mail server. The server were both approaching capacity on the existing hard drives and additional drives could only be obtained through the surplus market – undesirable for boxes hosting two of the three mission critical functions. Demand for hard drive space was expected to jump as the company rolled out electronic tracking and moved to utilize email more significantly with their largest customers.

The company was also feeling the bite of point-to-point connections supporting their remote offices in Albany, Savannah, and Macon, Georgia.

The Solution

Cohn Consulting Corporation replaced the two Compaq servers with an IBM xSeries server, configured with a RAID-5 array to guard against drive failure. The Exchange server was migrated over to the new server as well as all existing file and print resources. Porting was done during business hours over a span of two days, resulting in no downtime for the operation.

NeoWare Capio 610 thin client appliances were installed at the dispatcher workstations, replacing older, high-maintenance PC’s. The Ethernet hubs were replaced with new 10/100 Ethernet switches.

A Sonicwall SOHO firewall/VPN appliance was installed at the headquarters office, and Sonicwall TELE firewall/VPN appliances have been rolled out to the Albany office and a new Chattanooga office. The firewalls are being rolled out to the remaining two offices as they are brought up on independent Internet connections. VPN tunnels replace the point-to-point connections as the offices are brought online.

The Result

The company now has a reliable, high-performance platform with plenty of growth room ahead of it. In addition:

  • The server is more responsive and the additional processing capability is being used to provide thin client terminal server sessions for the dispatchers.
  • The company can perform full system backups each night on the new tape unit.
  • The use of thin client appliances reduces marginal maintenance costs to zero.
  • The VPN links are providing the a higher level of service at a greatly reduced cost; the VPN capabilities of the main office have afforded the systems manager and the principles in the company the ability to securely access the company network from remote locations.

Contact Us for an appointment to discover how Cohn Consulting Corporation can Take Care of Your Computer so You Can Take Care of Your Business.
 
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