DataCore Software, the leading provider of storage virtualization SAN
software, today announced that JMR Construction Corp. has become a
DataCore SANmelody customer courtesy of DataCore partner Integral
Networks. VMware and DataCore serve as a way forward for the DataCore
partner and customer alike. The combination provides a cost effective
alternative that made it practical for JMR to save by not having to
invest in additional, physical servers.
JMR Construction is a longstanding customer of DataCore partner Integral
Networks. Integral set up JMR with its first server to run their
terminal-based system six years ago. The IT model at JMR was to leverage
terminal services for application delivery by providing secure, remote
access to all of their employees out in the field. Simply put, the IT
team wanted to be out of the business of worrying about individual
machine configurations. The overall goal was to have all employees able
to collaborate and access applications from wherever they were located
through centralized, terminal server systems. As JMR grew, Integral
Networks was faced with the problem that the IT environment at JMR was
getting increasingly complex. For Integral Networks, as JMR’s
IT solutions provider, trying to accommodate that environment was
fraught with hurdles. Integral Networks saw firsthand that JMR did not
have the physical space, the necessary power, nor the air-conditioning
required to cope with a growing glut of servers.
DataCore and VMware Deliver Immediate Value
“We needed a different approach to deal with
growth and we are pleased with the virtualization results we have seen
from using DataCore and VMware,” commented Ron
Rivard, vice president, JMR Construction Corp. “Not
only did we save by not having to invest in more hardware, but we did
not have to worry about how we were going to deal with the expense and
logistics of computer room space, the costs of cooling and the growing
power requirements. DataCore and VMware increased productivity by making
a small number of servers and storage devices do the job that took many
to do – making it much more feasible than the
alternative, hardware-centric approach.”
“JMR was overwhelmed by a glut of servers and
it was at that point that we said ‘enough is
enough’,” said Bryan
Badger, senior systems engineer, Integral Networks. “If
they went the physical server route that would just mean adding to the
problems and not really addressing their long term needs. They did not
have the space, nor the power and cooling for more systems and after
looking into it, we knew that would be far too expensive to implement.
However, when we scoped out what was needed to go virtual with two
VMware ESX hosts and DataCore SANmelody, we saw a solution that could
deliver services, grow with their needs and deliver immediate value –
in terms of lower upfront costs; in terms of what we was saved in
operational costs and maintenance fees; as well as what would be gained
by staff productivity from the ease-of-use and overall manageability.”
The Way Forward: A Virtual Foundation
Integral Networks evaluated the situation and chose the virtual path for
its customer, installing two VMware ESX servers at JMR and virtualizing
and consolidating all of JMR’s existing
servers. “Instead of having twelve physical
servers, JMR now has two physical servers that are part of a complete
virtual infrastructure supporting twelve virtual machines,”
explained Badger. “In addition, there are
other physical servers that are part of the overall environment. JMR is
using SANmelody as the back-end storage infrastructure for all systems.
The system virtualizes their storage, utilizes iSCSI connectivity in
order to network and deliver storage resources, provides data
protection, and enables the shared storage foundation needed to both run
and to get the most out of VMotion and VMware.”
JMR Construction focuses primary on construction projects contracted by
the federal government. The company is a small-to-midsize enterprise
employing about 40 people directly. “Integral
Networks maintains our entire infrastructure, upon which we run our
business,” explained Rivard. “Our
employees access the computer systems almost 24/7 and Integral Networks
are the ones that make sure it stays up and running, that we stay up on
the latest technology and that we are able to use the latest technology
effectively – like we have done with
virtualization. Any problems our users have on a daily basis are
addressed and our partner ensures that all of our security needs are
covered.”
Integral Networks is also deploying an additional SANmelody solution for
JMR that will reside offsite at Integral’s
data center and utilize DataCore’s
asynchronous mirrors over IP connections to replicate data between JMR’s
primary office in Folsom, California, and Integral’s
office in Sacramento. This site will serve as a secondary site, whereby
JMR will not only have disaster recovery capability but also offsite
back-ups. “The price point, the ease-of-use
and ease-of-configuration of SANmelody is truly awesome,”
concluded Badger. “We are not just a DataCore
partner. We are a SANmelody user ourselves –
using it extensively in our own data center. I have looked at other
storage virtualization products and as far as I am concerned they just
do not compare to DataCore.”
About JMR Construction Corp.
JMR Construction Corp. is a woman-owned, SBA certified 8(a) construction
company serving both public and private customers in the western United
States. JMR employs over 40 professionals and tradesmen with diverse
backgrounds in all phases of construction. Offices are located in
California and Nevada. JMR has the ability and proven experience to
self-perform a wide variety of projects, provide design and construction
management utilizing pre-qualified sub-contractors, or offer a
combination of both capabilities. For more information, go to www.jmrcc.com.
About Integral Networks
Integral Networks, Inc. is a Total Network Consulting, IT
Management/Outsourcing and Computer Service company that provides
organizations nationwide “stabilization”
within their IT systems through managed services, virtualization
services, terminal services, as well as data center co-location. The
company does this by offering a real time, proactive approach to
maintaining the entire infrastructure. Services delivered include:
Network/Computer Repair, Managed Services, Data Backup & Recovery,
Helpdesk & Onsite Support, and more. For more information, visit www.inetinc.net.
About DataCore Software
DataCore Software, the leading provider of storage virtualization SAN
software, fundamentally changes the economics of managing storage with
innovative software that combines advanced functions and services with
the agility and savings of hardware independence. DataCore lowers the
cost and complexity of IT by making storage efficient, fast, flexible,
fail-safe and virtual. DataCore's portable storage server software
simplifies and automates capacity expansion and centralizes storage
management for Windows, UNIX, Linux, MacOS, NetWare, VMware and other
leading open system and virtual server platforms. DataCore is privately
held and its corporate headquarters are in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. For
more information, call (877) 780-5111 or visit www.datacore.com.
DataCore, the DataCore logo and SANmelody are trademarks or
registered trademarks of DataCore Software Corporation. Other DataCore
product or service names or logos referenced herein are trademarks of
DataCore Software Corporation. All other products, services and company
names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
