Case Study: Texas School District learns why Netsync is the Top Technology Provider
Netsync builds an affordable technology solution that delivers enhanced levels of education to students
Data storage isn’t what it used to be. What was once little more than a repository for 1’s and 0’s has transformed to become a driving force behind gaining a competitive edge. Today, stored data needs to be easily accessible to help accelerate informed business decisions, create better user experiences and implement higher levels of fraud protection and security. It needs to be a game-changer.
A large Texas school district encompassing a dozen schools educating almost 10,000 students needed far more than an update to its data storage strategy. It needed a way to easily access the terabytes of data it collected and stored on a regular basis. It needed enhanced levels of security and protection. It needed a storage solution. It needed Netsync.
The technology leader for schools, colleges and universities
For over 15 years, hundreds of Texas school districts have turned to Netsync for technology solutions that have digitally transformed their organization and infrastructure. Whether it’s for data center modernization, IoT, mobility, security, managed services, or other innovative solutions, Netsync’s SLED clients all come to understand why they are the leading IT solutions provider in their industry.
Netsync’s SLED clients all come to understand why they are the leading IT solutions provider in their industry.
After interviews with the district’s IT team and key stakeholders to fully understand their existing infrastructure and desired, future results, Netsync’s team of networking professionals architected a solution that would incorporate appliances from longtime partner NetApp. Founded in 1992, NetApp is a hybrid cloud data services and data management company that provides services for the management of applications and data across cloud and on-premises environments.
NetApp―a global leader in primary storage
Netsync’s networking professionals collected data from the customer’s existing storage system to create a NetApp MetroCluster, which allows for synchronous mirroring between the district’s 2 data centers. The MetroCluster provides high availability and disaster recovery, and mirrors the district’s new NetApp A300 solid-state storage systems. The NetApp A-Series storage systems deliver the industry’s highest performance, provide superior flexibility, and deliver best-in-class data services and cloud integration to help customers manage business- and mission-critical data in the cloud.
To further support the district’s cloud usage, Netsync deployed NetApp FAS 2620 Hybrid storage appliances at each data center, which provides best-in-class data management and cloud integration. The NetApp FAS 2626 simplifies the task of managing growth and complexity by delivering high performance and industry-leading cloud integration. It supports a broad range of workloads and seamlessly scales to address performance and capacity fluctuations.
At both data centers, Netsync deployed NetApp E-Series 2800 storage systems to address the district’s wide range of storage requirements. The NetApp E-Series 2800 storage systems are perfect for handling applications related to large sequential I/O for video, analytics, and data backup.
Netsync collected and analyzed data required to integrate the district’s new storage solution into its existing VMware virtual server and virtual desktop environment. In addition, Netsync deployed and configured backup and recovery software from Unitrends, which provides deep storage integration for the district’s NetApp appliances. Unitrends includes support for Network Data Management (NDMP), which is used to control data backup and recovery communications between primary and secondary storage.
Orchestrated and implemented by the industry’s best and brightest
The entire project was engineered by Netsync’s project management team, a talented group of professionals who ensured every aspect of the solution was thoroughly tested and validated prior to deployment. As always, they utilized standard and proven Project Management Institute (PMI) processes and methodologies.
Netsync received all equipment at its staging and logistics facility, then loaded configurations, conducted burn-in testing, tagged each device and provided a detailed, up-to-the-minute inventory to the school district. Once all NetApp storage devices had been delivered on-site, Netsync’s tenured, highly experienced field technicians installed the equipment and thoroughly tested the entire solution to ensure it was delivering the results the district eagerly anticipated.
Faster, Scalable, and more Reliable and Powerful
The customer now enjoys what so many of its peer school districts have for 15 years—an affordable technology solution that helps them deliver enhanced levels of education to their students.
