Finished:
October 2020
Category:
Technology
Client:
SyncForce
SyncForce replaces SAN and Hyper-V Cluster for Microsoft and DataON Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI)
SyncForce Product Succes Platform
Epic availability straight out of the box
SyncForce – founded in 1999 – is an out-of-the-box SaaS solution that supports product manufacturers worldwide in the rapid and successful marketing of private-label and branded products. SyncForce is a Product Success Platform for managing and improving portfolio management, product development and digital availability. Around the globe product manufacturers are able to provide epic availability with SyncForce. With the help of SyncForce, product information is available digitally at any stage, anywhere and in any form, both internally and externally.
“I had expected improvements by migrating to the DataOn solution, but that these improvements would be so significant exceeds my expectations. This is only due to the replacement of the cluster, because the underlying infrastructure has remained the same.” – Frank Verheggen, system administrator at Syncforce
SyncForce’s philosophy translates into a new infrastructure
SyncForce’s philosophy is based on making decisions with the best technology available at the time. This is often the more rigorous, but therefore, in terms of quality, by far the best approach. For example, SyncForce faced the challenge of replacing the SAN cluster because it was out of date. In contrast, the current Hyper-V cluster realized an up-time of above 99.9%. Due to the satisfactory performance of this cluster, which also needed to be replaced, the preferred solution was the Microsoft Hyper-V-based one. After researching the different options, SyncForce chose Storage Spaces Direct. Several suppliers had been approached to offer a suitable solution, but offered solutions that did not meet their expectations. During this research, the DataOn hyper-converged solutions came to light.
Being DataOn's Premium Partner in Europe, XCES became the official reseller for this project. Everything fell into place. The DataOn solution offered the desired scalability and speed and additionally, XCES was able to provide a more extensive and professional quote as a strategic supplier than SyncForce was used to receiving from other parties.
The DataON S2D-5000 solution for SyncForce
For software supplier, SyncForce, the starting point was the need for a complete solution with a focus on performance. Because the ‘Microsoft choice’ had already been made, they chose Storage Spaces Direct. Storage Spaces Direct's existing applications, such as Hyper-V, are compatible. In addition, Windows Admin Center makes it possible to manage all applications in one place.
The chosen solution consists of a hyper-converged cluster of 4 DataOn S2D-52512i servers with two Mellanox DNS2100 40GbE switches. A solution that requires no compromise whatsoever. The cluster is built up with knowledge of Microsoft best practices and long-time experience, resulting in a 20/80 distribution of the storage capacity for the SSD and HDD tier.
The installation by XCES
The installation was carried out by XCES in collaboration with Microsoft MVP, Darryl van der Peijl. After the installation it was tested extensively to ensure that the cluster would be delivered in optimum condition. Frank Verheggen says: “The collaboration with XCES was very pleasant and professional. Due to the installation, the extensive testing and the instructions that resulted from this, going live was a piece of cake.” The migration of the cluster has produced excellent results. For example, the uploading time of the SyncForce platform has decreased significantly and the start-up time of the application pool has been reduced from 4 minutes to 1.
A successful collaboration that contributes to the future
The Microsoft and DataOn solution contributes to greater user friendliness for SyncForce’s customers. They have noticed this with the optimized performance in uploading time. Daniëlle de Bruin – Marketing Communication: “With the SyncForce Product Success Platform, product manufacturers can manage all content and processes related to product development and commercialization in one, central platform. This means that SyncForce must have an infrastructure with epic availability. This is fulfilled by the hyper-converged solution provided by DataOn. “
