The challenge
- A large UK-based container port with database performance and data security concerns
- Their Oracle and AIX database infrastructure was seriously affecting business operations, reducing productivity and causing costly hold-ups, with frequent critical database outages
- They needed a robust, quick-functioning database environment to improve operations, and an effective disaster recovery strategy to ensure business continuity
The solution
We began by evaluating the system performance and identifying problem areas within the infrastructure, finding a lack of operating system and database management to be the main issue, alongside some errors within the application code. Initially, to create a stabilised environment, we patched the operating system and tuned the Oracle database to improve functionality.
We then stepped in to work in conjunction with the client’s application vendor to resolve application coding issues, and identified a further need to implement measures to eliminate the risk of entire data loss due to a reliance on a single-site AIX High Availability Cluster Multiprocessing.
Having discussed the backup and recovery options available to the client, we designed and implemented a third remote server. This acted as an offsite Dataguard environment stored at a central location, providing a simple yet effective solution to data vulnerability.
The result
- Our fully-managed 24×7×365 monitoring solution for Oracle and AIX has improved port operations, increased productivity and reduced support costs by 50%
- Valuable data was backed up and stored at a remote site, providing peace of mind and minimising downtime
