Case studies

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BROWNLEE BEATON KREKE REGINA LTD. (BBK) CASE STUDY
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EssentialServer brings "peace-of-mind" data backup and protection to company data

Company Background

Brownlee Beaton Kreke Regina Ltd. (BBK) provides structural and consulting engineering services to a broad range of clients involved in commercial, institutional, industrial and agricultural projects throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. BBK's Regina office has a long-term staff of 10 committed to excellence in the Engineering Industry.

Network Environment

BBK operates a peer-to-peer network running Windows NT 4. One of the computers on the network is designated as a shared data computer and stores all the critical engineering CAD data with administration and accounting files stored on a user workstation.

Prior to installing the EssentialServer, both computers were backed up with two tape drives that each held a maximum of 4GB uncompressed data, with one tape dedicated for CAD and engineering files and a second for administration and accounting files. Due to limited tape capacity and increasingly large data files, it became apparent that BBK was outgrowing its simple and somewhat unreliable tape backup system.

The challenge was to find a larger and more reliable system that was still economical for their small business. The solution needed to provide:

• fast turn-around in case of a failure on the primary data computer
  
• a mirrored copy of the files to another hard drive for data redundancy
  
• a daily backup of all files via a reliable tape system for off-site storage
  

BBK looked at a number of options to solve their data backup issues including web-based backup and multiple tape library systems. With Web-based backup, the company had concerns with storing their data off-site as well as the amount of outgoing network traffic that would be generated each day. A tape library system, although providing the required backup capacities, did not permit a fast turn around or the mirrored hard drive option. It was also felt the amount of tape administration would be excessive.

BBK's Senior Technologist, Darin Lindblad, not satisfied with these options, began an Internet search to find other potential solutions. Through his search, he found Merlin's website and information on the EssentialServer. The EssentialServer appeared to offer the capabilities the company required so Darin contacted his computer supplier, Azon Canada, and Merlin itself, to investigate the solution further.

"The EssentialServer seemed to have everything that we were looking for," said Darin. "After speaking with Merlin and Azon, I felt the EssentialServer would be a good fit for the company, so we arranged for a ES8060 unit to be installed so that we could see what it could do."

Working with BBK's Azon representative, Darin installed the EssentialServer on the network, loaded and configured the PerfectCopy software on the data computers, then set up the shared directories and backup schedule. The entire process was completed in less than two hours. "I'm happy to say that it was the fastest and easiest hardware/software installation I've encountered. The installation wizard worked like a charm and the web-based interface was simple and intuitive."

With the EssentialServer installed on the network, BBK has the mirrored drive and redundant data protection that they were looking for. Files on the primary data computers are automatically mirrored on the EssentialServer. In turn, the files on the EssentialServer's first drive are also mirrored on its second hard drive, providing an additional level of protection.

"If our primary data computer goes down, I simply remap the workstations to the EssentialServer and everyone is back up and running in minutes," says Darin. "Then I can repair the data computer, reinstall it on the network, map the workstations back to it, and everyone's working with very little disruption or downtime."

The ability to quickly and easily restore files is a second major benefit for BBK and is a capability in which the EssentialServer excels. Data backup is of little use if the restore process is slow or unreliable. "We've been fortunate in that we haven't had a real incident since we've installed the unit," said Darin. "I have deleted files on purpose to test the EssentialServer's restore capability and have found it to be fast, reliable and pain-free."

Off-site data storage is another major benefit that BBK enjoys with the EssentialServer. Every night, all engineering and administration files mirrored to the EssentialServer are automatically backed up to the integrated tape drive. In the morning, the tape is replaced with a new one, and the previous day's tape can be taken off-site for safekeeping.

"The nightly backup doesn't require any user intervention at all and works so well that it's easy to forget that it was completed. Each morning, I simply swap tapes and then I don't have to think about it until the next day. It's total simplicity."

"The EssentialServer is a simple, reliable and affordable solution that satisfies our needs today and well into the future. I'm sure it will meet the needs of any professional engineering business. If you value your data, a proper backup system is a must, and for us, that's Merlin's EssentialServer."

Merlin sells the EssentialServer exclusively through value-added resellers such as Azon Canada. "We are very pleased to be able to offer our clients this innovative product," says Darren Zimmer, Branch Manager for Azon Canada. "As specialists in products for the engineering and print industry, we see many customers with similar data backup and storage requirements as BBK and look forward to introducing them to the EssentialServer as a solution that meets their needs."

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