Case Studies & References
Providing continued quality of service is paramount to ensuring that Greencorn retain the trust and ongoing relationships with our clients - large and small. We continually strive to identify new products, services and methodologies that enhance the IT experience that we offer. The following case study reflects a new methodology relating to the installation / upgrading of Microsofts Small Business Server Platform which is an integral part of most small business IT infrastructures.
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A new methodology for server upgrade brings time and cost savings – and what’s more, according to the Project Manager, “it was a positive experience
all the way through.”
Having to upgrade your server can seem a daunting prospect, especially with the worry of disruption to your IT system. However new developments have now made the process much quicker and easier.
A new methodology for server upgrades
Up until recently, a Microsoft Small Business Server upgrade would have meant between 11/2 and 3 days of downtime and disruption as:
- the old server was switched off totally
- the data was migrated to the new server
- the user profiles of the local PC’s were rebuilt on the new server.
That’s an unacceptable delay for companies who rely on their IT to keep the business running.
Simon Dennis of Greencorn spends a significant amount of time researching into reliable and cost-effective software and hardware innovations. At the end of 2005, he came across the Swing It! method of server deployment which he felt could bring considerable time and cost benefits.
Swing It! allows the Active Directory data to be extracted from the existing server on the client’s premises and then added to the new server in the Greencorn workshop. Then Greencorn can visit the client’s premises on a Saturday and use a third machine to swing the data from the old server to the new one.
That means a client can leave work on a Friday night with everything working, and then return on a Monday morning to find a faster, more stable system already installed without any downtime or disruption.
And it also brings cost savings – on average, a reduction of 25% of the labour costs.
The Ergonomic Solutions experience
Ergonomic Solutions Ltd, which employs 12 people, designs and manufactures mountings for technology using ergonomic principles.
They needed a server upgrade to make their network run faster and to improve its resilience. Their two main criteria were to ensure that the new server could cope with future demands and that no business time was lost as a result of the upgrade.
Greencorn carried out a detailed review of Ergonomic Solutions’ needs in terms of increases in the number of future users, changes to the applications being used and any other business changes. From this information, they specified the most suitable and cost-effective hardware.
Then a very detailed project plan was drawn up to minimise any potential difficulties with the installation.
The installation
The software was installed on the new server in the Greencorn workshop. Then a couple of visits to the client were needed to extract the Active Directory data and to check that the data back-up was fully functional.
On the Saturday of the installation, the data was migrated from the old server to the new one. Then a sample of local PC’s from each department was tested to ensure that all the programs were working and that the PC’s could access the network. Testing was completed early that evening.
Further testing was done from Greencorn’s offices on the Sunday so that the client didn’t need to open their office. Greencorn were then back on-site on the Monday to deal with any problems that arose - although there weren’t any. A minor issue that arose on Tuesday was quickly resolved remotely.
The whole process took about 3 weeks (which allowed for plenty of testing of the server before installation) although it can be done in 10 days.
The client reaction
Graham Machin, the Project Manager for Ergonomic Solutions, has a background of implementing IT systems in retail so he was well aware of all the potential pitfalls.
However he’s delighted with the upgrade: “We had a detailed project plan drawn up of all the actions that were necessary. Those plans were all followed to the letter. The physical installation went so smoothly that I didn’t get a phone call other than to say “it’s finished”. I personally can’t ask for anything else.
“There is absolutely nothing I could turn back to Greencorn and say “I wish you’d done that this way” or “I wish we’d done that better”. All that came about as a result of Greencorn’s definition of how the transition should take place. They used a methodology that they had used once before with another client. We were the second one to have the methodology applied to and I can’t fault it.
“It was a positive experience all the way through.”
