Reliable Tape Backup Software Put an End to Data Loss

How Backing Up Allowed this Company to Move Forward

Backing up data is pretty much a business no-brainer—regardless of industry, scale or type, no organization wants the major headache of data loss. But what if the systems in place to prevent such data loss fail?

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to one of my clients, a large corporation with nationwide reach. The client experienced a major data loss when its tape backup software failed and it was determined that routine system testing and regular back ups had not taken place. It is a nightmare scenario for any business, which was clear from the panicked call I received. But that’s what I’m here for—to help provide solutions that can best meet client needs.

It struck me that for this particular client, I had to think creatively to find the best solution. I’m glad I did because that’s how I came across a new tape backup supplier, BakBone, which provides data protection with backup and recovery, real time data protection, and disk-based protection/de-duplication.

Having no prior history with BakBone, I requested it provide a month-long demo in which the client could fully test the software. That they did; and using the trial time to fully explore all aspects of the software, the client was greatly impressed and reassured by the software’s reliability. Immediately following the trial period, the client ordered installation. For users to get the most value from any tape backup software, proper operating knowledge is essential to avoid the type of catastrophic failure already incurred. I requested that BakBone conduct on-site client training sessions to familiarize the client with technology and ensure security was maximized. BakBone agreed and sent a representative to the main office to demonstrate software installation and routine back up strategies. The visit helped ensure that client staff properly learned how to utilize the software’s capabilities.

From start to finish, this engagement was about a month long, but I’m confident of a longer term relationship with this client, a fact that is continually brought home to me as I continue to receive positive feedback from client branches all over the country. By thinking out of the box, we were able to get this client’s data securely contained!
http://www.microage.com/solutions/reliable-tape-backup-software

Power Failure Solved by UPS Rental

What happens when the data center for a health care provider with offices in more than a dozen states loses power? It’s one of those recurring nightmares many IT managers have and they usually end with the dreamer waking to the sound of his own screams.
This was the case when I received a call bright and early one morning. The manager was frantic—they had just lost 70 percent of the power for their data center, thanks to their severely overloaded uninterruptible power supply. It died an untimely death, but really, is there ever a good time for a UPS to die? They were scrambling. No one could access email or records, which obviously creates a dire situation in health care settings. Without the patients’ records how can you safely provide care? He needed a replacement and he needed it yesterday.

He naturally first turned to his usual IT provider. No help there. He called another company that sold technology. Ditto. In fact he called everyone he could think of and got the same answer: no one could get anything to him faster than the next day, and it would dearly cost them for the rush delivery. Then he made one more call—to MicroAge this time—and I answered.

Gathering all the information I needed, I told him I’d get on it immediately and call him back with a solution. I quickly sent out an APB to my fellow MicroAge account executives: Who can help me pull a rabbit out of a hat for this IT manager? Barrett Lamothe—an eight-year MicroAge veteran—was one of the first to answer the call. He knew of a local source that rents UPS units. Wasting no time, we contacted the company.

Within an hour of taking his call I called the IT manager back and told him that a 6,000 kVA UPS was on its way. We had taken care of all the arrangements to rent the unit for them on a month-to-month basis. The organization was completely back up and accessing all records and email within five hours. They ended up keeping the unit for several months until the time was right for them to permanently replace it, at which time I was happy to help them with that, too!

This is just another example of how MicroAge allows and encourages their account executives to be creative when looking for client solutions. We don’t just read a screen that says “available in 24 hours with rush charges” and leave it at that. We have the latitude to make things happen.
Give me the chance to make something happen for you. Call or email me anytime.
http://www.microage.com/solutions/data-center-power-failure-solution

IT Procurement Management Eliminates Loss Due to Theft and Vandalism

One of the most vulnerable times for a company to suffer loss to theft or vandalism is during the construction of a new facility. Our soon-to-be client, the IT manager for a large, multi-state entertainment organization, knew that all too well, as I found out when I happened to place one of my routine calls to her a few years ago.

I say “soon-to-be client” because she had not yet given MicroAge a shot at earning her trust. She was using another source for her IT needs, but I would call her regularly to see if there was anything I could help her with. When I called on this particular day she had just learned that $50,000 worth of servers had disappeared from a location they were building. To say she was upset was an understatement! The theft was going to push back their planned opening date by an entire week while they got the equipment replaced.

I learned that the other IT source would simply ship the equipment directly to the location it was to be installed, even if it was a construction site. They did not offer any type of materials management or security. And we’re talking technology and equipment from hundreds of manufacturers—simply dropped off like the daily newspaper.

Quickly offering my assistance, I told her that at MicroAge we think outside the box and come up with creative ways to help our clients. And in this case I knew immediately what we could do to make sure this never happened again. The solution was to have all IT equipment shipped to the MicroAge logistics center for staging until the moment it was ready to be installed.

The IT manager was intrigued. Could we really do that? She has a very limited IT staff and the idea of removing the worry about getting the right equipment in the right place at the right time, eliminating the chance of another $50,000 loss was a winner for her.

So we gave it a try. She provided me a laundry list of every piece of hardware needed to bring up a new location. And as I mentioned, this entails hundreds of items, including point of sale (POS) terminals, servers, five racks, switches, miles of cabling along with multiple printers, monitors and security cameras, from many different manufacturers including NCR, Cisco and American Dynamics. We sourced it all, had it all shipped directly to MicroAge, where we inventoried and cataloged every item, imaged it, asset tagged it, and then palletized and shrink-wrapped it. We held the palleted equipment until the time it was ready to be installed at the new location.

To further reduce chances of loss, we arranged for a private trailer to transport the pallets directly to the new location site. No stops. No other freight on board.

The procurement and delivery went like clockwork. The equipment arrived in its entirety at exactly the time my client requested just in time for the installation crew to get to work.

The IT manager now knows she can count on MicroAge every time she has a new location to bring online. She sends me the list with the planned install date and I do the rest. If construction is delayed, no problem, we just hold the pallets until the time is right. This process has made the IT manager’s life easier: we have reduced their IT deployment time by a solid week and not a single piece of hardware has been lost.

I approached this client’s need the same way I do for all of my clients: I put myself in their shoes and think about what I would want from an IT solutions provider. I can do that for you, too. Just give me, Barrett Lamothe,  a call.
http://www.microage.com/solutions/it-procurement-management

Arizona Technology Summit 2011

Software License Consolidation and Management for BSA Compliance

Managing software licenses and staying in compliance with the “software police” can be a challenge for IT managers and network administrators everywhere. The tracking of users to licenses can quickly get out of hand and pull the responsible party into a virtual vortex of logins, passwords, licenses, headcounts and the numerous spreadsheets to try and manage it all.

When I got the call from a client in the industry he was in the middle of just such a dizzying situation. He is the IT manager for a large organization that had just grown exponentially as a result of several independent companies merging into one. He was trying to get a handle on the aftermath of combining all of the disparate companies’ IT systems. And sorting out the company’s hundreds of VMware licenses was proving to be a nightmare.

He needed help. He knew that if they were audited by the Business Software Alliance and found to be out of compliance they could be hit with stiff fines. The BSA is the organization for the commercial software industry, whose charter it is to protect software companies against copyright infringement and piracy. Run afoul of the BSA and you could be fined as much as $100,000. That’ll get one’s attention.

We discussed his needs and I contacted VMware. I worked diligently, shuttling between our client and VMware to clarify the contracts they now possessed. We made our way through all of the different companies’ licenses with the login and password each one possessed. It was an enormous undertaking, but the hard work paid off. After a few months we had the tangle of licenses and access codes consolidated down to just one VMware contract with one login and one password.

As a result of the contract consolidation this IT manager now has peace of mind. He knows he has nothing to worry about should the BSA want to conduct an audit of his software licensing. And if that weren’t satisfaction enough, he has been able to reduce the 300 or so servers he inherited with the merger down to just 16, but that’s another story.

This is definitely an example of when sometimes less is more. Please contact me to see how I can simplify your software licensing.
http://www.microage.com/solutions/software-license-consolidation-and-management-for-bsa-compliance

How to Set Up a World-Class Wireless Mesh Network No Matter Where You Are

What can any company with remote data access needs learn from a gold mine in the far north in Alaska? Apparently quite a bit. In this case study, MicroAge found an out-of-the-box solution for an in-the-middle-of-nowhere company that wanted to make sure its workforce of miners could stay connected with each other and their families.

Alaska…We Have a Problem

My name is Hunter Boyd and I am an IT solutions expert at MicroAge. When I first spoke to the IT director of a large mining operation in the Alaskan wilderness he had a problem. His current Wi-Fi network wasn’t cutting it. He was trying to use a consumer-grade access point system and the demands of the frontier were pushing it beyond its capacity. Frustration was high because of spotty coverage and software that was a management nightmare. There had to be a better way to provide reliable Wi-Fi access to the miners, engineers and technicians who were working week-long shifts with little to no connection to the outside world. Their Wi-Fi network was their lifeline.

Imagine working over 20 miles from the nearest town, in a mining camp tucked deep inside the crevice of a canyon. This location was so remote the company had to first build a road before mining could begin.

There were issues with terrain, distance, maintenance and reliability. In this rocky environment with steep slopes that could interfere with wireless signals and huge distances between the cabins and the mine, this solution needed to work 100% of the time without full-time IT support on site. It was a matter of safety and emergency preparedness as well as worker morale. The company was adamant about providing the best connectivity possible, and the existing Ethernet drops in the cabins were falling short. Users couldn’t stray far from their assigned hub without losing their connections. Adding to the existing network required buying and installing additional controllers which was even more complicated, time consuming and costly.

Problem Solved Thanks to Aerohive

After we discussed the client’s needs in detail, I begin researching options that could get the job done. I developed a Wi-Fi solution from Aerohive that provides a controller-less access point network architecture. Aerohive’s technology pushes the intelligence of the controller to the access points. The access points create a meshing system—like a beehive. They talk to each other and if one access point goes down, the others reconfigure themselves to pick up the slack. With this system there’s no single point of failure.

Together, we went over the client’s environment, existing technology—and its limitations—along with their current operation and plans for expansion. The client liked Aerohive’s simplicity of installation and its low-maintenance architecture, as well as its cost-effectiveness and the improved reliability that comes from a system that doesn’t need controllers.

Eureka! Happy Campers

Installing the Aerohive network was easy. The company shipped over 30 access points to the mine location, one for each dorm. After less than two hours of over-the-phone instruction, the network was completely up and running. Workers are now able to roam from dorm to dorm maintaining their connectivity.

Aerohive’s cloud-based remote management has been another bonus for the mine’s IT director. Because he works as the miners do—on duty for several weeks and then off for a period of time—his ability to manage the network from his home during his off-shift periods certainly reduces his stress level.

The unique “self-healing” technology contained in Aerohive’s access points ensures network survivability and accessibility.

Each point talks to the others to determine the best path for data to flow. If one goes down, the others pick up, acting as little routers. This is why mission-critical environments use this solution. There’s no such thing as a single point of failure.

The ability to quickly add access points is a critical feature for any environment where additional bandwidth needs arise suddenly. In the case of the mine, should an accident occur, access points could be added quickly to accommodate emergency workers’ base of operations. No other management is required. And adding access points is all that’s required when it’s time to expand operations and add more dorms to cover more area.

The client is thrilled with the Aerohive solution provided by MicroAge. The mine workers are enjoying reliable, roam-friendly Wi-Fi, and the IT director has been able to save time and money, not to mention alleviate the headaches and stress caused by the previous technology.

This kind of cost-effective solution is great for large installations and broad deployments, including healthcare, education, manufacturing, distribution, retail and other enterprise organizations. Please contact me if you would like to learn more about this solution or to discuss a different IT issue. Helping companies solve their IT issues is what I do. Visit www.microage.com and let us know how we can help.

InFocus is the Clear Choice for Nationwide Classroom A/V Overhaul

What could a national educational organization do when it found itself in the midst of failing technology? Imagine being in charge of a hybrid family of schools and colleges, comprising more than 300 physical and virtual classrooms across the U.S.—each one completely dependent on audio/visual technology. Any breakdowns could be devastating. Picture it. A/V systems shutting down in the middle of important classroom sessions could mean loss of valuable class hours and delays in overall course schedule. This was what this institution was encountering on an all-too-frequent basis. Caught in this chaos, our client wanted a quick and lasting solution.
Frustration Leads to a Solution
Frustrated by frequent product breakdowns and less-than-stellar customer service with their current IT providers, they contacted MicroAge. They were desperate for an IT solution provider who would understand their needs and recommend the technology that would provide the organization and the students they served with a fast and reliable solution. Their current approach was to replace the technology as it broke down. But that was proving to be time-consuming and costly. They were ready to scrap the entire A/V system nationwide and replace it all at once with more reliable technology. And by getting all equipment on the same life cycle, managing it would be much easier.

After we conducted an intensive review of the school’s needs, which included projectors, screens, audio and cabling, as well as the installation of all of it, Ken and I got busy doing what we do best at MicroAge—finding an outstanding IT solution for our clients. We worked out a plan, scrapped it, worked a little harder and ultimately arrived at a terrific solution. Our client not only liked what they saw, but they appreciated our complete solution approach versus the product-oriented slant that they’d experienced with other IT providers. They not only approved the plan we recommended, but welcomed it with a sigh of relief.

The MicroAge Solution
At MicroAge, we don’t push the “supplier of the week” to our clients. Instead we listen to our clients’ needs and design a solution with the right products from manufacturers that will deliver the best outcome and stay within budget. It’s one of the many ways we are different from other companies that say they provide IT solutions. What they really do is sell IT equipment.

We contacted not one but numerous manufacturers and shared the project requirements with them. Many showed interest in taking on the project, but one really stood out in terms of meeting the exact specifications the school had, which, besides reliability, included a high-lumen output and a wide-screen option. The winner hands down was InFocus. Their IN3116 projector met the requirements and the client’s budget better than any other manufacturer.

Besides InFocus, the A/V overhaul solution included AccuScreens screens, Sony speakers, Roemtech
amplifiers and a fair amount of cabling.

Achieving A+ Results
Our solution did not end with providing the right A/V equipment. There was still the matter of providing a financing plan for this client and getting the equipment installed. Performing the role of project manager, Ken and I managed the delivery and installation at each of the 300+ classrooms, and, working as a team, got the job done on time and on budget.

As for financing, for this client leasing made the most sense, so we arranged a three-year lease through HP Financial Services to leverage their buying power and fit their budget. Leasing and financing IT purchases is another of the services we offer at MicroAge.

After just a few months time, the results spoke for themselves. This project was a huge success. Our client, relieved at the convenience and reliability of the solution and thrilled with the work done, gave us our next project: MicroAge is now overhauling the enterprise’s network and replacing the switches in the data center. Again, having done our homework, we concluded that HP had the best to offer for this project.

Lessons Learned
Before calling MicroAge, our client had worked with several other IT resellers and contractors. Now, though, they look to Ken Katz and me for all their IT needs. Great IT solutions are what Ken and I, along with all of the account executives here at MicroAge, love to provide our clients. If you’re looking for promising IT solutions too, save yourself a lot of time—contact us, Josh Heller and Ken Katz at MicroAge.

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