EmpireCLS case study with Microsoft

Online, January 15, 2010 (Newswire.com) - After struggling with disparate IT technologies based on Red Hat Linux, EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services decided to transform its infrastructure using Microsoft® software and HP hardware. With its new environment based on Windows Server® 2008 R2, EmpireCLS has cut support calls by 75 percent and increased IT administrators' productivity by 35 percent. It also expects to lower power costs by 33 percent.

Business Needs

Hollywood celebrities and Grammy Award-winning artists are just some of the people who rely on EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services to safely travel to destinations on time and in style. Behind the polished appearance of each chauffeur, 600 employees manage reservations, global itineraries, and accounts. In addition to a luxurious ride, customers enjoy many concierge services and tools so that their interactions with EmpireCLS are easy, secure, consistent, and comfortable.

"Empire is a premier brand within the industry due to its core strengths: people, technology, systems, service logistics, and fleet quality," says David Seelinger, Chief Executive Officer at EmpireCLS.

Before 2007, the company's IT architecture ran on Red Hat Linux and included software and hardware from different vendors. The disparity in technologies drove up complexity and costs, eroded stability, and made it hard to find IT employees who had the needed skill set.

In 2007, EmpireCLS decided to rebuild its architecture with the Windows Server® 2003 operating system and HP hardware. By doing so, the company simplified its IT environment, improved reliability, and streamlined administrative tasks. By 2008, 90 percent of the company's server computers ran Windows Server 2008 Enterprise. Administrators made use of many tools from Microsoft to deploy unified communications, server virtualization, enhanced disaster recovery, and automated workflow processes. EmpireCLS had met its original challenges, but it continued to seek new technologies to streamline operations.

Solution

In 2009, EmpireCLS learned about the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system and decided to implement it. Administrators wanted to use virtualization and server management capabilities such as the enhanced Hyper-V™ technology with Live Migration, and the Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) feature in failover clustering. With Live Migration, administrators can move virtual machines from one host to another and still keep them online. With CSV, multiple cluster nodes can simultaneously access the same disk or logical unit number (LUN).

EmpireCLS was also interested in other features in Windows Server 2008 R2. For example, the company wanted to use Virtual Desktop Infrastructure and Remote Desktop Services to create virtual desktop environments. And by taking advantage of the BranchCache™ feature, EmpireCLS could accelerate file transfer speeds.
In September 2009, EmpireCLS deployed Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise on clustered HP ProLiant BL460c G6 server computers. In addition, administrators created virtual desktop environments running the Windows® 7 operating system for 250 employees. Business applications and virtualized desktops are replicated across the new clusters and three existing clusters-which will also run Windows Server 2008 R2. In addition, administrators deployed Microsoft® System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 to streamline server management. Finally, EmpireCLS engaged Microsoft Services consultants to reconfigure its Active Directory® service to support secure access to virtual desktops with most any Internet-enabled device.

Benefits

By using Windows Server 2008 R2 and other Microsoft applications, EmpireCLS has reduced support calls by 75 percent and sped administrators' productivity by 35 percent. The company also expects a 33 percent reduction in energy costs.
Reduces supports calls by 75 percent. EmpireCLS boosted system stability and uptime by deploying its new solution. "Our Linux-based architecture had too many different components, and we had issues day and night," says Alan Bourassa, Chief Information Officer at EmpireCLS. "With our new infrastructure built on Windows Server 2008 R2, we reduced support calls by 75 percent." In addition, employees are happier with the new solution. They can quickly access needed information from almost any location, and system performance has improved. Live Migration has also reduced scheduled downtime for events such as patch management. "Today, we see much faster performance in our dispatch and reservation applications," says Bourassa. "Our uptime has also reached 99.999 percent."

Boosts administrators' productivity by 35 percent. Administrators can accomplish more than in the past. "I can handle almost all IT tasks from my desktop, which frees up time to work on planning future projects," says Bray Doherty, Systems Administrator at EmpireCLS. Not only can administrators manage applications and virtual machines from their desktops, but they can also manage hardware with tools such as HP Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) Advanced Pack, which provides remote access to HP server computers. Bourassa notes, "With a server farm this size, we couldn't manage without HP iLO."

The Hyper-V Management Console and System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 also help simplify the creation and management of virtual servers. "With all the new features in Windows Server 2008 R2, midsize companies can implement technologies like clustering and virtualization on their own at a lower cost point," explains Bourassa. "When I compare VMware with Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 R2, the choice is simple. System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 is also a great tool for us because we no longer have to view each virtual server individually. Instead, information is aggregated so we can see what's on each server by node."

Cuts power expenses by 33 percent. New virtualization and clustering capabilities in Windows Server 2008 R2 boost server utilization. For example, in the past, each virtual machine required its own LUN or disk to support a failover configuration. Today, virtual machines can failover to the same LUN. "With Windows Server 2008 R2, we have reduced LUN management by 80 percent," says Bourassa. "We can also run 8 virtual machines to each CSV and 24 virtual machines per server. Previously, we could run only 8 to 12 virtual machines per server. By increasing our server utilization with Windows Server 2008 R2 and taking advantage of the increased capacity of our new HP ProLiant G6 servers, we will reduce both our server farm infrastructure and our power costs by 33 percent."

Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows Server 2008 R2 is the latest version of the Windows Server operating system from Microsoft. With Windows Server 2008 R2, you can create solutions that are easier to plan, deploy, and manage than with previous versions of Windows Server. Building on the features, security, reliability, and performance provided by Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 extends connectivity and control to local and remote resources. This means that your organization can benefit from reduced costs and increased efficiencies gained through enhanced management and control over resources across the enterprise.

For more information, go to:
www.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2008R2
Windows 7

Built on the Windows Vista® foundation, Windows 7 will help make users productive anywhere, enhance security and control, and streamline PC management. The investments in Windows 7 are shaped by the evolving needs of end users and IT professionals in the enterprise. Users are becoming more computer-savvy and expect more from the technology they use at work. They expect to be able to work from home, from branch offices, and on the road with the same level of productivity. As user needs have changed, the demands on IT professionals have increased. Today, IT professionals must provide more capability and greater flexibility for users while continuing to minimize cost and security risks.

For more information, go to:

www.microsoft.com/windows7

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
Document published October 2009