Wünsche Group moves to the Claranet IaaS Cloud
Summary:
Challenge: Moving their own on-prem server infrastructure to the cloud
Solution: Claranet's IaaS platform with secure MPLS solution
Result: Fast and scalable implementation for 600 IT users at 15 locations in Germany
Wünsche Services GmbH
The Wünsche Group is a dynamic, international trading company with headquarters in Hamburg and branches worldwide. Within the group of companies, Wünsche Services GmbH is the professional service provider and service partner for all central tasks.
The Wünsche Group replaced its on-prem server infrastructure for around 600 IT users at 15 locations in Germany with a virtual data centre in the cloud. Claranet set up a cloud platform with VMware vCloud Director, which the service company provisions itself, and provided Germany-wide site networking using Managed MLPS.
Maintained server infrastructure
As a shared service centre, Wünsche Services GmbH operates the IT infrastructure of the Wünsche Group's German branch with around 600 IT users at 15 locations throughout Germany. Previously, the service company operated a classic on-prem server infrastructure consisting of two VMware clusters of three hosts each with several SAN storage systems.
The aim was to raise the performance, security, availability and scalability of the IT infrastructure to a higher level while at the same time conserving its own human and financial resources.
IaaS instead of on-prem
The service company planned to switch to an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) concept. Wünsche Services favoured the VMware Cloud. "We wanted to manage the platform ourselves," adds Nils Dehne. "We were also looking for a provider that offers Backup-as-a-Service and can also connect our main sites to the platform."
The choice fell on Claranet. The managed service provider impressed with its comprehensive expertise, high level of certification and broad portfolio of solutions.
Claranet set up an IaaS platform with VMware vCloud Director, which can be used to orchestrate the provision of complete, easy-to-use virtual data centres with software-based data centre services in a matter of minutes. The platform is managed by Wünsche Services itself. Claranet realised the Germany-wide site networking for secure access to the platform via Managed MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching).
We would not have been able to achieve the level of security, availability and scalability that Claranet offers us as a highly qualified, fully certified hosting provider with an on-prem server infrastructure."
Innovative transition strategy
The migration was supported by a ramp-up phase. Within a defined transition window, the virtual machines (VMs) were moved or set up in batches with a customised billing model. The move took place with the help of the transition tool "Zerto", which enabled direct communication between Wünsche Services and Claranet during the entire move. Claranet also trained the employees at Wünsche Services in the use of Zerto.
Claranet also supports Wünsche Services when it comes to licences. Among other things, the company obtains its Microsoft SPLA licences and database licences from the managed service provider.
Scalability pays off
The flexibility of the IaaS platform was quickly demonstrated to Wünsche Services: the expansion of the Wünsche Group led to considerable leaps in resource requirements, which the company was able to meet just in time by increasing CPUs and capacities. "This would not have been possible at all with our on-prem infrastructure," says Nils Dehne. "We work with load profiles so that we can reduce the size of our RDP farm at night and increase it again in the morning. Features like this, which we control from the vCloud via the web services API, work perfectly."
Due to the Covid-19 crisis in 2020, significantly more employees also had to work from home. No problem for Nils Dehne: "Within a week, we were able to give around 200 additional colleagues VPN access from their home office. In the meantime, 380 colleagues can now access the company remotely via VPN while travelling or working from home. The line capacities were there and the firewalling worked perfectly. And Claranet once again proved to be a great partner: they prioritised our requirements in connection with Covid-19 - for example, setting up a VPN entry point portal for employees' own devices."
