Case Study – The Avnet and IBM solution for Prague Stock Exchange

Performance
Accelerate
Success
Case Study –
The Avnet and IBM solution
for Prague Stock Exchange
2015
Installation of the first hybrid PureFlex with Power P260 node in Central and Eastern Europe
Overview
Avnet and IBM successfully installed the first hybrid PureFlex with Power P260 node in Central and Eastern Europe, at the
Prague Stock Exchange. The Pureflex solution is being run in two locations: at the headquarters in Rybná street in Prague 1 district
and at the back-up location situated in the Commercial Bank building in Štěpánská street in Prague 1, close to the Stock Exchange
building.
Both locations are synchronised using MIMIX High Availability Solution. The back-up (secondary) location is used for crash scenarios
testing and when PTF’s (O/S Post Temporary Fix) are applied. It is also used in the case of any unplanned outages or failures.
The PureFlex with Power P260 node solution is also equipped with IBM i/OS and x86 node, including SVC and V3700. In addition to
the installation, the project consisted of migrating the existing AS/400 (P520) servers to the new system.
Aim and description of the Pureflex installation
The PureFlex installation was commissioned to replace
the existing systems built on the IBM System i platform (formerly
AS/400) with a more efficient and modern solution, bringing a
strong emphasis on maximum operational cost savings.
The solution recommendation was based on transition from the
conservative IBM System i server infrastructure which uses
division into physical partitions with internal disk capacity, to
the virtualised IBM System i architecture, complemented with a
SAN storage using external shared disk capacity.
This option was possible thanks to the IBM PureFlex Hybrid
solution concept combining IBM Flex Power node P260 servers
with POWER 7+ processors, IBM Flex Chassis with internal SAN
and LAN infrastructure and IBM Storage Volume Controller with
attached IBM Storwize V3700 disk storages.
The PureFlex with Power P260 node solution system offers
higher performance, with the possibility of scaling server
performance. It also allows for consolidation of the x86 servers
which Prague Stock Exchange included in the concept and
moved to IBM PureFlex, as well as VMware farm workloads and
VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure).
2
Why PureFlex was required
According to Michal Vančura,
IBM senior client executive at
Avnet TS Czech Republic: “The
main driver for the customer
choosing this solution was a
need for substantial savings
in the operating costs of the
application
infrastructure
running on older IBM systems
and servers, which they use
for trading and data storage.
The second reason was the
need to build a cloud that
would be ready in case of a
potential application overload
and the need to merge with
x86 servers.”
Michal Vančura, Avnet & Zbyněk Řeháček, IBM
Miroslav Prokeš, head of IT
at Prague Stock Exchange
said: “We have been using
IBM solutions for a long time
and they have always offered
us the maximum benefit for
streamlining our operations.
The
variant
designed
by
Avnet has helped us to make
cost
savings
and
provided
comprehensive support for our
IT infrastructure.”
Miroslav Prokeš, PSE & Zbyněk Řeháček, IBM
3
Customer benefits of PureFlex
The Avnet and IBM solution has provided Prague Stock
Exchange with many benefits.
1. Simultaneous operation of IBM i/OS, Intel x86 and other
(AIX/Linux on Power) applications, with the option of
unified management and monitoring of servers, networks
and storage systems (Flex System Manager)
2. Option of transferring to P05 i/OS Software Group, with
substantial savings from the perspective of TCO
3. Transition to more modern technology - VIOS and PowerVM
- and sharing of the system’s performance according to the
needs of applications in virtual LPARs
4. Low-cost purchase of the solution and subsequent third
party SWMA charges, particularly with MIMIX functionality
5. Option of disk array sharing for multiple servers with
different OS
6. Option of virtualisation and use of the existing disk capacity
through Storage Volume Controller (SVC) tools
7. Option of SVC Stretched Cluster Functionality for a
maximum and automated high availability environment. In
case of VMware farm, it brings an alternative solution for
the Site Recovery Manager
8. Five times lower disk I/O latency, compared to the existing
internal disk subsystem / internal disks of Power i520 / 720
(AS400), according to output from the IBM Disk Magic tool
9. Integrated SAN, LAN connectivity (elimination of SAN / LAN
cabling)
10.Certification for HyperVisors (VMware, KVM, and Hyper-V)
11.Simple installation of new Wintel x86 nodes into the
PureFlex chassis, using existing SAN / LAN infrastructure
and SVC disk storage in combination with Storwize V3700
12.The PureFlex chassis architecture was recommended
with a minimum ten-year support plan, based on positive
feedback from the customer´s previous experience with
IBM BladeCenter solution
13.Lower five-year cost of ownership with significantly better
price / performance ratio, compared to a direct transition
from i520 Power to 720 (AS400 upgrade)
14.100% readiness for cloud and enablement of unified
management and monitoring.
PureFlex project schedule
The PureFlex Hybrid solution was first presented to the customer in November 2013 and the systems order was confirmed
in June 2014. The migration of the IBM Power 260 nodes with SVC and V3700 installed into the PureFlex chassis was carried out
in one week and the IBM and LPAR solutions were migrated in two days. The installation was recognised as being both a fast and
professional process by the customer.
4
Parties involved
The project was successful throughout the installation and migration phases, thanks to an excellent working partnership
between the four parties involved:
Customer: Prague Stock Exchange
Supplier: IBM Czech Republic
Reseller: IMPROMAT-COMPUTER
Value Added Distributor: Avnet
About Avnet
About IBM Czech Republic
Avnet s.r.o. (Avnet) is a leading distributor of IT solutions,
IBM is the largest provider of information technology
adding value in the Czech market by turning technology into
solutions and services in the world with a long tradition of
business solutions for its partners. For more than 16 years,
innovation. The first branch of IBM in the Czech Republic was
Avnet has been a value-added distributor that its partners and
founded as early as 1932, as the first branch in Central and
their customers can count on to create new growth potential for
Eastern Europe and the sixth in Europe. The activity prevailing
their business. The IBM division of Avnet provides its business
in IBM Czech Republic s.r.o. is the sale of a wide spectrum of IT
partners with pre-sales and sales support, training and technical
technologies from servers and storage systems to software and
support for the whole portfolio of IBM products.
IT services, including consulting. The main goals of IBM include
the provision of comprehensive systems integration services
Avnet s.r.o. is a subsidiary of Avnet Technology Solutions, and
and promotion of the benefits of e-commerce in the everyday
part of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), a Fortune 500 company and one
life of enterprises. An integral part of IBM’s strategy are also
of the largest distributors of electronic components, computer
Corporate Social Responsibility programs, through which IBM
products and embedded technology serving customers globally.
contributes to solving environmental and social problems. In
terms of its turnover, breadth of product offering or number of
employees, IBM has in the Czech Republic the same position that
IBM has achieved worldwide.
www.ts.avnet.com/cz
About Prague Stock Exchange a.s.
www.ibm.com/cz/cs
Prague Stock Exchange a.s. (PSE) is the largest and oldest
organiser of the securities market in the Czech Republic. Trading
at PSE is conducted through licensed traders who are at the
About IMPROMAT-COMPUTER
same time members of the Exchange. These are primarily major
Impromat Group was founded in 1990 as a group of
banks and brokerage firms. PSE is a member of the CEE Stock
five separate companies. IMPROMAT-COMPUTER s.r.o., one
Exchange Group (CEESEG). The group entered the international
of the companies, provides comprehensive infrastructure of
stock exchange scene in September 2009 and today is the
information and communication technologies (ICT) in the Czech
largest stock exchange group in Central and Eastern Europe. PSE
Republic and Slovakia. It takes professional care of all standard
is a member of the Federation of European Securities Exchanges
and individual customer requirements for information and
(FESE) and it was included in the prestigious list of exchanges
communication technology solutions ranging from their design
safe for investors – Designated Offshore Securities Market.
and implementation to their operation, management, restoration
or complete outsourcing. The company is particularly active in
the areas of system and maintenance services, outsourcing,
system, application and hardware infrastructure, consolidation,
www.pse.cz
virtualisation and cloud computing, security technologies,
management
of
mobile
devices,
document
management
systems, business process management and Volume Licensing
Consultancy and software asset management.
www.impromat.cz
5
As a global IT solutions distributor, Avnet Technology Solutions transforms technology into business solutions for customers
around the world. It collaborates with customers and suppliers to create and deliver services, software and hardware
solutions that address the changing needs of end-user customers. The group serves customers and suppliers in North
America, Latin America and Caribbean, Asia Pacific, and Europe, Middle East and Africa. It generated US $11.0 billion in
annual revenue for fiscal year 2014. Avnet Technology Solutions is an operating group of Avnet, Inc. For more information,
visit http://www.ats.avnet.com.
© 2015 Avnet, Inc. All rights reserved. The Avnet Technology Solutions logo and SolutionsPath™ are registered trademarks
and PayNow, CloudReady and Accelerating Your Success are trademarks of Avnet, Inc. All other products, brands and names
are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Avnet Europe Comm VA
Kouterveldstraat 20
B-1831 Diegem
www.avnet.com/ts/emea