Infracore modernizes IT infrastructure and supports world-class facility move of a global pharmaceutical company

Pharmaceutical organizations require a strong and effective IT infrastructure to support research and development of innovative drugs and therapies. A global pharmaceutical company specializing in the discovery of new therapies for the treatment of cancer and other diseases had significant growth plans. The company was planning to move their lab space to a 60,000sf state-of-the-art research and development center. Their storage infrastructure was aging, presenting significant challenges during their proposed facility move. They sought Infracore's expertise to modernize their IT infrastructure.

Business Needs and Challenges:

There were numerous requirements and obstacles associated with this client:

• Keep the existing compute stack running: a mix of “bare metal” Oracle database servers running compound and simulation databases with web-based front-end and Java-based application servers.
• Additionally, the existing storage stack needed to remain active: a mix of NetApp and EMC filers with over 200 terabytes of storage, along with their associated backup systems.
• Identify the workloads to be offloaded to the AWS cloud (and define solution for un-migratable workloads).
• Manage the technology components of the facility move, including the migration of key infrastructure.

Solution:

• • Fully-Managed IT Department with Service Desk
    • Our global client had an existing “Tier-1” offshore service desk. The capabilities of this centralized Tier-1 service desk were very limited, and they were not able to support the day-to-day operations of the computing infrastructure that supports the company’s top=tier scientists and researchers.
    • Infracore assigned a dedicated IT team to serve as the full-time onsite IT department for the client. The team consisted of an IT Manager, a Senior Linux Systems Engineer and a Systems Administrator. Their responsibilities included handling escalations from the centralized Tier-1 team, and managing the computing and storage resources for the client. This team was onboarded, backed up and overseen by an Infracore VP of Technology Operations.
    • Infracore management of the IT service desk operations freed the client from the need to add headcount and payroll burden, hire, onboard, train/develop, and manage IT department personnel.

• • New On-Premises Storage Infrastructure
    • Infracore developed a modern VMWare-based virtualization solution backed by solid-state storage to replace the aging “bare metal” systems and out-of-support NetApp filers.
    • Infracore then developed an AWS-based backup approach, replacing the legacy tape library and implemented AWS DirectConnect to ensure sufficient bandwidth for backup replication, and to set the stage for a migration to cloud-native versions of the old applications.

• Facility Move Planning and Execution
  • Our IT Manager and VP of Technology built a project plan and identified all the key dependencies required to successfully move the company’s 450+ employees to the new 60,000sf R&D center. The new facility was a brand new building, and ensuring the IT systems would be ready on day one required close coordination with the general contractor overseeing the new build.
  • With so many scientific staff conducting multiple critical experiments, planning for the migration of both people and IT services for minimal downtime was essential. Infracore engineers connected the networks at both the old and new buildings and ensured that each IT service was available at both facilities, and from the remote-user VPN.
  • As each IT system was ready for migration, Infracore coordinated and ensured a seamless transition of production services from the legacy infrastructure to the new facility's infrastructure.
  • Ultimately, all users and IT services were moved to the new facility, and the old facility was decommissioned. Infracore also managed the removal of cabling, destruction of data on old systems, and the e-waste generated by the disposal of the old infrastructure.

End Results:

The client’s move was delivered on time and within budget. The company executives flew in from international headquarters for the dedication of the new facility. Our team received high praise for their professionalism, skills and diligence displayed during the move, particularly with the company's state-of-the-art scientific lab space. The client retained Infracore to continue to support their IT operations and service desk.