HP StorageWorks XP24000 Disk Array AE130A Leaflet
Product codes
AE130A
and Reno, Nevada. TESSCO’s custom-built Order
Entry System (OES) and Configuration, Fulfillment
and Distribution (CFD) application based on INFOR’s
WMS system are the heart of the firm’s operations
and support customer orders taken by phone, e-mail
and through web sites such as TESSCO.com.
Entry System (OES) and Configuration, Fulfillment
and Distribution (CFD) application based on INFOR’s
WMS system are the heart of the firm’s operations
and support customer orders taken by phone, e-mail
and through web sites such as TESSCO.com.
Strong growth signals need for change
TESSCO has experienced strong, steady growth
in recent years. This growth, in combination with
changes in its mix of customers and products/services,
has led to increased pressure to migrate the mission-
critical OES application from a legacy AlphaServer
platform to a new, consolidated enterprise
infrastructure.
TESSCO has experienced strong, steady growth
in recent years. This growth, in combination with
changes in its mix of customers and products/services,
has led to increased pressure to migrate the mission-
critical OES application from a legacy AlphaServer
platform to a new, consolidated enterprise
infrastructure.
“As soon as HP certified OpenVMS for its Integrity
server blades, we began making plans to migrate
OES,” notes TESSCO’s Vice President of Technology
Development Services Hal Kuff. However, with the
firm’s data demands growing at 25 percent each
year, TESSCO first looked to reinforce its storage
infrastructure before tackling the servers that were
powering its mission-critical applications.
server blades, we began making plans to migrate
OES,” notes TESSCO’s Vice President of Technology
Development Services Hal Kuff. However, with the
firm’s data demands growing at 25 percent each
year, TESSCO first looked to reinforce its storage
infrastructure before tackling the servers that were
powering its mission-critical applications.
The firm relied for years on two mirrored HP
Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA) systems at its main
data center in Hunt Valley, and a third EVA at its
Reno distribution center. The plan was to replace the
two EVAs in Hunt Valley with a single, larger storage
array.
Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA) systems at its main
data center in Hunt Valley, and a third EVA at its
Reno distribution center. The plan was to replace the
two EVAs in Hunt Valley with a single, larger storage
array.
“TESSCO is dedicated to HP infrastructure – our
data center is like an HP lab,” Kuff says. “However,
we still explore every option when it comes to major
technology upgrades. We looked at HP, EMC,
Hitachi and NetApp systems. We have had an HP
data center is like an HP lab,” Kuff says. “However,
we still explore every option when it comes to major
technology upgrades. We looked at HP, EMC,
Hitachi and NetApp systems. We have had an HP
StorageWorks XP10000 at our Timonium, Maryland
backup site for about 18 months, and it is an
extraordinary machine. So, the leap from the EVA to
a larger XP system was our thought from the outset.”
backup site for about 18 months, and it is an
extraordinary machine. So, the leap from the EVA to
a larger XP system was our thought from the outset.”
Above all, Kuff and his team demanded a system
that would provide total reliability. “We have
been StorageWorks fans for more than 20 years,”
Kuff explains. “We learned just how rugged HP
StorageWorks systems are when our primary data
center was flooded in December 2002. An eight-
inch water main broke and flooded the data center,
blasting our storage arrays across the room. Out of
500 hard drives, we lost only two; but none of our
data was lost.”
that would provide total reliability. “We have
been StorageWorks fans for more than 20 years,”
Kuff explains. “We learned just how rugged HP
StorageWorks systems are when our primary data
center was flooded in December 2002. An eight-
inch water main broke and flooded the data center,
blasting our storage arrays across the room. Out of
500 hard drives, we lost only two; but none of our
data was lost.”
After carefully considering all his alternatives, Kuff
chose the HP StorageWorks XP24000 array to be
the mainstay of TESSCO’s enterprise environment:
“We liked the fact that the XP24000 doesn’t require
a lot management oversight, and really liked that we
can fine tune the system to optimize it for our critical
applications − to create our own throughput models.
We are able to leverage our experience with the
XP10000. It was also critical that the XP24000 is built
to survive just about anything. We know it’s not going
down.”
chose the HP StorageWorks XP24000 array to be
the mainstay of TESSCO’s enterprise environment:
“We liked the fact that the XP24000 doesn’t require
a lot management oversight, and really liked that we
can fine tune the system to optimize it for our critical
applications − to create our own throughput models.
We are able to leverage our experience with the
XP10000. It was also critical that the XP24000 is built
to survive just about anything. We know it’s not going
down.”
Servers get the next call
After dealing with TESSCO’s storage needs, Kuff and
his team next moved to upgrade and consolidate
the multi-platform infrastructure the firm has relied
on for many years: Microsoft® Windows®, Linux
and OpenVMS AlphaServer systems. “We were
very satisfied in the reliability and performance
of our HP ProLiant and AlphaServer systems, but
felt that we could gain both improved operational
efficiencies and strengthen our business continuity
position by consolidating to one architecture − the HP
BladeSystem.”
After dealing with TESSCO’s storage needs, Kuff and
his team next moved to upgrade and consolidate
the multi-platform infrastructure the firm has relied
on for many years: Microsoft® Windows®, Linux
and OpenVMS AlphaServer systems. “We were
very satisfied in the reliability and performance
of our HP ProLiant and AlphaServer systems, but
felt that we could gain both improved operational
efficiencies and strengthen our business continuity
position by consolidating to one architecture − the HP
BladeSystem.”
TESSCO is a long-time HP customer, and the OES
application was originally developed and has
run for more than two decades on AlphaServer
systems under OpenVMS. The firm’s CFD application
runs under Windows on HP ProLiant servers. Both
applications depend on multiple HP ProLiant Linux
server clusters running Oracle® 10g databases.
application was originally developed and has
run for more than two decades on AlphaServer
systems under OpenVMS. The firm’s CFD application
runs under Windows on HP ProLiant servers. Both
applications depend on multiple HP ProLiant Linux
server clusters running Oracle® 10g databases.
Other important enterprise applications, including
Microsoft Exchange Server and Oracle Financials,
run on ProLiant rack and server blade systems
under Microsoft Windows and Linux. The desire
to migrate the OES application was tempered by
the risks associated with any migration. These risks
were heightened due to TESSCO’s reliance on
Microsoft Exchange Server and Oracle Financials,
run on ProLiant rack and server blade systems
under Microsoft Windows and Linux. The desire
to migrate the OES application was tempered by
the risks associated with any migration. These risks
were heightened due to TESSCO’s reliance on
“We have been StorageWorks fans for more than 20
years. We learned just how rugged HP StorageWorks
systems are when our primary data center was
flooded in December 2002. An eight-inch water
main broke and flooded the data center, blasting our
storage arrays across the room. Out of 500 hard
drives, we lost only two; but none of our data was
lost.”
years. We learned just how rugged HP StorageWorks
systems are when our primary data center was
flooded in December 2002. An eight-inch water
main broke and flooded the data center, blasting our
storage arrays across the room. Out of 500 hard
drives, we lost only two; but none of our data was
lost.”
− Hal Kuff, Vice President of Technology Development
Services, TESSCO Technologies Inc.
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