Ground Up Datacenter Build Ensures Holiday Readiness and Maximized Profits for Large Department Store Retailer

This department store retailer started with a single datacenter located in their corporate office. By the time the client reached 300 stores, the data center could no longer support their needs. Issues with cooling, power, and outages created a desire for a geographically diverse datacenter that was both resilient and secure.

Dynamix designed a new datacenter solution from the floor tile up across two new hosted facilities in different locations, integrating multiple manufacturers and aligning their solutions to a singular strategy. The solutions included rack layout and design; network components such as Cisco LAN, SAN and WAN communications; IBM Power Systems and x86 servers; as well as routing, security and storage. 

With a new Cisco-based networking technology, the client gained a layer 3 boundary between all three locations that also allowed for layer 2 traffic to traverse. This approach allowed the client to logically move workloads out of their corporate datacenter with minimal impact while maintaining their current IP addresses.The storage technology’s replication levels also ensured consistency and integrity of the data. 

Dynamix also designed a plan to incorporate freeze periods during which no major systems or code changes would be needed during the holiday season. Support was provided both on site and on call during the busiest months, ensuring all systems ran smoothly and prevented the potential loss of billions in sales.

With the Dynamix solution, the new system achieved full resiliency and concurrent maintenance, minimizing the need for additional technical staff while maximizing profits. The solution also ensured the retail client met rigorous PCI standards to protect customers’ financial information. With a strategic plan and support for holiday readiness, shoppers gained a flawless retail experience, resulting in billions earned.