United Solutions Company (USC) leverages Storage Area Network (SAN) technology to connect its storage infrastructure. A SAN is a dedicated, high-speed network that connects servers and storage devices, allowing multiple servers to access shared storage. This technology is crucial for consolidating storage and providing high-performance data access for critical applications.
Recent Updates to Storage Infrastructure
According to Sarah Cousineau, Senior System Administrator at USC, “United Solutions has a very stable network storage infrastructure. The most recent purchase in the storage category was the acquisition of two Exagrid Systems. These systems are dedicated to Veeam backups in both data centers, ensuring that backup processes are efficient and reliable.”
Security Measures at USC
USC has many layers of physical security and employs various security measures to protect its datacenters. United Solutions uses multiple technologies to replicate all daily backups from our Florida Facility to our facility in Louiville, Kentucky. This ensures minimal loss in the event of a disaster. USC also utilizes RecoverPoint and Unity Replication to replicate critical production systems from the Florida datacenter to the data center in Kentucky in near-real time.
When it comes to USC’s Storage Infrastructure, one of the key technologies mentioned by Sarah is Data Encryption at Rest (D@RE). Sarah explains, “This technology is particularly relevant to storage security. Most of the storage systems at USC have some form of D@RE or equivalent technology. The D@RE on the Unity arrays is a notable example. According to the official whitepaper, this feature provides controller-based encryption of data stored on Dell EMC™ Unity storage systems. This encryption protects against unauthorized access to lost or stolen drives or systems, ensuring that sensitive data remains secure even if physical storage devices are compromised.”
Role of the Senior System Administrator
Sarah Cousineau plays a pivotal role in maintaining USC's storage infrastructure. As the point person and Subject Matter Expert (SME) for storage, she has been working with storage arrays and SANs since 2005. USC's SANs are Cisco MDS, which are known for their reliability and performance. Sarah's extensive experience and expertise ensure that the storage systems are well-maintained and operate efficiently.
Frequency of Environmental Changes
When speaking with Sarah, we learned that the storage environment is all best of breed hardware and software and rarely undergoes changes. This stability is beneficial for maintaining consistent performance and reliability. However, it also means that the infrastructure must be robust and capable of handling the organization's needs without frequent updates or modifications.
Industry Developments and Observations
We asked Sarah about her thoughts about the evolution of the storage industry. No surprise, her answer was - fascinating. Sarah explained, “Over the years, storage has become somewhat of an afterthought, which has both positive and negative implications. On the positive side, the management user interfaces (UIs) for most lower and midrange storage arrays have become more user-friendly. These shiny, intuitive portals do not require specialist knowledge, making storage management more accessible to a broader range of IT professionals.”
Sarah continued to explain, “However, this shift has also made it challenging to perform granular changes that are often necessary in complex environments. The simplification of storage management tools can sometimes limit the ability to fine-tune and optimize storage systems to meet specific needs. Additionally, midrange storage has become a piece of a hyperconverged solutions, needing little attention compared to other components of the IT infrastructure.”
USC's use of SAN technology, coupled with robust security measures and experienced personnel like Sarah Cousineau, ensures that the organization's storage infrastructure is reliable and secure. While the industry has evolved to make storage management more accessible, USC helps financial institutions with the additional challenges in maintaining the level of control and customization required in complex financial industry environments.
Written By: Sarah Cousineau, Senior Systems Administrator at United Solutions Company