Server consolidation/Storage Cluster Installation

Existing client running Windows Active Directory environment configured as follows:
- 6 physical servers
- 2 domain controllers
- 1 terminal server
- 3 remote sites connected to main site
- 2 LOB servers
Server Consolidation
First phase of the project was to install an Intel Modular Server chassis populated with 1 Compute Module.  Installed and configured the module with Server 2008 R2 Enterprise and configured as a Hyper-V host.  Created 3 virtual servers on the host, made one of the servers the new business application server.  Other servers were created for migration to Server 2008 later as well as an additional domain controller.  As each physical server was replaced by a virtual, that physical server was shut down.
Storage Cluster
Second part of the project was to install a 3 node Scale Storage Cluster for hosting data and virtual machines.  Once the SAN was installed and configured the virtual servers were moved over to the SAN and run from there.  Data partitions were also created and mapped to the SAN cluster.
This allowed me to move all the production servers from physical boxes, which were using a tremendous amount of resources, to a much more efficient and streamlined system.
All virtual machines were installed with StorageCraft Virtual and backed up to network locations also hosted on the SAN.  Offsite backups were configured to use additional storage drives.

Experience 2.1

Recently I have been promoted to Chief Technical Officer for Dynamic Computer Solutions.  This position did not exist within the company prior to my promotion.  In addition to my previous responsibilities as the Service Manager, my new position requires me to oversee all hiring and terminations of employees within the service department.  I am also now involved with the departmental budget, company-wide collaboration (see Sharepoint post), and overall company direction and leadership. 

SBS 2011 Migration from SBS 2003

Existing client has infrastructure including SBS 2003, multiple workstations, third party apps running on Server 2008 Std, as well as various network resources.  Infrastructure also has other businesses connected to the same subnet due to incorrect network management.  The concept for the project is to segregate the other businesses into their own IP subnets and away from the client's server network.  This project was broken up into 2 distinct phases.

Phase1:
By using separate physical switches we connected all workstations that were a part of the server's network to a new gigabit switch.  We kept all connections coming from the other businesses connected to the existing 10/100 switch.  Then a new "optional" port was configured on the Watchguard firewall to host the new server network.  The 10/100 switch was uplinked to one of the 2 new gigabit switches in the rack and then that gigabit switch was plugged back into the trusted LAN port on the Watchgaurd firewall.  The new server hardware was plugged into the remaining gigabit switch and the switch connected to the optional port on the firewall configured as the new private LAN connection.  Doing this allowed us to separate the two networks but maintain internet connectivity for the other businesses.  We then changed the IP scheme for the private network to a more Small Business Server compatible one.  This would allow for the SBS installation to recognize the necessary network components (DHCP, gateway, etc...).  I configured the firewall to allow full communication between the two subnets.  This would allow us to migrate all the computers over to the new server's domain without running new runs.

Phase2:
After installing the SBS11 as a normal installation, I configured it with new user accounts for the existing users including mailboxes.  When I performed the migration we moved each workstation that was in the same physical area of the server to the new gigabit switch dedicated to the new subnet and domain.  We performed full backups of the email and other settings using the export feature of Outlook and Windows Easy Transfer.  We then joined the computers to the new domain using the SBS11 http://connect site.  We then setup the existing users with their new accounts and restored all their data and email using the backed up files.  I configured all traffic that was going to the old server through the Watchguard firewall to point to the new server (email, web, OWA, etc...).  

LabTech Automated RMM system

In April of 2012 we made a decision to change our RMM (remote monitoring and mangement) system vendor.  We were previously a partner with ZenithInfotech/Continuum and utilized their system including their NOC.  ZenithInfotech was becoming too costly to stay with so after reviewing a few other RMM providers we decided to go with LabTech.  LabTech provided highly configurable monitoring system.  We could provide remote management to our clients based upon each client's profile.  Some clients required more monitoring, some less, and everything in between.  LabTech came preconfigured with scripts to perform a large number of installations and tasks.  It also lets us create new scripts and run them on a scheduled or as needed basis.

I was the primary implementation technician for the LabTech implementation.  We originally started with a virutal server but had to migrate over to a physical server with a large amount of resources due to the amount of client computers that we were monitoring.  The implementation included the removal of existing ZenithInfotech remote agents and the installation of LabTech remote agents.  It also included the integration of the LabTech server and our client database server.

I was responsible for learning the product in and out and then helping to train our technicians on how to use it.  We have had to modify the system in the months since the original implementation.  This has increased my overall knowledge of the product.  I am the "go-to" technician when it comes to the system.  I have recently elevated the privileges of two of my senior technician so that they can help support the system and other technicians.

Hospital Virtualization Project

A hospital client located in north central part of the state hired us to implement a virtual environment that would host their production servers.  The environment would eventually host additional servers as the hospital grew and implemented new systems.

The first phase of the project we installed an Intel MFSYS25v2 Modular Server System, HP ProCurve gigabit switches, and a Liebert GXT3 UPS Power unit.  The MFSYS25v2 was configured with 4 compute modules, 16GB of memory per compute module, and the onboard SAN configured with all 14 bays holding 1TB hard drives.

Three of the compute modules were configured as non-domain virtual hosts.  (The client was not not concerned with clustered fail-over so Server Enterprise was not implemented).  Two of the compute modules were configured with production servers (Exchange, File and Print, physician specific system software server).  The third was configured as a test bed server.  The fourth was configured as the spare.

The second phase of this project is getting ready to be implemented.  There are four additional virtual servers being added to the hospital's network.  These are a part of a new patient information system that that hospital has purchased.  We are adding a 5th compute module to the Intel Modular Server System to host these new servers as well as adding additional memory to the existing compute modules.  Additionally a Netgear NAS appliance is being added to the network to host the backup directories for all the production servers.  All the servers are running StorageCraft Virtual backup solution.

Disaster Recovery Solution

Over 90% of the clients that I work with are configured to use StorageCraft Backup for their server backups.  About 30% of them are configured with a "hands-free" solution that I created and implemented with help from vendors and my senior level technicians.  The concept is not new but had to be designed to be cost effective for our clients, profitable for our company, and most importantly...work!  The servers (and in some cases workstations) are running StorageCraft Backup.  The backup jobs that are created are continuous incrementals.  This means a full image based backup (base image) is taken of the system and backed up to a network attached storage appliance.  In this scenario we used the Netgear ReadyNAS RNDU2220 model as the local repository.  All backups were pointed to directories located on the ReadyNAS.  Then we used a couple of technologies to replicate the backup directories to a secure offsite datacenter where other Netgear ReadyNAS appliances host the replicated backup images for our clients.

Upon a server crash or something happening to the facility, we can take the image backup files, create a virtual machine, then run that VM on a virtual server host at the client location or offsite if necessary.  Or we can restore the image to different hardware.  This allows the client to continue to function in the event of a catastrophic incident.

SharePoint Server 2010

In the summer of 2012 I implemented a new company Sharepoint Server 2010 machine.  This system runs virtually on our Hyper-V infrastructure.  It has replaced the Sharepoint 3.0 server that previously held the company's collaboration site.  The new Sharepoint Server is used for shared company calendar, project installation calendar, customer documentation, project collaboration, weekly tech department meeting topics, client picture library, and other items as they become needed.  The site is available externally both from workstation and mobile device.