ACT secures off-site disaster recovery with HP Converged Infrastructure

Press release

Published December 22nd, 2011 - 07:02 GMT

Al Bawaba

HP today announced that Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT), part of APM Terminals’ global terminal network, has virtualised its main data center with HP Converged Infrastructure to guard against loss of critical data and keep services available. The highly available new IT environment with off-site disaster recovery has quadrupled ACT’s system performance while reducing costs, and is considered the ideal model for virtualisation.

“ACT is always looking to update its secure, reliable IT environment to ensure the highest levels of service,” says Munther Dweik, IT Manager for Aqaba Container Terminal. “The new HP infrastructure automates previously manual tasks and simplifies management, which means we spend less time on maintenance.”

Consolidating disparate applications and management tools with HP Converged Infrastructure maintains ACT’s business online 24/7, even in an emergency. ACT’s core applications remain in constant operation, while the offsite disaster recovery facility, linked to the main site via Fibre Channel for unlimited access, safeguards critical data and services.

ACT’s IT team replaced 42 outdated rack-mounted servers running communications and applications for terminal operations with just one HP ProLiant BladeSystem c7000 enclosure containing 10 HP ProLiant BL465c G5 and G6 server blades running VMware. Customer-defined factory configuration and onsite installation by HP Factory Express ensured that the new HP servers were deployed in minutes, speeding time to value and freeing IT staff for more valuable tasks.

HP Virtual Connect Flex-10 10Gb Ethernet Modules simplify the connection of server blades to a SAN (storage area network) of HP EVA4400 Enterprise Virtual Arrays and HP tape libraries, enabling ACT’s IT team to make rapid changes. The HP SAN automatically delivers increased performance and capacity to support burgeoning workloads through higher capacity utilisation, tiered storage and tightly integrated replication. Data can be recovered with no delay, even if the main site is out of action.

The entire HP Converged Infrastructure is easily scalable to provide extra storage and server capacity on an as-needed basis with no disruption to ACT’s day-to-day activities.

HP Converged Infrastructure is a key component of the Instant-On Enterprise. The Instant-On Enterprise embeds technology in everything it does to serve customers, employees, partners and citizens with whatever they need, instantly.

Background Information

Hewlett Packard Middle East (HP)

Our vision is to create technology that makes life better for everyone, everywhere — every person, every organization, and every community around the globe. This motivates us — inspires us — to do what we do. To make what we make. To invent, and to reinvent. To engineer experiences that amaze. We won’t stop pushing ahead, because you won’t stop pushing ahead. You’re reinventing how you work. How you play. How you live. With our technology, you’ll reinvent your world.

Company Profile

Aqaba Container Terminal

In 2003, the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), on behalf of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, was on a mission to acquire a strategic partnership to improve the efficiency, capacity and the operational performance of the container terminal in Aqaba. After signing a Terminal Management Contract with ADC in 2004, APM Terminals (part of the global A.P. Møller–Maersk Group), took over the management and operation of the terminal.

A 25-year Joint Development Agreement (JDA) was signed between ADC and the Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT) in 2006. Under the contract, APM Terminals Jordan operates, manages and markets ACT in addition to executing the Master Plan, which anticipates achieving a drastic increase of throughput capacity through a combination of physical and operational improvements.