High performance computing and storage integrator OCF and distributor Interface (ISI) have implemented a new storage environment for Landmark Solutions, the geospatial services division of Landmark Information Group.

Landmark Solutions offers services, such as analysis and management of geospatial data, GIS application and software development, web mapping solutions and geocoding, data capture and digitisation of paper maps, for customers including the likes of Sport England, South West Water and Scottish Natural Heritage.

The new environment includes the IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller (IBM SVC), which is a single, hardware vendor-independent, management and virtualisation platform.

The IBM SVC allows Landmark to combine existing EMC disk-based storage and new IBM disk-based storage to create a virtual pool of storage, split between a prime office site and disaster recovery site. Vendor independent, the IBM SVC enables the customer to add storage from any other vendor in the future, making previously disparate storage easier to mange, thus reducing the admin burden on IT staff every time Landmark chooses to grow its business.

Vic Cornell, UNIX systems administrator at Landmark Solutions, said: “In the past we have installed disparate storage systems for each new service, but we really needed a storage environment which pools storage hardware – irrespective of which vendor manufactures it - to better cope with current storage demands.

“We also needed an agile environment which can scale to cope with future storage needs and an environment which reduces admin overheads and enables us to grow our business without requiring additional staff and resources.”

The new environment also uses a second management system, IBM General Parallel File System (GPFS), which Information Lifecycle Management in a unified store for files and documents for all systems and users.

In addition IBM’s Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) is included to enable protection and archival of data.

The combination and integration between SVC and GPFS and the TSM provides a secure and scalable storage infrastructure to support Landmark’s business.

Cornell added: “OCF designed a vendor-independent virtualised storage environment and, by working in partnership with ISI, ensured the entire environment was up and operational in just three months.

“Additional face-to-face training from OCF, ISI and IBM on one of the products, at IBM’s Hursley development centre, made a real difference to our storage knowledge and ensured we were fully competent using the storage components.”