GC Metal IT infrastructure migration to a new location
One of our clients is GC METAL, offering metal products for all types of construction projects. The company is a general subcontractor in the field of ready-made metal components. The company manufactures railings, balustrades, entanglements, and fences, while the production group offers a full range of products in the field of metalwork and construction joinery.
Tasks
As part of cooperation with GC METAL, our company was tasked with moving the entire IT infrastructure to a new location. This task was particularly interesting as the building that currently serves as the company's headquarters was prior to a general renovation and was not equipped with any elements related to the computer network. During the execution of the project, the scope of work was extended to prepare the server environment for the introduction of a new ERP system.
Execution, Stage I
During the first stage of the project execution, we carried out an on-site inspection of the building and received the building plans. Based on the information provided, the standards related to computer networks and our experience, we prepared a computer network design, a video monitoring system design and quotations for both projects. As part of the computer network project, the site that currently serves as the main distribution point (MDP) was designated and the equipment necessary for its proper operation was identified. It was decided to choose a star topology. Category 6a twisted-pair cable was selected as the main LAN transmission cable to operate the LAN with a speed of up to 10 Gb/s. The choice of such a cable was not necessary, due to the limitations of other components (such as computers) connected to the computer networks at 1 Gb/s, but we still decided to implement it as a future-proof solution. The project also included the installation of a separate electrical network for the MDP and all computers.
In the case of passive components, products from 3M were chosen, since they are one of the world leaders in this segment and offers products of very high quality.
Active devices were selected from the MikroTik company catalogue, a brand quickly gaining popularity in small and medium-sized companies, and due to its reliability and functionality, are gaining recognition among IT companies.
The video monitoring system was based on Dahua Technology solutions, which is one of the largest manufacturers of security systems in the world.
Stage II
The second stage focused on the implementation of the computer network and video monitoring system. Our company team once again stood up to the task and completed the project to plan. We constructed the entire computer network and video monitoring system, including:
- 150 metres of cable routes,
- 2200 metres of twisted pair cable,
- 33 LAN subscriber points (66 network sockets),
- 30 x 230V mains sockets,
- fully equipped server room,
- 4 IP cameras,
- 3 wireless access points.
All active devices were installed in an amount ensuring correct operation of the network when all employees of the company are working.
Stage III
The last stage was about preparing the server environment for the new ERP solution. GC METAL provided us with a contact for the ERP application manufacturer, and we took care of the arrangements related to the ERP system requirements. Together with the ERP system manufacturer, we determined the required hardware and system requirements for the application. Then we presented the company with a design related to the implementation of a High Availability Cluster based on two DELL PowerEdge servers, on which the Proxmox VE platform was installed. The use of this system for virtualisation made it possible to create a cluster based on open source license solutions. As a result, the reliability of the server solution was increased without significantly increasing its costs. Implementation of Windows and Linux families operating systems is planned using this solution, which were properly prepared and secured by us, and then the access was provided to the company that supports the ERP solution implementation
Our company prepared for GC METAL a convenient method of financing the entire project, which made it possible to implement the project without excessive spending of the financial resources necessary for daily operations and further development of production.
Statement by the President of GC METAL
The long-term of the partnership between our companies, as well as the project presented above, were commented on by the president of GC METAL, Mr. Marcin Szadkowski, as follows: “When I was looking for a company that could provide IT solutions, I wanted a company that would provide comprehensive solutions meeting all my expectations. Direct IT was chosen and it was a brilliant move. The company not only offered the best solutions for our organisation, but also fully carried out the project almost without any effort on our part. An undoubted advantage of our partnership is the ongoing service and maintenance, which is so good that I have the feeling that IT security and our needs are satisfied at the highest possible level”.