Large Financial Institution Infrastructure Upgrade
Challenges
Vandis sustains ongoing relationships with numerous financial institutions in the New York City area and across the country. Recently, one of them reached out to Vandis to transition their VMware View 5.1 environment to new servers and upgrade their infrastructure to the current version of Horizon View to take advantage of the latest features. Because Vandis Professional Services had deployed their prior VMware environment, they were the logical candidate to expand their platform and carry out the following tasks, while building the deployment to the client's specifications:
- Implement the latest version of Horizon View
- Implement remote user access with 2 factor authentication and RSA
- Assist with the upgrade of the existing base desktop image
- Apply desktop optimizations recommended for best performance and user experience from within a VDI environment
- Follow industry best practices for the deployment
Solution
The client wanted to stay current and take advantage of the cost and security benefits of the upgraded platform, but was particularly interested in the remote access capability for better disaster recovery and mobility. In the event employees were unable to work from the office they would still have access to the same software from a remote location, with enhanced security.
The multi-stage project produced deadlines for each stage, with the goal to finish quickly so the organization could take advantage of the new feature sets. Because VMware View is a mission-critical application (it is the primary method for many of the client's users to access the network) the project needed to present minimal disruption to the business and be rolled out in a stable and reliable manner. As a regular client of Vandis, the client had confidence in Vandis' ability to manage the rollout.
Due to the hard deadlines for the initial deployment phases and the fact that Vandis oversaw the purchase of the new VMware View, this organization considers Vandis the custodian for their environment. Vandis implements and oversees changes to any lifecycle element, including data center server upgrades and upgrade rollouts to VMware View itself. The client relies on Vandis for troubleshooting and upgrades to their environment as Vandis was able to successfully manage the upgrade to Horizon View without issues and with a smooth transition.
During completion, the client mentioned how they wanted to implement link cones for short term workers and consultants. Vandis took the lead on this added milestone and provided a knowledge transfer with the client, discussing environment operation and best practices on future management.
Results
During the project, the client appreciated Vandis’ Professional Services knowledge and ability to command the technology, particularly in comparison with prior consultants' results. The organization now has a stable and functioning virtual desktop environment for over 200 onsite and remote users, without latency issues and with stronger security. Due to the success of this project and great standing relationship, Vandis continually works with the client to help improve the different areas of their environment. As an example, Vandis is now assisting with this organization’s Microsoft infrastructure.