Auburn U Deploys Virtualization Platform
Two colleges at Auburn University in
Alabama have dealt with the problem of aging IT infrastructure and limited IT
staff by implementing a virtualization platform.
The colleges within Auburn University function autonomously from each other,
with their own budgets and staff. When the College of Architecture, Design and
Construction reduced its IT staff, Joel Beckum was promoted from desktop support
to IT coordinator. While he said he felt comfortable managing the college's IT
applications, he wasn't prepared to manage its aging back-end infrastructure.
At the same time, Phil Forrest, the information technology manager for the
College of Sciences and Mathematics needed to replace his college's aging
hardware with a server platform that could handle VMware View and other
applications. With an IT staff of three people supporting 5,000 users, he needed
a system that would be simple to manage.
Beckum and Forrest worked together to find a virtualization solution that
would solve the challenges both colleges were facing. They selected the
HC3
platform from Scale Computing. The
HC3 platform combines storage, servers and virtualization in a single appliance.
It automates management and doesn't require virtualization software licenses.
According to the company, the system lets IT "focus on managing applications,
not infrastructure."
As an applications guy, the solution suited Beckum's needs. "It simplifies my
network infrastructure so that I can be an expert," he said in a prepared
statement. "I was a desktop support guy who's now a system admin. Scale makes me
look like a pro. As far as my users know, I'm a genius."
HC3 helped Forrest's small team support the college's faculty and students
without the need for additional personnel. Forrest also said he likes HC3's built-in
hypervisor because "I don't have to deal with or pay another vendor," he said in
a prepared statement.
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, AL, serving more
than 25,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].