News
North Wales NHS Trust solves storage headache with disk-based backup
and data de-duplication
11 June 2009
Conwy and Denbighshire North Wales NHS Trust is saving more than 120
hours of staff time per month, thanks to an improved data storage and
information management system utilising data deduplication.
The Trust was grappling with its existing storage system, as it
attempted to cope with the large amounts of data resulting from patient
records spanning a network of six community hospitals, one acute
in-patient mental health unit, a community mental health rehabilitation
unit and three units for older people with mental illness.
Its IT infrastructure was struggling under the weight of large data
volumes, making it slow and frustrating to access data while rapidly
running out of storage space, and nightly data back-up was consuming a
significant amount of staff time.
The Conwy and Denbighshire Trust engaged the services of business
back-up and storage experts Clunk Click to help them address their speed
and capacity problems.
Working with leading UK distributor Zycko, Clunk Click identified
that the Trust required a sophisticated and secure system for storing
and backing-up dental records, theatre management, patient records and
imaging systems. It was decided that the most appropriate solution was
ExaGrid’s disk-based backup with data de-duplication. This is a system
designed to eliminate redundant data, by avoiding the need to save
duplicate copies and only concentrating on the new ‘unique’ chunks of
data that result from any original files being adapted.
The ExaGrid scalable disk-based backup solution works with an
organisation’s existing backup application and combines high quality
SATA storage, compression and byte-level data deduplication with a
virtualised GRID architecture. Its unique approach reduces the disk
space required for backup by a ratio of up to 20:1, and delivers
best-in-class scalability and unparalleled cost savings.
Andy Stott, IT Systems Manager at the North Wales NHS Trust said:
“The new system allows us to keep four weeks of data on the system, so
it is always available if we need to restore files. This in turn
improves efficiency and saves hospital and IT staff valuable working
hours.”
Since installing the ExaGrid system, the Trust has been able to
significantly improve back-up times on each of the 15 Windows-based
servers it protects with ExaGrid. For example, back-up times for one
server have been reduced from 17 hours using disk-to-disk backup, to
less than 12 hours using ExaGrid’s data deduplication, with almost
instantaneous restores.
David Galton-Fenzi, Group Sales Director of Zycko, said: “Due to the
sensitivity of the data, the Trust not only required fast back-up speeds
and extra storage space, but security was also of the utmost importance.
“Unlike using tapes for backing-up, which can be lost or stolen, the
ExaGrid system, with an ability to lock files once they are on the grid,
has resulted in a significant degree of confidence in the Trust’s data
security.”
Andy Stott added: “Since installing the ExaGrid solution, the Trust’s
data management system has successfully addressed inconsistencies,
resulting in improved care and outcomes for patients. I believe the new
data management system has made the process much simpler and more
transparent for the Trust and its patients.”
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