Case Study –The Avnet and IBM solutionfor Prague Stock Exchange

2015AcceleratePerformance Success

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Installation of the first hybrid PureFlex with Power P260 node in Central and Eastern Europe

Aim and description of the Pureflex installation

The PureFlex installation was commissioned to replace

the existing systems built on the IBM System i platform (formerly

AS/400) with a more efficient and modern solution, bringing a

strong emphasis on maximum operational cost savings.

The solution recommendation was based on transition from the

conservative IBM System i server infrastructure which uses

division into physical partitions with internal disk capacity, to

the virtualised IBM System i architecture, complemented with a

SAN storage using external shared disk capacity.

This option was possible thanks to the IBM PureFlex Hybrid

solution concept combining IBM Flex Power node P260 servers

with POWER 7+ processors, IBM Flex Chassis with internal SAN

and LAN infrastructure and IBM Storage Volume Controller with

attached IBM Storwize V3700 disk storages.

The PureFlex with Power P260 node solution system offers

higher performance, with the possibility of scaling server

performance. It also allows for consolidation of the x86 servers

which Prague Stock Exchange included in the concept and

moved to IBM PureFlex, as well as VMware farm workloads and

VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure).

Overview

Avnet and IBM successfully installed the first hybrid PureFlex with Power P260 node in Central and Eastern Europe, at the

Prague Stock Exchange. The Pureflex solution is being run in two locations: at the headquarters in Rybná street in Prague 1 district

and at the back-up location situated in the Commercial Bank building in Štěpánská street in Prague 1, close to the Stock Exchange

building.

Both locations are synchronised using MIMIX High Availability Solution. The back-up (secondary) location is used for crash scenarios

testing and when PTF’s (O/S Post Temporary Fix) are applied. It is also used in the case of any unplanned outages or failures.

The PureFlex with Power P260 node solution is also equipped with IBM i/OS and x86 node, including SVC and V3700. In addition to

the installation, the project consisted of migrating the existing AS/400 (P520) servers to the new system.

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Michal Vančura, Avnet & Zbyněk Řeháček, IBM

According to Michal Vančura,

IBM senior client executive at

Avnet TS Czech Republic: “The

main driver for the customer

choosing this solution was a

need for substantial savings

in the operating costs of the

application infrastructure

running on older IBM systems

and servers, which they use

for trading and data storage.

The second reason was the

need to build a cloud that

would be ready in case of a

potential application overload

and the need to merge with

x86 servers.”

Miroslav Prokeš, head of IT

at Prague Stock Exchange

said: “We have been using

IBM solutions for a long time

and they have always offered

us the maximum benefit for

streamlining our operations.

The variant designed by

Avnet has helped us to make

cost savings and provided

comprehensive support for our

IT infrastructure.”

Miroslav Prokeš, PSE & Zbyněk Řeháček, IBM

Why PureFlex was required

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PureFlex project schedule

The PureFlex Hybrid solution was first presented to the customer in November 2013 and the systems order was confirmed

in June 2014. The migration of the IBM Power 260 nodes with SVC and V3700 installed into the PureFlex chassis was carried out

in one week and the IBM and LPAR solutions were migrated in two days. The installation was recognised as being both a fast and

professional process by the customer.

Customer benefits of PureFlex

The Avnet and IBM solution has provided Prague Stock

Exchange with many benefits.

1. Simultaneous operation of IBM i/OS, Intel x86 and other

(AIX/Linux on Power) applications, with the option of

unified management and monitoring of servers, networks

and storage systems (Flex System Manager)

2. Option of transferring to P05 i/OS Software Group, with

substantial savings from the perspective of TCO

3. Transition to more modern technology - VIOS and PowerVM

- and sharing of the system’s performance according to the

needs of applications in virtual LPARs

4. Low-cost purchase of the solution and subsequent third

party SWMA charges, particularly with MIMIX functionality

5. Option of disk array sharing for multiple servers with

different OS

6. Option of virtualisation and use of the existing disk capacity

through Storage Volume Controller (SVC) tools

7. Option of SVC Stretched Cluster Functionality for a

maximum and automated high availability environment. In

case of VMware farm, it brings an alternative solution for

the Site Recovery Manager

8. Five times lower disk I/O latency, compared to the existing

internal disk subsystem / internal disks of Power i520 / 720

(AS400), according to output from the IBM Disk Magic tool

9. Integrated SAN, LAN connectivity (elimination of SAN / LAN

cabling)

10. Certification for HyperVisors (VMware, KVM, and Hyper-V)

11. Simple installation of new Wintel x86 nodes into the

PureFlex chassis, using existing SAN / LAN infrastructure

and SVC disk storage in combination with Storwize V3700

12. The PureFlex chassis architecture was recommended

with a minimum ten-year support plan, based on positive

feedback from the customer´s previous experience with

IBM BladeCenter solution

13. Lower five-year cost of ownership with significantly better

price / performance ratio, compared to a direct transition

from i520 Power to 720 (AS400 upgrade)

14. 100% readiness for cloud and enablement of unified

management and monitoring.

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About Avnet

Avnet s.r.o. (Avnet) is a leading distributor of IT solutions,

adding value in the Czech market by turning technology into

business solutions for its partners. For more than 16 years,

Avnet has been a value-added distributor that its partners and

their customers can count on to create new growth potential for

their business. The IBM division of Avnet provides its business

partners with pre-sales and sales support, training and technical

support for the whole portfolio of IBM products.

Avnet s.r.o. is a subsidiary of Avnet Technology Solutions, and

part of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), a Fortune 500 company and one

of the largest distributors of electronic components, computer

products and embedded technology serving customers globally.

www.ts.avnet.com/cz

About Prague Stock Exchange a.s.

Prague Stock Exchange a.s. (PSE) is the largest and oldest

organiser of the securities market in the Czech Republic. Trading

at PSE is conducted through licensed traders who are at the

same time members of the Exchange. These are primarily major

banks and brokerage firms. PSE is a member of the CEE Stock

Exchange Group (CEESEG). The group entered the international

stock exchange scene in September 2009 and today is the

largest stock exchange group in Central and Eastern Europe. PSE

is a member of the Federation of European Securities Exchanges

(FESE) and it was included in the prestigious list of exchanges

safe for investors – Designated Offshore Securities Market.

www.pse.cz

About IBM Czech Republic

IBM is the largest provider of information technology

solutions and services in the world with a long tradition of

innovation. The first branch of IBM in the Czech Republic was

founded as early as 1932, as the first branch in Central and

Eastern Europe and the sixth in Europe. The activity prevailing

in IBM Czech Republic s.r.o. is the sale of a wide spectrum of IT

technologies from servers and storage systems to software and

IT services, including consulting. The main goals of IBM include

the provision of comprehensive systems integration services

and promotion of the benefits of e-commerce in the everyday

life of enterprises. An integral part of IBM’s strategy are also

Corporate Social Responsibility programs, through which IBM

contributes to solving environmental and social problems. In

terms of its turnover, breadth of product offering or number of

employees, IBM has in the Czech Republic the same position that

IBM has achieved worldwide.

www.ibm.com/cz/cs

About IMPROMAT-COMPUTER

Impromat Group was founded in 1990 as a group of

five separate companies. IMPROMAT-COMPUTER s.r.o., one

of the companies, provides comprehensive infrastructure of

information and communication technologies (ICT) in the Czech

Republic and Slovakia. It takes professional care of all standard

and individual customer requirements for information and

communication technology solutions ranging from their design

and implementation to their operation, management, restoration

or complete outsourcing. The company is particularly active in

the areas of system and maintenance services, outsourcing,

system, application and hardware infrastructure, consolidation,

virtualisation and cloud computing, security technologies,

management of mobile devices, document management

systems, business process management and Volume Licensing

Consultancy and software asset management.

www.impromat.cz

Parties involved

The project was successful throughout the installation and migration phases, thanks to an excellent working partnership

between the four parties involved:

Customer: Prague Stock Exchange

Reseller: IMPROMAT-COMPUTER

Supplier: IBM Czech Republic

Value Added Distributor: Avnet

As a global IT solutions distributor, Avnet Technology Solutions transforms technology into business solutions for customers around the world. It collaborates with customers and suppliers to create and deliver services, software and hardware solutions that address the changing needs of end-user customers. The group serves customers and suppliers in North America, Latin America and Caribbean, Asia Pacific, and Europe, Middle East and Africa. It generated US $11.0 billion in annual revenue for fiscal year 2014. Avnet Technology Solutions is an operating group of Avnet, Inc. For more information, visit http://www.ats.avnet.com.

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