Server Assessment Leads To Network Operating System Consolidation That Saves Over $70K Annually

Server Assessment Leads to $70K Savings Annually IAM Image

A client recently hired DCMWORKS to implement Microsoft Exchange. Prior to actually starting the project, a DCMWORKS Server Assessment was performed to discover the information necessary to perform the task.

The Assessment
• The current network operating system was Novell’s eDirectory
• The current email system was Group Wise 2014.
• Microsoft’s Active Directory was already implemented for the sole purpose of supporting a VMWare Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) environment.
• DNS was being provided by Novell
• DHCP was provided by Cisco routers at each location

The Findings
The major applications were implemented in a standalone fashion so there was no common calendaring system or integration with email; and the file servers were Novell.

Business applications were evaluated and it was determined that all current and planned business applications were capable of integrating directly with the Microsoft environment for email and calendaring which would eliminate maintaining separate calendars.

With Microsoft, documents could also be sent directly to team members without using third-party applications.

The Plan
An overall plan was developed to consolidate the network operating system from Novell’s eDirectory to Microsoft’s Active Directory.

Active Directory was upgraded and then expanded to provide Active Directory at all five sites and migrate from Novell file servers to Microsoft file servers.

DNS co-existed between Novell and Microsoft until all needed DNS records were migrated. Further, Microsoft’s Distributed File System and its replication component was implemented to provide file redundancy.

DHCP was migrated from the Cisco routers to Microsoft’s DHCP and implemented using split DHCP scopes for redundancy.

The Results – $70k+ Annual Cost Reduction & Increased Productivity
As a direct result of the decision to implement Microsoft’s Windows and Active Directory environment and replace eDirectory, the company realized an annual savings of $70,000 by eliminating the Novell annual support expense.

The seamless integration of the applications improved user productivity and the applications that were no longer necessary were removed and their corresponding licensing costs were also eliminated.

Find out how a DCMWORKS Server Assessment can improve efficiency and lower costs for your company or organization.