The client is a subsidiary of a major German corporation, so their entire IT infrastructure is managed by specialists at the European headquarters, without the option to transfer "as is".
Due to the geopolitical situation in late February 2022, it was urgent to suspend IT services and separate the Russian branch into an independent company.
To prevent data loss and a complete halt of business processes, it was crucial for the client to swiftly establish their own local infrastructure and then transfer 150 employees' workstations and 20 business applications to it.
The challenge was that standard migration toolsweren't available because of the lack of access to the head data center. The
client sought the help of ICL Services specialists, who have extensive experience
migrating and transforming IT infrastructures.
Key Challenges
- Establish a local IT infrastructure.
- Plan and execute the migration of users and data with minimal downtime in business processes.
- Migrate sanctioned work cloud services and application software to domestic alternatives.
Implemented our solution
Full-scale work on the project began in November 2022. Since time for migration was limited due to the possibility of new sanctions, it was necessary to quickly prepare the company for separation from headquarters.
The project team planned a three-unit strategy, which was worked on in parallel:
1. Creating of a local IT infrastructure.
2. Creating a virtual desktop infrastructure.
3. Creating new systems of communication.
Despite the lack of access to the current infrastructure scheme, ICL Services specialists developed it from scratch - all software solutions, hardware, network connectivity, and the actual setup of communication between devices.
The client purchased hardware that already had hypervisor virtualization software installed. Part of the infrastructure went to servers on the VMware application, and another part of the virtual machines on HOSTVM.
The system of virtual desktops was deployed on the basis of domestic software HOSTVM VDI.
Six computer images went into the new infrastructure, based on which 30 desktops were deployed. Challenges in the migration of images from foreign software to domestic counterparts were solved with the help of tools and scripts written by ICL Services specialists. This work reduced the overall migration time by an average of 2-3 weeks.
At the same time, an Active Directory domain with an optimized subdivision structure was launched, and the first users, computers, service, and administrator accounts were set up.
Development and reconfiguration of network infrastructure and firewalls were performed. To ensure autonomous operation of the SPD without connection to the parent company.
Implemented a local Cisco ASA SSL VPN-based solution for remote network/IT access.
Yandex products were selected for effective communication: messenger, telebridge, and email. Setting up integration between Outlook and Yandex.Mail was impossible - manual migration was the only solution, which users will carry out independently following ICL specialists' instructions.
The company determined that the migration of employees and computers to the new domain would be conducted by its internal IT service, with ICL Services' support during critical periods. Many processes had to be automated to minimize labor costs, such as decrypting data on workstation disks - automation saved approximately 75 working hours of the total migration time.
Two main risks were avoided: data loss and user access issues, thanks to detailed planning and timely permission settings.
Products and technologies
- HOSTVM
- VMware
- Windows Server
- Astra Linux
- Яндекс 360
- SAP
Cisco routers & switches, Cisco ASA NGFW, Cisco ASA SSL VPN
Results
- In 2 months, a local IT infrastructure was built from scratch using supported and domestic solutions.
- Migration testing and preparation were conducted: 150 users, 6 virtual images, based on which 30 virtual desktops were deployed, 20 critical business applications, over 20 TB of data, 50 network devices, firewalls, more than 100 group policy objects have been created.
- Currently, the migration of the existing infrastructure to the new one is underway, with no downtime for the client's company. Reliance on software suppliers from European countries has been mitigated.