SUMMARY
CLIENT
Ashmans Solicitors is dedicated to offering high-quality legal services to their clients.
PROJECT
Ashmans Solicitors had challenges with their system setups because their main server housed all roles and services, making disaster recovery extremely difficult.
SOLUTION
We improved Ashmans Solicitors' IT infrastructure by virtualising their environment, implementing offsite backups, adding RAID10 redundancy for data protection, and segregating virtual machines.
Introduction
Ashmans Solicitors is dedicated to offering high-quality legal services to their clients. They specialise in various areas, including complex crime, fraud, financial matters, and motoring defence. Their dedication remains unchanged across our specialist practice areas, from our highly skilled complex crime team to our expert services in fraud & financial and motoring defence. Recognized as a Leading Firm in the 2018 Legal 500 guide, they are dedicated to providing top-tier advice and representation. The firm's key philosophy revolves upon assisting vulnerable defendants with concerns such as workplace accidents, identity theft, and family interests. Their commitment goes beyond legal expertise, emphasising responsible and ethical care as the foundation of their service.
Challenge
Ashmans Solicitors had challenges with their system setups because their main server housed all roles and services, making disaster recovery extremely difficult. In an ideal setup, roles and services would be distributed across multiple servers to improve stability and make recovery much easier. Critical offsite backups were also not actively monitored or maintained, which Ashmans were unaware of. The lack of reliable oversight resulted in decreasing reliability of these backups. It also meant that they lacked the necessary safety net in the event of an on-site failure or disaster. To address these challenges the system must be reconfigured to effectively distribute roles and services across servers, hence increasing resilience. Furthermore, building a comprehensive monitoring system for remote backups is critical for routinely checking their status.
Solution
The first step to improving Ashmans Solicitors' IT infrastructure was to virtualise their current environment, which would allow them to swiftly restore their systems quickly. We also implemented fully managed and monitored offsite backups to ensure they have access to critical data at all times. As part of the virtualisation process, we were able to add RAID10 redundancy to the server. RAID, which stands for Redundant Array of Independent Discs, combines multiple disc drives into a single logical unit to improve performance and provide data redundancy. Specifically, RAID10 uses mirroring and striping to ensure that if one drive fails, the system can easily swap to a mirrored drive, reducing the risk of data loss. This system was configured in a way to promptly alert us if a drive were to fail.
The server experienced a notable improvement in performance, which was noticed by all the staff. We also segregated the virtual machines to ensure that specialised responsibilities run independently of the main server's day-to-day operations. This not only improves efficiency, but also assures that vital processes are undisturbed by normal server actions.
Throughout the process, we worked closely with the two IT providers who were responsible for Ashmans Solicitors' IT support, ensuring a smooth transition. The joint efforts intended to give Ashmans Solicitors peace of mind by ensuring that their server is now well-protected and efficiently managed, even in the case of unexpected obstacles.
what were the key outcomes?
Improved IT Resilience
Virtualising Ashmans Solicitors' existing environment resulted in a more efficient and readily recoverable system, which improved the entire IT infrastructure. The server's performance also improved significantly, as reported by all staff members, contributing to a more efficient and responsive IT system.
Increased Data Protection
The use of RAID10 redundancy improved data protection and system performance while lowering the chance of data loss. The fully controlled and monitored offshore backups provided dependable oversight, guaranteeing that essential data backups are actively maintained.
Workplace Productivity
The upgrades to Ashmans Solicitors' IT infrastructure resulted in a better work environment and greater productivity for all employees. The new system also resulted in smoother workflows and more efficient everyday operations.
Peace of Mind
Ashmans Solicitors now has peace of mind knowing that their server is well-protected and their data is secure at all times.
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