Transforming a Leading Pharmaceutical Manufacturer’s Backup Infrastructure

Introduction:

A leading pharmaceutical company in India faced significant challenges in managing data backups across its 20 locations nationwide. The company operated a diverse server environment with multiple applications and operating systems, making data protection complex and resource-intensive. Additionally, rapid data growth, combined with the intricate licensing requirements of their existing backup solution, Veritas NetBackup, added to operational difficulties. 

The lack of centralized management and visibility further complicated backup administration. The company also required customizable reporting capabilities to meet stringent audit and compliance standards, ensuring regulatory adherence. Moreover, prolonged backup windows caused by redundant and inefficient backup methods were impacting overall operational efficiency, leading to delays and increased resource utilization.

Challenges:

• Complex Backup Management: 

  • The heterogeneous nature of applications and operating systems across multiple locations made centralized backup management cumbersome.

• Data Growth and Licensing Complexities: 

  • Rapidly increasing data volumes coupled with the convoluted licensing structure of the existing backup solution led to escalating costs and administrative burdens.

• Reporting for Compliance: 

  • The absence of customizable reporting tools hindered the organization's ability to effectively address audit and compliance requirements.

• Extended Backup Windows: 

  • Inefficient and redundant backup processes resulted in prolonged backup windows, affecting system performance and availability.

These issues necessitated a comprehensive solution that would address current limitations while future-proofing the IT environment.

Our Solution:

Indus conducted a thorough assessment of the company's backup infrastructure & implemented the Commvault Data Protection platform to resolve key challenges.

• Commvault Data Protection Platform: 

  • Deployed a unified console for centralized backup management across 20 locations, simplifying operations and reducing overhead.

• Customizable Reporting: 

  • Developed tailored reporting within Commvault to meet audit and compliance requirements, ensuring transparency.

• Data Optimization: 

  • Leveraged deduplication and compression technologies to reduce storage needs and optimize resource utilization.

• Legacy System & VMware Support: 

  • Ensured compatibility with legacy systems and seamless integration with VMware vSphere, improving backup efficiency.

• Enhanced Security:

  • Utilized Commvault’s in-built security features to safeguard critical data against potential threats.

• Integrated Archival Solutions: 

  • Implemented data archiving to offload infrequently accessed data, reducing backup windows and optimizing storage.

• Cloud Backup Integration: 

  • Enabled secure cloud backup via Commvault Metallic, providing scalable storage and enhanced data protection.

Implementation Highlights:

Indus Systems and Services executed a meticulous deployment of the Commvault platform, ensuring a smooth transition with minimal operational disruption. Our commitment extended beyond implementation, providing expert training and continuous management to optimize performance and enhance long-term data protection strategies.

• Strategic & Disruption-Free Implementation: 

  • The Indus professional services team carefully planned and executed the Commvault deployment, ensuring seamless integration into the company’s existing infrastructure without affecting daily operations. A phased approach minimized downtime, allowing business continuity.

• Comprehensive IT Staff Training: 

  • To empower the internal IT team, Indus conducted in-depth training sessions covering backup management, troubleshooting, and performance monitoring. Hands-on workshops and knowledge transfer sessions ensured that IT personnel could efficiently handle day-to-day operations.

• Post-Deployment Optimization & Management:

  • Indus continues to oversee and refine the backup environment as a center of excellence, proactively addressing potential challenges, fine-tuning configurations, and implementing best practices to maintain optimal backup performance.

• Ongoing Support & Continuous Improvement: 

  • With a dedicated support framework, Indus ensures periodic assessments, software updates, and performance enhancements. Regular audits and proactive monitoring help mitigate risks, improve efficiency, and keep the backup system aligned with evolving business needs.

Business Impact:

The implementation of Commvault Data Protection has transformed the company's backup operations, delivering improved efficiency, cost savings, and regulatory compliance. With optimized data management and enhanced system performance, the organization now benefits from a more reliable and scalable backup infrastructure.

• Simplified Backup Management:

  • The centralized console has significantly streamlined backup operations across all 20 locations, reducing administrative overhead and simplifying daily management tasks. Automated processes have further minimized manual intervention, enhancing efficiency while lowering operational costs.

• Enhanced Cost Efficiency:

  • By leveraging data deduplication, compression, and a more flexible licensing model, the company has achieved substantial savings in storage costs and licensing expenditures. The optimized resource utilization ensures a more cost-effective and scalable backup strategy for future growth.

• Strengthened Regulatory Compliance:

  • Customizable reporting capabilities within Commvault have greatly improved the organization’s ability to meet stringent audit and compliance requirements. Automated audit logs, detailed reports, and policy-based governance ensure transparency and adherence to regulatory standards.

• Improved System Performance & Availability:

  • The reduction in backup windows has minimized system downtime, ensuring higher availability of critical applications and data. Faster and more efficient backup and recovery processes have enhanced overall IT resilience, supporting uninterrupted business operations.

Conclusion:

Through the strategic implementation of the Commvault Data Protection platform, Indus Systems and Services successfully transformed the company's backup infrastructure. The solution addressed critical challenges, optimized operations, and positioned the organization for scalable growth, reinforcing its commitment to excellence in data management.

Contact Us for a Tech Audit