Established in 1922 and boasting the famous bicycle tyre brands Schwalbe and Impac, Ralf Bohle now has international subsidiaries, over 200 staff and a global online shop for sales teams, manufacturers and retailers. When the decision was taken to build new headquarters, IT managers took the opportunity to plan a completely new data centre. The top priority for the project was physical safety and security, as all sales channels are completely reliant on the IT infrastructure.
Overview
- Project
- Ralf Bohle GmbH/ Schwalbe
- Location
- Reichshof, Germany
- Branch
- IT-infrastructure
- Challenge
Centralised IT for all sites, high-availability data centre, scalability and excellent energy efficiency
- Solution
Rittal security room with eight VX IT racks, oxygen reduction system, Liquid Cooling Package Inline DX and CMC III monitoring system
When building the new Ralf Bohle headquarters in Reichshof, the plan was to replace the server room that had grown over time with a dedicated data centre. From the outset, the focus was on a failsafe IT infrastructure, because all sales offices are connected to this infrastructure at the Reichshof site and no problems must occur when placing orders via the ERP system. What’s more, the forklift trucks in the warehouse are connected to the warehouse management system using WLAN and therefore also depend on a smooth-running IT infrastructure.
New building with a future
The new data centre is installed in a Rittal IT security room. The previous 45 servers have now been reduced to just seven using virtualisation. The eight racks now available are therefore standing half empty. In this way, Ralf Bohle GmbH has ensured its IT infrastructure, too, can handle the huge growth the company has been enjoying in recent years. Space has been allocated for eight further racks. Besides the high level of physical safety and security, it was the installation of an oxygen reduction system that led to the company opting for the Rittal IT security room. This system calls for a well-sealed room and keeps the oxygen level in the data centre between 14 and 15 percent, which prevents fire from breaking out in the first place and means there is no need for firefighters to take action.
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Not just safe and secure, but also energy-efficient
Energy efficiency was another item on the wish list for the new data centre. By ensuring warm and cold air cannot mix, a Liquid Cooling Package Inline DX increases the efficiency of the climate control units. The CMC III monitoring system, meanwhile, keeps track of parameters such as temperature and humidity. Thanks to the new building and the innovative facilities, the data centre is ideally equipped for the coming years.