With the intention of avoiding the wellknown "Year 2000" risks, both of the computer centres at the Research Centre in Karlsruhe ensured they converted their business management applications over to SAP R/3 in good time. The main concern, namely that of data security, was eliminated by using a Storage Area Network solution, which will provide separate network connections for data transfer.

A Large Project - A Partner Inspiring Confidence

Even before the year 2000, the SAP R/3 business management applications should be able to take over from the previous SAP R/2 system in the Research Centre. This way, the costs of converting to R/2, which would otherwise be incured, could be avoided. At the same time, it was decided to make one organisational change: to use two computer centres located approximately 500 metres from one another. In order to ensure absolute data security right from the start, a mirror image of each respective data world was to be made available. This would involve distributing the data between two locations and therefore fully securing it. It was a large project which would require the cooperation of a competent and experienced IT partner.

At the time of the European - wide request for tender for the project, it was COMPAREX - who, incidentally, has been the Research Centres IT partner for 25 years - who convinced us by offering the best price-performance ratio. This was the case in every sector - the request for tender encompassed both the computers and the Microsoft Cluster connections in addition to the RAID storage systems, the software installations and the initial hardware operation. The hardware was selected in cooperation with COMPAREX at the start of 1998. The ensuing implementation of the individual components ran seamlessly.

A Clear Concept

The connection between both computer centres is facilitated via a number of different routes. On the one hand, both the TETRAGONS have dedicated connections to ESCON channels, through which the mirroring takes place. On the other hand, the computers also have dedicated connections to the storage system via Fibre Channel lines. Finally the back-up computer, which also places the additional mirror in the mass storage area, is connected via its own Fast Ethernet Segment to a server, which also places data into the mass storage area. It is planned that the data in the mass storage areas should be distributed between two different computer centres (RZ) and then connected using "private" lines, which, for security and performance reasons, are separate from the public network. A SAN add-on, which links the server and TETRAGON storage system, ensures continued functioning of the server and of the Microsoft Clusters. All data pass via a hub (COMPAREX LH 5000) from where they are distributed, depending on which cluster is active, to the relevant server. In other words: A transparent concept, which guarantees minimum system failure.

Promising Prospects

The project is currently in a test phase and the software implementations are almost completed. During the hardware installation, an additional back up computer is currently being converted. When the test phase has been completed, the operational running will proceed exactly as the project managers had planned. The main task for the HIK was the SAP conversion from a previously specialized R/2 computer centre into an integrated IT computer centre with two locations. Simultaneously, the central IT point within the Research Centre carried out the changeover to R/3 - and all this before the dawning of the next millenium. The implementation of hardware, software and data configuration was completed within the allocated timeframe. Now, the conversion of the R/3 database can happen swiftly so that the total configuration will be operational before the year 2000. The use of separate network connections will ensure that the networks can be separated for communication, for the control of the server and for the actual data world despite the geographically distant locations. The data transfer is after all carried out via Storage Area Networks specially intended for this purpose, whilst the communication is done on other parts of the network. Both are principally organised on a Fibre Technology basis, in which data is, in the main, transferred via Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop Connections or ESCON channels. On the other hand, Fast Ethernet lines are available for the communicati-on connections. In summary: The Karlsruhe Research Centre is optimally equipped for the new century!

Research for the Environment and Technology

As a public research facility, the Research Centre at Karlsruhe is financed by the Federal Government and by the state of Baden-Württemberg. Today's task for the former nuclear research centre is to undertake environmental and technological research with the main emphasis on environment, energy, key technologies and pure research.