A high-availability solution for the financial sector

Cacpe Loja, a prominent credit and savings cooperative in Ecuador’s financial sector, faced significant difficulties when their existing technological platform began to lack high availability. This unreliability posed a substantial risk of data loss and operational disruption, which could affect the cooperative in critical ways. Moreover, the challenge was further compounded by the requirement to maintain two productive environments during the migration process.

To prevent future data loss and ensure uninterrupted service to their clients, Cacpe Loja needed a solution that could guarantee high availability and seamless coexistence in both environments.

To address the need for high availability and seamless migration, Cacpe Loja partnered with IBM and Advance Networks, an IBM Business Partner, to update their technological platform. The main challenge was to ensure two productive environments could coexist during the migration process while maintaining 99% availability.

The implementation process began with the deployment of three IBM FlashSystem® 5300 units, each equipped with IBM FlashCore® Modules. These solutions were selected for their superior performance, cost-effectiveness and alignment with Cacpe Loja’s requirements. They also helped facilitate a complete redundant storage environment, helping ensure high availability.

In addition, the transformation to the new infrastructure included IBM Power® servers, storage area network (SAN) switches and IBM® Storage Insights Pro. The integration of these components was meticulously managed to achieve redundancy and 99% availability. The SAN switches implementation was a key milestone, forming the backbone of high availability and enabling the seamless deployment of the entire solution.

The IBM Expert Labs team, leveraging IBM’s policy-based high-availability (PBHA) methodology, also helped ensure the implementation of high-availability functions for storage controllers. This approach not only met but exceeded Cacpe Loja’s expectations, providing a robust disaster recovery solution and minimizing downtime risks.

Collaboration between Advance Networks and IBM was instrumental in the project’s success. Advance Networks, with their extensive experience in the financial sector, provided invaluable insights into the client’s environment and operations. IBM, on the other hand, offered technical expertise and support, defining the right configuration, solution and pricing.

Cacpe Loja has experienced a transformative shift in its technological capabilities thanks to its collaboration with IBM. The implementation of IBM FlashSystem 5300 with IBM FlashCore Modules has resulted in a 60% improvement in process execution response, a 99% capacity increase for transactional database environments and a 60% enhancement in backup performance.

Moreover, the cooperative now boasts 99% high availability, helping ensure uninterrupted service to its clients. The time required for end-of-day, month and year processes has been slashed from 4 to 2 hours, a testament to the efficiency gains brought about by the new storage infrastructure.

Looking ahead, Cacpe Loja plans to focus on defining security strategies for its databases. The cooperative is confident that its new storage infrastructure, powered by IBM, will continue to support its long-term IT and business strategy, helping ensure uninterrupted services to its clients. The successful implementation of IBM FlashSystem 5300 has set a new benchmark for Cacpe Loja, demonstrating the power of strategic partnerships in driving digital transformation.

Cacpe Loja is a prominent credit and savings cooperative based in Loja, Ecuador. It’s one of the most significant financial institutions in the country, serving an assorted range of customers. The cooperative offers a variety of services, including savings accounts, loans and investments, aiming to provide secure and profitable financial solutions.