HEFAME modernizes disaster recovery with IBM® Power® Virtual Server to protect more than 72,000+ daily orders
In pharmaceutical distribution, timing is inseparable from trust. HEFAME, serving more than 6,200 pharmacies and stewarding over 300 TB of mission critical data, has long operated with the rigor expected of one of Spain’s leading cooperatives. But the environment around it has evolved: global health emergencies, climate driven disruptions and increasingly sophisticated cyberthreats have turned continuity into an essential operational discipline.
Recognizing this changing landscape, HEFAME saw an opportunity to evolve its strong high‑availability posture into a recovery approach capable of activating faster, with minimal data loss and without interrupting essential workflows. The intention wasn’t to correct a deficiency, but to stay ahead of a new operational reality — setting the stage for a pivotal transformation.
HEFAME chose evolution over overhaul. Modernizing recovery was the natural next step for an architecture the cooperative has trusted for more than two decades on IBM Power. In partnership with Age2 and IBM, HEFAME set out to strengthen resilience while preserving the stability of its core systems. The goal was clear: transform a solid on‑premises recovery model into a flexible, cloud‑ready capability. To do this, the team extended the proven IBM Power foundation to the cloud using IBM® Power® Virtual Server, maintaining platform continuity and minimizing transition risk. A proof of concept in IBM Cloud® simulated HEFAME’s most demanding hour — surging order intake and billing — and matched, at times exceeded, the performance of the primary data center, confirming there was no trade‑off in stability.
With this validation, the teams finalized a design built on IBM Power Virtual Server, combined with SAP HANA System Replication for continuous data movement and predictable, controlled activation. Age2 led orchestration, runbooks and rehearsal cadence, while IBM contributed reference patterns and platform expertise.
As Juan Sanchez Rodríguez, Systems Director at HEFAME, explains: “The close collaboration between HEFAME, Age2 and IBM was a decisive factor in moving the project forward. The technical and functional alignment across all three teams ensured that business objectives and technology requirements came together in a robust, well‑fitted solution.”
HEFAME now operates with a validated ~4hour recovery window and minimal data loss, elevating disaster recovery from a safeguard on paper to a proven operational capability. Peak load testing showed that workflows supporting more than 72.000+ daily orders run reliably in the cloud, reinforcing confidence that activation will not compromise service. Extending the existing architecture to a cloud-based model keeps production and disaster recovery (DR) aligned, simplifies operations and adds physical independence from the primary site for extreme scenarios.
The program also strengthened the operating model: change governance, documentation and regular rehearsals ensure every relevant system modification is mirrored in the recovery environment. “We’ve built a culture grounded in anticipation rather than reaction, giving our teams genuine operational confidence,” summarizes Sanchez.
Looking ahead, HEFAME will broaden the scope of its recovery environment, adding new critical processes and dependencies as its resilience strategy advances.
HEFAME Group is a leading Spanish pharmaceutical distribution cooperative serving more than 6.200+ pharmacies, with ~1,200–1,300 employees and €1.93B revenue in 2025. It holds ~12.4% national market share and operates multidrop logistics.
Age2 is an IBM Gold Partner based in Spain, providing hybrid cloud, infrastructure, security and continuity solutions. The firm combines certified expertise with IBM technologies to deliver tailored projects and long‑term platform evolution for clients.
Legal
© Copyright IBM Corporation April, 2026.
IBM, the IBM logo, and IBM Power, IBM Power Virtual Server, IBM Cloud and SAP HANA System Replication are trademarks of IBM Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.
Examples presented as illustrative only. Actual results will vary based on client configurations and conditions and, therefore, generally expected results cannot be provided.