Algemeen Ziekenhuis Heilige Familie chooses storage with fiber connection

Because AZ Heilige Familie faced performance and capacity limitations with its existing storage solution, a migration to a new system became necessary. The hospital required that this migration be completed smoothly to avoid any disruption of daily operations.

Thorough preparation for the storage replacement

Based on a preliminary study, storage specialist AXI prepared a detailed budget proposal, which was included in the hospital’s 2017 investment plan. Mid-2017, the migration preparation and planning began, focusing on performance requirements, future storage needs, infrastructure integration, and a structured data migration approach.

The hospital selected the HPE 3PAR 8200 storage platform with Fibre Channel technology. Initially, a three-tier setup (SSD, SAS, SATA) was considered, but on AXI’s recommendation, AZ Heilige Familie opted for a combination of SSD and SAS drives.

3PAR storage across two data centers

To ensure high availability, both data centers of AZ Heilige Familie were equipped with an HPE 3PAR 8200 SAN storage solution, each providing 34.5TB of net capacity, including 13TB on SSD for SQL databases and Citrix servers. Both sites also include dual SN3000B switches and a 3PAR Quorum Witness Server for automated failover management.

In the event of a failure (e.g., a 3PAR unit, cable, or network), the virtual machine appliance acts as an arbiter, determining which system remains active and which goes into standby, preventing potential “split brain” scenarios.

Implemented in early 2018, the new storage solution delivers high performance, ultra-fast fiber connectivity, redundancy across data centers, and the latest SSD technology.