Background
A UK based oil and gas provider needed to consolidate elements of its infrastructure while preparing for the eventual integration of two separate environments. The project required the secure relocation of critical Nutanix infrastructure from an operational refinery site to a colocation facility, followed by the reorganisation of existing infrastructure within the destination data centre.
Sunspeed was engaged to plan and execute the physical relocation and installation across a two phase programme designed to minimise operational risk while enabling future consolidation.
>100
Devices migrated.
The Requirement
Infrastructure located at an active oil refinery needed to be removed, transported, and installed into a new colocation facility with minimal disruption to operations. The equipment would be redistributed across two racks and re cabled within a new hall inside the data centre.
At the same time, an existing environment already operating within the same facility needed to be relocated from one data hall to another. This required replicating the original rack layout while accommodating a new rack size and preparing the environment for eventual integration with the newly deployed infrastructure.
The programme had tight timelines and limited existing documentation, requiring on site audits and rapid coordination across multiple stakeholders.
0hrs
Unplanned downtime.
The Solution
Sunspeed delivered the project through a structured two phase relocation programme.
Phase 1: Refinery to Data Centre Relocation
The first phase involved the removal of a full rack of Nutanix infrastructure from the Oil Refinery and relocating it to the Farnborough data centre.
Before the move, engineers conducted an on site audit to document the rack configuration, cabling layout, and device inventory. This ensured the environment could be recreated accurately during installation.
The equipment was then carefully de racked, packed, transported, and delivered to the new site. At the data centre, Sunspeed installed the infrastructure across two new racks within Hall 4, re establishing the cabling layout and installing additional switching required for the new configuration.
The relocation was carried out during normal working hours, enabling coordination with refinery operations and reducing operational disruption.
Phase 2: Internal Data Centre Consolidation
The second phase focused on reorganising existing infrastructure already located within the Farnborough facility.
Two racks operating in a lower floor data hall were relocated into the hall where the newly deployed systems had been installed. The racks were recreated as near mirror images of the original environment, with adjustments made to accommodate the change from 46U to 48U racks and the addition of new switching.
This move was scheduled during a weekend window to minimise impact on live workloads.
The result was a consolidated four rack environment positioned for a later integration phase, where cross cabling will merge the two infrastructures into a single operating environment.
The Outcome
The project successfully relocated and consolidated critical infrastructure across two locations within a compressed delivery window.
Key outcomes included:
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Secure relocation of refinery based infrastructure to a colocation facility
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Accurate recreation of rack configurations through detailed audit and documentation
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Installation and re cabling of systems across new rack layouts
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Consolidation of previously separated environments into a single data hall
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Preparation for future infrastructure integration
By coordinating both the logistics and technical execution of the moves, Sunspeed enabled the client to modernise its infrastructure footprint while maintaining operational continuity.
DISCOVER HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOU
Sunspeed has been providing IT services for over 30 years. We are industry leaders in transformation projects such as Data Centre Relocations, and provide a comprehensive package of services to deliver you control of your physical IT infrastructure. Reach out today to discover how we can support you: