Background
A global healthcare technology organisation required the migration and consolidation of infrastructure within an existing data centre environment. The objective was to reduce cabinet footprint, improve cable management, and prepare the platform for future growth, while maintaining service continuity.
The project involved the relocation of 160 devices, with consolidation into eight new cabinets and a planned cutover aligned to a fixed operational window.
160 x
Devices relocated.
The CHALLENGE
The client’s environment had evolved over time, resulting in fragmented rack layouts and inconsistent cabling. This created operational overhead, limited visibility, and made future expansion difficult.
The migration needed to address several priorities simultaneously. Services had to remain stable throughout the transition. Existing connectivity required full validation. New cabling needed to be installed ahead of the move. The team also had to work within a live data centre environment with limited access windows and strict change controls.
Each device was connected via multiple network and power paths, with an estimated average of four cables per device requiring end to end tracing. This introduced risk around mispatching, service interruption, and incomplete documentation if not handled methodically.
0hrs
Unplanned downtime.
OUR Solution
The engagement began with a detailed discovery phase. Existing rack elevations were reviewed and validated on site. Engineers completed physical cable tracing for each device, confirming connectivity and documenting source to destination mappings. This produced an accurate patch schedule that became the foundation for the migration plan.
The team executed the migration during the agreed change window. Devices were disconnected, transported within the facility, installed into the new cabinet layout, and repatched according to the validated schedule. Each stage was sequenced to minimise service impact and maintain logical groupings.The migration followed a phased cutover model. Devices were grouped by dependency and relocated in controlled batches.
The process for each batch included:
- Disconnect and verification
- Physical relocation within the data centre
- Rack installation in the new cabinets
- Patching to pre installed cabling
- Connectivity validation
OUTCOMES
The client achieved consolidation from the existing footprint into eight cabinets, improving density and creating space for future expansion. Cable management was significantly improved, reducing complexity and enabling faster troubleshooting. Documentation produced during the engagement provided a clear and accurate reference for ongoing operations.
Additional outcomes included:
- Improved airflow and cabinet organisation
- Reduced cable congestion and clearer routing
- Validated connectivity across all migrated devices
- Enhanced operational visibility through updated patch schedules
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:
