Fujitsu ICT Boosts BC for Kyoto University

Fujitsu Ltd and Kyoto
University have worked together to virtualize 128 servers
and build an on-campus private cloud system aimed at strengthening business
continuity plan (BCP) capabilities for the university’s all-purpose server
system and optimization of ICT investments.

The new system began operations on December 28, 2012. In addition, the
university plans to proceed with the construction and operation of a BCP site
for the new system using Fujitsu’s datacenter in eastern Japan.

As a result of this project, it will be possible to maintain
availability of key services on the university’s homepage and other servers
even during natural disasters or blackouts in the Kansai region. Operated and
administered by Kyoto University’s Institute for Information Management and
Communication and the Academic Center for Computing and Media Studies, the new
cloud environment allows over 400 virtual servers to be operated, thereby
enabling the consolidation of general-purpose servers that have until now been
independently operated throughout the campus. This will help to streamline
server operations and management while delivering increased convenience to
faculty and researchers.

In leveraging the new system environment, Kyoto University plans to
further optimize its ICT investments and cultivate an even more cutting-edge
and supportive environment for nurturing human resources and promoting research
and development.

Background to the Deployment
After undergoing partial privatization in 2004, national
universities in Japan have had to adjust to a host of new organizational and environmental
changes, including a need to communicate research results and educational
curriculum to audiences both within and outside of the universities. Moreover,
in both academic and research settings, it has become essential to be able to
transmit a wide range of large-capacity content across networks.

With these trends gaining traction, Kyoto University established the
Institute for Information Management and Communication in 2005 in order to
facilitate the planning, development, management and operation of the
university-wide IT infrastructure, provide a variety of user services related
to the IT infrastructure, develop and provide an advanced and secure
information environment, and develop personnel capable of advanced use of
information and information technologies.

The Institute is comprised of the Academic Center for Computing and Media
Studies, which is engaged in activities related to research, development and
educational support, and which has explored ways to ensure the stability of its
information communications and content transmissions. During this process, the
university looked to augment the number of servers and the processing/storage
capacity of the all-purpose server system employed for websites and
repositories of academic information, as well as for the sharing of content
between laboratories. The aim was to build an ICT environment that is equipped
to handle natural disasters and power shortages. In developing an ICT
environment, the university also faced the important challenges of optimizing
its ICT investments and streamlining administrative workloads.

• Server
  virtualization and consolidation: The private cloud environment consists of
  a total of 128 PRIMERGY CX400 S1 and PRIMERGY CX250 S1 multi-node
  servers, which feature energy efficiency and a compact footprint,
  making it possible to run over 400 virtual servers. Using the new private cloud
  environment, Kyoto University plans to virtually consolidate servers across the
  campus as part of an effort to further increase the efficiency of campus-wide
  server management and reduce power consumption.
• Ensures
  operational continuity of critical servers: By sharing duplicate versions of essential data from some of the
  virtual servers between Kyoto University and a BCP site, it is possible to
  switch operations to a backup server hosted at Fujitsu’s datacenter during
  emergencies. This, in turn, will enable continued operations of critical
  servers that provide various services on the university’s homepage, even during
  natural disasters or blackouts on campus.
• Campus-wide
  faculty e-mail system now available 24/7: Previously, access to the faculty e-mail system was impacted by the
  working hours of IT administrators and statutory inspections. By building the
  e-mail system using Fujitsu’s datacenter and outsourcing its operations, it
  will now be available to faculty 24/7.
• Automatically
  backs up critical data: ETERNUS NR1000F series storage systems have been installed
  in both the on-campus private cloud environment and the BCP site. Using the
  storage system’s SnapMirror functionality, new data is periodically transferred
  between the on-campus system and the BCP site, allowing critical data to be
  automatically and remotely backed up.
• Employs Fujitsu
  datacenter: The system uses a Fujitsu datacenter that is located in an area of
  eastern Japan where the risk of damage from natural disasters is low. It is equipped with the latest disaster mitigation measures to deliver
  safety, reliability, and efficiency, as well as 24/7 system operations. This
  has resulted in reliability, security, and availability for the
  campus-wide faculty email system and BCP site, while also optimizing ICT
  resources.
  
  Uses the SINET4
  academic information network: The system uses the SINET4 Science Information Network
  for communications between Kyoto University and the Fujitsu datacenter,
  resulting in a network that is more reliable and easier to use, while making
  effective use of ICT resources. It is an information and communication network
  connecting universities and research institutions throughout Japan
  constructed and operated by the National Institute of Informatics.