It was a milestone for us to have been able to update the mission-critical system to the Windows platform. One of the contributing factors is our adoption of everRun FT.
Marathon Keeps International Marine Operator’s Systems Afloat
THE COMPANY
A $113 million ocean transport company managing 135 vessels, Daiichi Chuo Kisen is a major domestic and international marine carrier respected for its forward-thinking operations. In the 1980’s, Daiichi Chuo Kisen was one of the first in the industry to integrate its core functions – including vessel allocation, order confirmation, financials and sales – into one centralized computer system based on a mainframe computer.
THE SITUATION: MIGRATE TO WINDOWS WITHOUT SINKING OPERATIONS
Though the centralized system was innovative for its time, by the 21st century the company needed a major upgrade. According to Tadashi Yamamoto, Director/General Manager, General Affairs Group, “A cutback in spending was a major issue. We encountered a great amount of difficulty in dealing with increased maintenance costs as we were required to cut expenditures and respond to new services, including the Internet.”
To lower costs and remain open to a wider range of future choices, the company decided to migrate its system to the Windows platform. But there were concerns: Would the new platform be as robust as its predecessor, especially under the heavy loads incurred during the close of its financial year in late March, early April? Would the migration be easy – or would it require the attention of additional personnel with specialized skills?
SOLUTION: DEPLOY MARATHON’S EVERRUN TO DEFEND APPLICATIONS
“From the very beginning,” notes Seiji Masuda, Director/General Manager, Information Systems Group, “we focused on the Marathon FTvirtual Server. We considered a variety of options. Among the choices that met the requirements for performance, the lowest-cost and ‘fuss-free’ [operation], one was Marathon.”
“After four years of development, implementation began in December 2005, followed by the removal of the mainframe in February 2006. To improve customer service and reduce wait times, customer inquiries were addressed by a dedicated server while Marathon FTvirtual Server assumed responsibility for the performance of all on-line applications. By completion, the system supported approximately 200 clients in the company’s headquarters plus multiple off-site units connected by LAN.
In the spring of 2006, the new system underwent its first major test. Takuya Takizawa, System Engineer, Information System Group, describes the challenge: “Because we were facing the accounting term for the first time since the implementation of the system, we actually felt uneasy about issues such as running out of storage.” In the event of disruption, the Daiichi Chuo Kisen team stood ready to manage the accounting process with handwritten slips.
RESULTS: A TROUBLE-FREE TRANSITION WITHOUT DELAYS, UNNECESSARY COSTS OR COMPLICATED MIDDLEWARE
The accounting period proceeded flawlessly. “It was a milestone for us to have been able to update the mission-critical system to the Windows� platform,” says Masuda. “One of the contributing factors is our adoption of the FTvirtual Server.” Masuda explains that, “The best product is one we can use without concern for details, including the cost issue.” Furthermore, Masuda says, Daiichi Chuo Kisen needs, “the stable operation of the system without much ado. If we were really into tools, we would have to learn the tools each time and there would be difficult issues including compatibility with a middleware system. From that aspect alone, I think the Marathon server is simple and first-rate.”
- Flawless migration from mainframe to Windows platform
- Reduces costs, complexity and personnel obligations
- Delivers continuous availability – a must for such critical business process applications
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