Server migration at 1-2-3.tv

The Client

• 1-2-3.tv went on air October 1, 2004.
• It was Germany’s first shopping channel where the customers decide the prices of the products on offer in an auction. While the product is on sale, the customer can make offers on the products on the show through a largely automated ordering process (voice computer).
• The station now employs about 80 staff and 15 freelance presenters.

The Challenge

• Fail-safe designed MIS Central data collection in the Data Warehouse (MIS) works as a separate unit alongside the OIS (Operational Information System), which also functions as a central production server with real-time data available for online orders.
• Data stored for MIS and OIS separately on their own hard disks, shared backup server
• Failure of the OIS, e.g. because maintenance or repair leads to production downtimes

The Solution

• Migration from OIS and MIS to SQL Server 2008 R2
• Creation of a cluster to enhance performance and reliability and to protect the operating system and SQL Server
• Communication from OIS and MIS through Heart Beat to operational state
• Outsourcing the hard-drive data storage in common SAN with own security backup system
• MIS and OIS are permanently accessible on central data storage

The Benefits

• High availability of the business-critical systems MIS and OIS
• Ensuring an almost fully automated business operation (7x24)
• No online outages from physical server problems or system failures
• Operation continues to run normally without any intervention from outside, because the cluster controls and monitors the functions and services 
• Maintenance work possible in online mode
• New scalable OIS server can absorb peak-time needs
• Minimised revenue losses through reduced maintenance costs