Unisys & UPSS
Breakthrough: UPSS Gains Intelligent, Robust Data Archiving.
Imagine it.

Improve data storage, information retrieval, and customer service while reducing costs and expanding services.

Done.

Unisys Payment Solutions and Services (UPSS) deployed a data archiving solution for European financial institutions. Data access was vastly improved using Unisys Payment Information Engine (PIE) software running on Unisys ES7000 Model 510 and Model 520 Enterprise Servers. PIE uses a Microsoft SQL Server 2000 database running on the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating system.

Improved Flexibility and Secure Business Growth

UPSS 23-terabyte, Microsoft SQL Server 2000 based, disk-only data archive is one of the largest and most robust SQL databases in the world. In fact, it won recognition as a member of the “Top 10” for data warehouse peak workloads in the Winter Corporation’s 2005 TopTen report. Based on Unisys and Microsoft technology, the solution improves data storage, accelerates information retrieval, improves customer service, and lowers costs.

 

Metrics

Business Challenge: Improving Data Availability and Management

In 2003, Dutch payments processor and domestic clearing house Interpay Document Services chose Unisys Corporation to develop a data-storage solution that would improve customer service through increased speed and reliability. By March 2004, Unisys acquired Interpay’s Document Services division, and in doing so created a new organization – Unisys Payment Solutions and Services (UPSS).

 

The payment transaction and document archiving services provider supports European financial services providers seeking a reliable and professional partner for specific business processes. Each day, UPSS adds more than 14 million new data items and more than 600,000 new digital images – and it retains its banking transaction data, digital images and payment information for seven years to comply with government regulations. Unfortunately, the company’s UNIX-based solution from BancTec was expensive to operate and made only three months of data immediately available. Plus, complex queries using historical data could take months to retrieve. Therefore, UPSS required a more efficient data archiving system that could improve availability, lower costs, and enhance customer service.

 

Solution: Obtaining a High-Performance Data Storage Environment Using Unisys and Microsoft Technology

“The renewal of our data storage started with thorough research into the latest archiving technologies and the companies behind them,” says Rob Fopma, formerly a business unit manager for Interpay and now General Manager of UPSS. “As a result of our research, we chose Unisys for the development and delivery of our new system.”


The new 23-terabyte Microsoft SQL Server 2000 based disk-only data archive now used by UPSS is powered by Unisys Payment Information Engine (PIE) software. PIE enables financial service providers to manage all aspects of payment transactions, from efficient storage and data access to improved security through the prevention and detection of fraud. The transition to the new storage solution was seamless, and all users have the same interface as before. Unisys converted seven-years worth of data for all of the Dutch financial institutions, including 22 billion transactions in more than 100 different formats. The original plan included 12 monthly partitions per year to store the data in SQL Server 2000, but to achieve better load performance, Unisys switched to 52 weekly partitions per year. The new storage solution puts all data in a central location, creating a single repository that is both more secure and easier to manage. UPSS can now process up to 35 million transactions in 24 hours.

 

For production, UPSS relies on Unisys ES7000 Model 510 and Unisys ES7000 Model 520 Enterprise Servers. Its storage solution includes an EMC CLARiiON CX700 networked storage system with a 3.3-terabyte Fiber Channel disk and a 50-terabyte ATA disk. PIE uses a Microsoft SQL Server 2000 database running on the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating system.

 

For its failover solution, UPSS safeguards data and achieves full redundancy within a high-availability environment that includes two additional Unisys ES7000 Enterprise Servers. UPSS also utilizes an EMC CLARiiON CX600 storage system with a 3.7-terabyte Fiber Channel disk and a 63-terabyte ATA disk. Finally, a migrated historic image archiving system is stored in the failover system.

 

Results: Improved Customer Service with Lower Cost

UPSS is putting its combined Unisys and Microsoft data archive solution to the test with excellent results. The organization has:

For example, performance improvements have been made possible by a solution that lets UPSS scale servers, processors, and disk storage, which helps the company meet growing customer demands. Banks require fast access to data, and now UPSS delivers 99.99 percent availability to its customers. Most queries are processed in three to five seconds, and the time needed to perform complex analyses has been reduced from months to hours.

 

Operations costs have been reduced as well. By streamlining data storage management from a combination of disk and tapes to a disk-only system, storage system management time has been reduced to roughly 60 man hours a week. Plus, UPSS has decreased the amount of physical storage space required by 90 percent. “We estimate that this storage solution saves us €139,000 (U.S. $168,500) per year,” says Rob Fopma, general manager, Unisys Payment Solutions and Services. With Unisys PIE software, UPSS has improved security through enhanced fraud detection and prevention, while also strengthening overall storage and data access.

 

The Relationship: Providing Enhanced Business Value Through A Solid Partnership

Thanks to a partnership that has lasted more than a decade, Unisys and Microsoft deliver visible business value to customers through their combined experience and collaborative approach. “Unisys showed great creativity and professionalism in delivering results, as well as flexibility during the execution. Plus, Microsoft technology and state-of-the-art software (running in a Unisys server environment) helps us offer reliable customer service,” adds Fopma.

 

A comprehensive solution helped UPSS enjoy timely access to innovation, superior support, and reduced costs. “We recognized the Windows platform as a viable alternative to expensive UNIX-based solutions for mission-critical operating environments,” says Gerard Hurkmans, Director of Banking Practice for Unisys in the Netherlands.

 

Profile: UPSS

Solution at a Glance

TopTen Recognition 1

1 Winter Corporation. “2005 TopTen Program: Survey of the World’s Largest Databases.”
http://www.wintercorp.com/VLDB/2005_TopTen_Survey/TopTenWinners_2005.asp September 8, 2005.

 

 

 

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