Clear structures – NetApp storage tiering for Chemnitz.

City of Chemnitz – Faster access, clear structures: NetApp storage tiering for Chemnitz.

With 24 departments and 4,300 employees, the City of Chemnitz delivers a modern, service‑driven administration for its residents and relies on the Information Processing Office to keep IT operations stable while driving the city’s digital strategy—from e‑files to secure infrastructure. Together with Bechtle, the city modernised its data centre using a NetApp solution, that allocates storage resources efficiently, classifies data automatically and provides transparent access. The result? Quicker retrieval, lighter operational workloads and an infrastructure that brings growth, security and efficiency into one streamlined environment.

Project details.

Services

Data Centre

Industry

Public sector

Manufacturer

NetApp

Company size

> 1,500 employees

Challenge.

How do you get the most out of existing resources? This was the question facing the City of Chemnitz when another data centre expansion was due. For more than twelve years, the Information Processing Office had relied on NetApp for a stable, proven and efficient environment, and the new tender was set up to continue that approach. Chemnitz aimed to protect what was already in place and move its investments forward in a meaningful way, guided by long‑term planning. The objective was clear: maximum performance within a defined budget. Storage tiering sat at the top of the wish list—a technology that moves rarely accessed data to more cost‑efficient media without any noticeable impact for users. The aim was greater efficiency with lighter operational workloads.

Bechtle involved our team as an equal partner from the very beginning, guiding us through every step from initial design to implementation. Together, we introduced a system that meets our performance and availability requirements, delivering low latencies and high throughput. Automatic tiering cuts back on manual tasks and delivers measurable efficiency gains, enabling us to run the City of Chemnitz’s infrastructure in an efficient and future‑ready way.

Uwe Barth, Head of Networks, Servers, Services, ICT Operations Department, City of Chemnitz

Solution.

The City of Chemnitz and Bechtle chose a NetApp solution that delivers efficiency and stability in equal measure. At its core sits a MetroCluster system with All‑Flash AFF A400 storage, extended with two AFF C250 nodes to enable storage tiering. The system automatically identifies frequently and rarely used data and shifts each set to the appropriate storage medium—fast SSDs or more cost‑efficient media—ensuring full availability while making efficient use of high‑value storage space. A further advantage lies in the continued use of the existing storage environment as a backup system, allowing the city to use its resources wisely and safeguard previous investments in a sustainable, cost‑efficient way. The two data centres, located roughly one kilometre apart, are linked through the city’s own fibre‑optic connections, which ensures georedundancy and stable operations. The collaboration ran smoothly, with the city’s IT team involved from the very beginning. They gained hands‑on experience with the new environment and transitioned it straight into live operations. The result is a high‑performance, resilient and energy‑efficient storage landscape tailored to the needs of a modern administration and built to last for many years.

Business benefits.

Efficient resource use: Automatic movement of rarely accessed data to more cost‑efficient storage media.
Sustainable use of existing systems: The previous storage environment now serves as the backup solution.
Cost‑efficient operations: Automated processes and optimised storage allocation keep running costs low.
High resilience: NetApp MetroCluster technology enables consistently stable operations.
Improved energy efficiency: Modern all‑flash systems reduce power consumption and heat output.
Future‑ready infrastructure: Scales with Chemnitz’s evolving requirements and supports upcoming digital projects.
Faster access to data: Administrative and specialist data becomes available more quickly for employees.
Greater autonomy: Close collaboration enabled Chemnitz’s IT team to operate the solution independently.