Grötschel GmbH – HCI instead of standalone solutions: Grötschel bundles all IT into a single solution.

IT that just works. Clearly structured and easy to manage. That’s what Grötschel GmbH wanted to achieve with a virtualization solution. The goal was to replace the existing environment and create a new one in which the company’s entire server infrastructure would run. To do this, central services such as Active Directory, file services, and ERP had to be reliably integrated. It was also important that a single administrator be able to efficiently manage the new environment—with fast updates, high stability, and maximum visibility. The new IT environment was intended to support 50 employees, 30 IT workstations in administration and production, and a new production hall.

After Bechtle analyzed the existing systems, it quickly became clear that instead of a one-to-one migration, a clean slate was needed—with the new environment being built in parallel with existing operations. At the heart of the new target architecture: the Nutanix Cloud Platform as a unified operating model for all environments—whether virtual machines, containers, or cloud-native applications. Bechtle consolidated all of Grötschel’s servers, storage, and network into the central platform. At the same time, a new Active Directory domain was created. Finally, Bechtle gradually migrated existing systems and data into the new structure and, following testing, transferred them to the production environment.

The terminal server environment, ERP systems, and file services were also integrated. Nutanix replaced the previous file server. To maintain an overview, Bechtle additionally implemented monitoring with CheckMK. At the same time, the backup system was rebuilt using Veeam Backup & Replication, including tape connectivity and a clearly defined backup strategy. The migration took place during ongoing operations: Bechtle set up the new environment, tested it, migrated the systems, and then shut down the legacy systems. Step by step, this created a completely new IT foundation on which around 15 to 20 virtual machines now run—stable, high-performing, and easy to administer.

• ​​​​Simple administration significantly reduces daily workload.
• A straightforward update process enables fast and seamless maintenance.
• High performance boosts speed through HCI architecture with SSDs.
• Low latency from data storage in RAM accelerates applications.
• High scalability enables flexible IT growth.
• Direct support from Bechtle ensures quick assistance during ongoing operations.
• A structured environment created through a complete rebuild provides a better overview.