Streamlining IT Complexity Improves Tribal Casino Gaming Operations
In this case study
The solution simplifies operations management, driving increased performance, enhanced productivity and greater reliability, all while minimizing the IT footprint. By implementing VxRail, WWT was able to resolve a tribal casino's current complexity and performance challenges while providing them with the flexibility to accommodate future growth.
The problem
The back office team of a leading tribal casino was experiencing significant latency and connectivity issues that were affecting gaming operations. A succession of IT managers had acquired an excess number of disparate systems over several years, taking up too much physical space and creating a highly complex environment with too many touch points for the IT staff to handle.
To support the casino's accelerating business, the IT team required a high-performance, reliable infrastructure. But the casino's aging environment had many vulnerabilities and was subject to failure, putting mission-critical operations, also vital to regulatory compliance, at risk.
The solution
The casino wanted a future-proof solution that could scale with their business in years to come. Instead of scoping out distinct storage, compute, and networking systems that would retain unnecessary complexity, WWT designed the proposed system requirements around the Dell EMC VxRail hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) platform. WWT's platform expertise, combined with strong customer knowledge cultivated by our expert account team, allowed for rapid, seamless integration of the solution into the casino's existing network.
VxRail optimizes compute, storage, networking and virtualization technology to work together in a much smaller footprint. This not only saved the casino precious physical space, but simplified systems management given VxRail's single-pane-of-glass interface. In fact, VxRail allows the casino to decrease their hardware footprint by as much as thirty percent, increasing system performance and reliability while decreasing complexity. Revising the network architecture in this way is also helping the casino prepare for its ongoing growth and performance needs.
The technology
VxRail provides the fastest and simplest path to transform operations and modernize data center infrastructure. VxRail is the single HCI platform for every VMware workload and use case, including VDI, compute dense applications, and for hosting traditional and modern applications on a true hybrid cloud infrastructure.
VxRail HCI System Software, the first and only HCI operating system jointly engineered with VMware, drives operational efficiencies with full stack integrity and automated end-to-end lifecycle management and AI-based predictive analytics.
Ideal for supporting today's hybrid cloud applications and Kubernetes workloads, the Dell VxRail solution helps increase agility, improve consistency, minimize risk and reduce costs – all while delivering a simplified path to hybrid cloud with full-stack integration.
How
VxRail accelerates and simplifies IT transformation through standardization and automation. Key features include:
- Software defined architecture that consolidates compute, storage, virtualization, and management
- Full stack integration with VMware technologies, including VMware Cloud Foundation
- Smart Fabric Services for VxRail automates network setup, simplifying and accelerating deployment
- Single point of support by default for all software and hardware.
- RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines enabling replication of virtual machines to remote sites and configuration of orchestrated failover and failback for disaster recovery
- Analytical Consulting Engine, a cloud-based analytics engine that utilizes machine learning to help prevent potential issues using predictive analytics and trending
- Flexibility in Hardware models to fit different needs for distinct use cases and environments
- Licensing. Dell allows customers to either bring their own license or purchase one as part of the VxRail solution
Why WWT
WWT designs, builds, demonstrates and deploys innovative technology products, integrated architectural solutions and transformational digital experiences for customers around the globe. This is done through a collaborative ecosystem consisting of thousands of IT engineers, hundreds of application developers and unmatched labs for testing and deploying technology at scale.
WWT has long-term strategic relationships with the world's leading technology OEMs, including Cisco, Dell Technologies, F5, HPE, Intel, Microsoft, NetApp, Palo Alto Networks and VMware. This provides direct access to millions of products from thousands of vendors & global distributors. This ability to integrate technology from multiple OEMs leads to game-changing tailored, holistic solutions.
Our Advanced Technology Center (ATC) is an integrated, remotely accessible problem-solving workspace powered by a multi-tenant private cloud infrastructure that fuses 5 data centers (> 300 racks of equipment, > 27,000 Virtual Machines, etc.). The ATC is the industry "best-in-class" environment to model proofs-of-concept, evaluate reference architectures, and analyze the performance of competing solutions with the support of OEM trained & certified engineers.
WWT's Digital Platform, an innovative, dynamic and interactive website to explore various IT solutions and services, provides customers with access to articles, case studies, hands-on labs and other tools that improve their organization's technology stance. This is supported by >340 TB of performance data of the products in live architectures.
WWT also provides a global network of Integration Centers anchored by our North American Integration Center (NAIC) near our headquarters in St. Louis. In addition, the company's Application Services team builds software customers to create solutions that identify specific needs, to create impactful solutions.
WWT's core technology areas — Automation and Orchestration, Carrier Networking, Cloud, Data Center, Digital Solutions, Networking, Security Transformation — feature teams of experienced, industry-certified technology professionals ready to help develop your company's IT evolution and roadmap.