Remote Hands for a large gambling company with moving 94 units of hardware to other data centers

Remote Hands is one of the most demanded services that our company provides. Our well-established processes and extensive experience allow us to quickly accomplish even very complex tasks within the framework of Remote Hands. Here is an example of a project that was a bit complicated, but we successfully completed the work and the client was satisfied with the result.

Entry point

The primary referral came from a Remote Hands advertisement. We were approached by a large international gambling company with a distributed IT infrastructure. Part of the infrastructure was located in Frankfurt. It was necessary to migrate the hardware from one data center to two others. The client came to us with a preliminary technical specification, which is very rare. Unlike most requests that simply state that they need the Remote Hands service, this was a clear request with specific tasks, destination locations, the list of hardware and contact information for communication.

The decision to cooperate

The seriousness of intentions was obvious. The request was not a spontaneous reaction to an advertisement: our future client had studied the market, monitored companies providing the Remote Hands service and even prepared preliminary terms of reference with detailed instructions.

Apparently, the application was sent to different companies and was part of a competitive selection process. The client analyzed the proposals and sought to find out who could perform the task on acceptable terms. This explains why the budget approval process was delayed: we received the application in mid-June, but the final agreement and signing of the contract took place in early July. It takes time to carefully consider the options, evaluate the budget and choose a partner, and the client took more than 20 days to analyze the proposals and make a final decision on cooperation with CloudKleyer Frankfurt GmbH

The terms of reference contained two phases of work:

• Stage 1: to migrate hardware to another data center in Frankfurt with a step-by-step list of actions, indication of the source and destination data centers, an approximate list of hardware to be moved, and other details.
• Stage 2: to dismantle the hardware and send it from Frankfurt to another data center where the local IT infrastructure of the gambling company was located.

A total of 94 units of hardware were in need of relocation, occupying 6 server racks in the current data center in Frankfurt.

CloudKleyer project manager immediately responded to the request by replying to the email address specified in the client’s request and asked clarifying questions. Preparatory work began.

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Preparation and planning

Initially the client planned to complete all the work quickly, by the end of June. And we were ready for that, all that was left was to set a date for the relocation, get the missing information from the client, and sign the contract. However, the approval process was somewhat delayed, presumably due to organizational difficulties. The company is large, and any projects go through several stages of internal approval. Therefore, we were only able to start work in August, despite the readiness of our team and the transportation ordered in advance.

Remote Hands works for a gambling company

Phase One

Although both of the client’s tasks were within the scope of the Remote Hands service, they were very different. The first involved a complete migration cycle within Frankfurt, including:

• disconnecting and disassembling hardware in the current data center;
• packing;
• loading into a vehicle:
• transporting;
• installation in racks at the new location;
• connecting.

And at the end: verification of the devices’ operability in the new data center.

As mentioned above, we were ready to start the project within the agreed timeframe, but due to reasons beyond our control, the first part of the project started only on August 7, and the transport rented in advance had to be canceled.

The migration to the new data center was completed as planned: within two days we dismantled and moved 13 servers to the new data center, 7 of which had to be installed as soon as possible to minimize IT infrastructure downtime.

Result. We promptly handled this task: in two days the hardware was in the new data center, connected, tested, and ready to work. And 6 servers ensuring continuity started working on August 7.

Phase Two

The next task – preparing for transportation – was less extensive and complex, but required attention to detail, particularly with regard to packaging materials. It involved dismantling and securely packing the hardware: 52 servers, 17 networking devices and 12 power distribution units (PDUs), as well as photographing the process, labeling and compiling an inventory list. Initially, the client wanted us to do the transportation as well, but they later decided to move the hardware themselves, so the original plan was changed.

The work on the second part of the project lasted four days instead of three. This time the delay was caused by disorganization of the data center employees. The thing is that the process involved storing pallets with hardware prepared for transportation in a special room of the data center. And when we dismantled and packed some of the hardware, and started moving the pallets, it turned out that the data center did not allocate enough space in the storage, although the client had contacted support in advance and created the corresponding ticket.

Our attempts to resolve the issue with the responsible persons in the data center failed because we lacked authority. We immediately reported the situation to the client. Two days later, the allocation of additional space was agreed with the data center, and the work resumed. The delay did not affect the cost of the work and no additional invoices were issued to the client.

The project was fully completed on August 31st. All equipment was:

• disconnected and dismantled;
• carefully packed;
• enumerated (the inventory list is necessary in order to reconcile upon delivery of the hardware to the site and to file a claim with the carrier if lost);
• photographed.

A full photo report with a description of all work performed was sent to the client.

Result. After overcoming organizational issues we completed the work in one day. The hardware was packed on 7 pallets and was waiting for transportation, which we reported to the client. This was the end of our part of the project, as the client decided to organize the forwarding on his own.

Communication and interaction

Throughout the Remote Hands collaboration with the gambling company, we maintained active communication via a group chat on Telegram, which was created at the client’s request for operational interaction. All engineers involved in the work and the project manager were added to this chat. Similar chats are created for all CloudKleyer clients.

The main coordination took place through the project manager: informing the client about the progress of work, the status of tasks, and emerging issues. In cases of delays and inconsistencies, such as lack of the storage space, the coordinator immediately reported it in the chat, and also provided communication between CloudKleyer engineers and authorized representatives of the client. Technical details, updates, photos were sent to the chat room by the engineers who were directly working in the data centers. The information was also duplicated via e-mail for the contract department, which ordered Remote Hands from us.

Interaction in the chat room was constructive: the technical specialist from the client’s side did not leave our messages unattended and responded to them quickly.

The project participants

Several key employees from both sides were involved in the project. On our side, the work was done by two engineers (the Remote Hands for four hands, so to speak), which was the best option for performing tasks in the limited space near the server racks. The first part of the project involved two engineers, each working 8 hours a day. The second phase also required the participation of two engineers for three days (8 hours each day). All work was coordinated by the project manager, who was in active communication with the client until the project was completed.

One coordinating engineer, Team Lead Data Center Engineer, was allocated from the client’s side. He took part in correspondence, both by email and in working chats, where all technical aspects were discussed. The coordinating engineer was, in fact, a team leader who monitored the work at all stages.

The gambling company is large, with an extensive structure of departments and divisions. For example, a separate specialist is responsible for interaction with contractors involved in engineering work (including the search for and selection of Remote Hands executers). He holds the position of Purchasing Engineer in the procurement department. His area of responsibility is to coordinate the budget, invoices, contracts, interaction and control over the involved executers. It is interesting to note that at first, while negotiations and preparation were going on, correspondence was conducted with him. But then the Purchasing Engineer went on vacation, which required a change in communications: the project manager was switched to the legal department. That is, in addition to the above-mentioned employees, the gambling company’s lawyer was also involved in the project. This fact became another example of how flexible our business processes can be reorganized during project implementation without violating the established terms and conditions.

Under conditions of uncertainty: complexities and nuances of project implementation

Despite the high level of preparation of our team and specialists on the client’s side, there were some difficulties in the project, mainly due to the peculiarities of the organization of procedures within the gambling company.

Contractual part

The work with the gambling company started with receiving the client request and agreeing on the details of the task within Remote Hands. We were immediately asked to submit a preliminary contract from our side within a three-day period in the second week of June. The project manager promptly prepared and sent all the necessary documents for review, as well as requested specification. The company’s staff also responded quite quickly: in a few days we received an Excel spreadsheet file that included a detailed list of hardware to be migrated. The message also contained information about where the hardware was located, where it had to be moved, and other technical details.

Accordingly, in the middle of June we had an understanding of all the technical aspects of the relocation, all that was left was to sign the contract. Having agreed on the nuances, our project manager drew up the final version of the contract and even filled out the client’s details, having taken them from the gambling company’s website (they did not provide details). The contract and cover letter were sent to the responsible persons from the client’s side via e-mail. Final approval required clarifying some organizational points and setting an exact date for the start of work.

Complexities of interaction

The main communication was via email, most often with the contract department. In this case, the addressees in the email copy were always the engineering department, order department, and several other departments. Nevertheless, from time to time our project manager received purely technical questions that were not related to our Remote Hands services, but were within the client’s area of responsibility. Therefore, sometimes CloudKleyer project manager had to forward questions and answers from one department to another within the gambling company.

Organizational issues

Often we had to wait for the client’s internal issues to be resolved. For example, originally the Remote Hands service included transportation of hardware at the second stage of the project. But later on, the client decided to organize it himself, which led to additional approvals and, consequently, to delays.

In addition, we faced delays related to the coordination and approval of documents. Although the project manager from our side prepared all documents promptly, the client did not always respond to requests and did not confirm dates in time. This put restrictions on planning and, once again, led to rescheduling.

In the middle of the project, the purchasing engineer from procurement department, who was responsible for contractual and financial issues, took a vacation. His functions were temporarily transferred to the legal department, which slowed down the approval process at the final stages.

The project results

The client was satisfied with the work we did. All obligations on our part were fulfilled in a timely manner. Prompt communication via chat and flexibility of our engineers allowed us to complete the project on time and succeed in a challenging environment.

Plans

A gambling company has a presence in different countries and must take into account national laws and data protection requirements. In each country, it must build and use a separate IT infrastructure, which implies obtaining gaming licenses, paying taxes in each jurisdiction, and hosting hardware in local data centers. The company has many branches and is growing steadily, which speaks for the reliability and scale of its operations.

Our first Remote Hands experience with this client was not easy, but nevertheless interesting and mutually beneficial. CloudKleyer plans to continue cooperation on a long-term basis, becoming a permanent partner in support of the client’s European IT infrastructure. We hope to establish closer contact with technical specialists of the gambling company for further substantive discussions and development of business relations.

In our team’s experience, there are many examples when small orders or cooperation at the startup stage develop into strong, multi-year partnerships. Often we start with the provision of basic services, such as hardware colocation or server rental, and over time, clients begin to entrust us with full support of IT infrastructure. As a result, CloudKleyer becomes for them not just a service provider, but a key partner representing the interests of the company and supporting the IT infrastructure in Frankfurt and even throughout Germany.

Advantages and differences of Remote Hands in CloudKleyer from similar services in data centers

Personalization

Unlike data centers that offer Remote Hands exclusively to their existing clients and on a local basis, CloudKleyer provides these services for both existing and external clients, without restrictions on location. The range of services includes not only work on a single data center scale, but also the relocation of hardware to other data centers and even international logistics.

Scalability

Remote Hands services from CloudKleyer are in demand by both medium and large businesses engaged in various niches, including IT, IP-telephony, gaming industry, ISPs, and CDN services. Small companies also apply for such services, but the main segments of our clients are medium and large companies.

Expanded range of tasks

If data centers within Remote Hands provide a strictly limited set of services, CloudKleyer uses a personalized approach. Our team performs not only basic tasks (connecting cables, installing hardware, etc.), but also engineering work, such as replacing components (motherboards, memory, processors, RAID controllers), which is usually not included in the standard Remote Hands complex. Such services in the data center usually belong to the more expensive and high-class Smart Hands service.

Our clients can order not only installation of hardware and maintenance of IT infrastructure, but also such additional work as packaging of devices according to individual wishes, preparation for storage and migration, transportation. CloudKleyer always adjusts to the client’s requests. For example, if the client requests a special way of packaging, we purchase the necessary materials and guarantee the safety of the cargo during transportation.

Full responsibility

CloudKleyer takes responsibility for the safety and integrity of the hardware for the entire duration of the project implementation. If the client orders a carrier from us, we coordinate and control the entire transportation process, which minimizes the risk of hardware damage. As a rule, such services are not provided in data centers.

Responsiveness

Our company provides real-time control. Communication with clients is carried out via email and chats, which allows you to exchange instant messages and track the status of tasks, receive photos and videos. This way of interaction increases the efficiency and transparency of processes. In data centers, communication most often takes place only via email or a ticket system. This increases response time, makes communication slow and inconvenient, which is especially critical when a client needs to solve a problem urgently.

Flexibility in costing

We have two payment options: fixed-price project work or hourly billing for small tasks. The client can select a convenient option and agree the budget in advance both in the first and in the second case, because we can immediately calculate the approximate number of hours spent on certain works. The cost is fixed in the contract and does not change, even if there are delays due to the fault of the client.

In data centers, the calculation is usually made only by working hours, without the possibility to fix the price for the entire project, and technical specialists do not announce in advance how much time it will take to complete the request.

Teamwork

CloudKleyer most often works as a team of two or more people, which increases speed and efficiency. This plays an essential role in deployment, when it is important to avoid downtime and quickly solve the issue. In data centers, this approach is used less often, and the work is usually performed by a single technician.

Key bonuses for CloudKleyer clients

• Flexibility in project planning and implementation, including urgent orders.
• A wide range of works within the Remote Hands service.
• Discounts and special conditions for large and regular clients.
• Simplified and prompt communication via chat with the possibility of receiving photo and video reports on the progress of work at each stage.

In addition, we do not charge extra for on-site staff visits within Frankfurt. Whereas other Remote Hands companies may charge significant fees for a specialist to come to assess the scope of the project.