Introduction: 

ArcelorMittal Bremen GmbH is a subsidiary of ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel company. It produces over 3.6 million tons of crude steel annually. The company is one of the biggest employers in the Bremen region of Germany. Its steelworks have been producing steel since 1957. For uninterrupted steel production, it's crucial that the plants maintain constant availability. This concept of continuous operation also applies to its IT systems and data. The company's data needs to be consistently and dependably backed up to prevent production outages caused by adverse IT events.  

1. Overview of ArcelorMittal Bremen's Complex IT Environment 

ArcelorMittal Bremen utilizes a range of IT systems to support its operations, reflecting the complexity of its industrial manufacturing environment. The diverse IT systems include Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server Databases. These databases store production-related process data critical for steel manufacturing operations. They play a key role in managing and analyzing data related to the production processes at ArcelorMittal Bremen. 

ArcelorMittal Bremen employs an SAP system for enterprise resource planning (ERP) and managing various business functions. The SAP system likely handles tasks such as inventory management, procurement, and financial accounting. 

2. Solution Implemented: OpenText Data Protector: 

For over two decades, ArcelorMittal Bremen has utilized Data Protector as its primary and largely automated backup solution. The backup infrastructure of the company is overseen by an external IT service provider. Additionally, ArcelorMittal Bremen employs a separate provider for associated support and comprehensive technical proficiency. 

ArcelorMittal Bremen employs the HPE EML 103 with HP LTO-4 Ultrium tape drives and the HPE StoreOnce 6500 deduplication appliance for data backup. Additionally, it uses the HPE MSL4048 with HPE LTO-6 Ultrium tape drives as a physically separate redundant system, which stores images from the HP EML 103 and HPE StoreOnce 6500. 

ArcelorMittal Bremen backs up its large databases onto tape libraries, while smaller databases, file servers, and process computers are backed up on the StoreOnce 6500 system. This system is used efficiently, achieving an average compression ratio of 9:1. The company's total data volume is in the low three-digit terabyte range and is growing approximately 15% annually due to the increasing need to store a variety of business data, including technical documentation, accounting, and customer data, and crucially, quality-related plant measurement figures. 

3. Benefits and Results: 

According to Henning Wesemann, the company’s IT expert and project manager responsible for centralized data backup and storage solutions, Data Protector has proven its value to ArcelorMittal Bremen. “Data Protector has always won against its competitors due to the combination of all its features,” he says.  

Utilizing Data Protector, ArcelorMittal Bremen has successfully managed to perform regular data backups in line with the needs of each of its specialist departments. It has also effectively implemented a strategy that encompasses full incremental backups, retention periods, and backup schedules. 

Crucially, Data Protector has enabled ArcelorMittal Bremen to back up data from various sources and environments. This includes approximately 400 physical and 90 logical partitions in its IBM AIX environment, 570 virtual machines in its VMware environment, and 120 databases. 

Consequently, ArcelorMittal Bremen has successfully integrated the virtual and physical realms in a unified backup console. The use of Data Protector solutions has further aided the company in its strategy to standardize data and enhance and make it highly available. 

4. Challenges Faced and Solutions Provided: 

The diverse IT systems at ArcelorMittal Bremen play a crucial role in supporting various aspects of steel production, from managing production data to ensuring efficient operations and compliance with industry standards.  

The complexity of these systems underscores the need for a robust backup solution like OpenText Data Protector to safeguard critical business data effectively. 

Conclusion: 

OpenText Data Protector facilitated the backup of data from approximately 400 physical servers, 90 logical partitions in the IBM AIX environment, 570 virtual machines in the VMware environment, and 120 databases. It simplified the integration of virtual and physical systems within a common backup console. Data Protector bolstered the company's approach to data standardization and enhancing its availability. 

Explore how OpenText Data Protector can help your organization to ensure data integrity and data protection. 

Read the ArcelorMittal customer story. 

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