This company is a multinational retailer and the second largest retail group in the world. It became the first international retailer to establish a presence in Asia when it entered Taiwan in 1989. Today it has more than 70 stores across Taiwan, and is the largest hypermarket chain in Asia.

Number of employees (Taiwan): 11000

With over 70 stores across Taiwan and this company uses a decentralized IT infrastructure. Its company headquarters and branch stores each have individual server rooms and host servers. In addition to managing and maintaining all network storage equipment across the various branch stores and company headquarters, IT administrators at the company also attend to the storage and backup of all conventional and critical data as well as the individual storage and backup needs of different departments and work units.

In order to ensure the security of information such as the invoicing system database, customer data and working data of employees in various departments that grows by the day, it is important for the company to carefully select a suitable storage solution. When selecting a NAS storage and backup solution, the company assesses the cost, quality of service, and usage convenience, in order to select the appropriate solution for creating a secondary backup center that also meets the backup needs of individual employees in each department.

The company elected to use ASUSTOR’s 6 series AS-604RD/RS rackmount NAS models, using mounted iSCSI storage space as a secondary backup for the host servers in each of its server rooms and providing access for 20-30 clients. They have has also chosen to use ASUSTOR’s 2 series tower models in individual work units and departments for file sharing and backup in environments with 10 or less individuals.

“In order to meet the demands of a 24/7 non-stop operation environment, we have always used stringent standards when selecting and purchasing IT equipment. When purchasing storage solutions, we look for equipment with a high degree of stability and compatibility, great service, lots of expandability, simple management and a fair price, “ said an Information Technology Project Manager at the company. “ASUSTOR NAS devices stand out from the competition, meeting all our needs and requirements.”

ASUSTOR NAS devices were selected for their solid metallic casing and smart fan temperature control mechanism that allows the system to maintain a stable temperature during 24/7, long-term operation. ASUSTOR’s 6 series and 2 series devices all use the stable and high performance x86 hardware infrastructure which combines with iSCSI virtual storage to maintain excellent performance in multi-user access environments. Additionally, the AS-604RD/RS rackmount models offer a rich variety of I/O expansion interfaces, as well as compatibility for a wide range of USB and eSATA devices. This makes it simple for system administrators to utilize UPS systems with the NAS which combines with the dual power supplies on the AS-604RD to maintain consistent power and operation with interruptions.

Data backup is the most important daily task for the IT department at this company. ASUSTOR NAS provides exclusive 2-way backup support, which is one of the prime reasons that influenced their decision to use ASUSTOR NAS products. Each branch store has its own host server, so IT administrators at company headquarters centrally control all equipment. ASUSTOR’s 2-way backup mechanism allows for each NAS to work as a passive or active backup center, providing IT administrators with an even greater degree of flexibility when managing and scheduling backup tasks at branch stores.

In order to ensure the security of company data, the company limits the use of external storage devices within its offices. Because of this, they also provide 4-bay tower NAS models to individual departments based on their number of employees. Access security is further increased by the use of RAID storage volumes, access permissions and encrypted file folders on the NAS. Employees within the departments use My Network Places, FTP and various other methods to upload their data and documents to NAS devices for backup and centralized storage. The NAS also provides a convenient place for employees to store and access shared files, where changes to files can be instantly made and seen, maintaining their consistency.

Due to the limited number of employees in the IT department, managing all the IT equipment across the 70 Carrefour stores in Taiwan is a big challenge for the IT manager. He specifically mentions that because of the large number of stores, every second counts with regards to the time spent travelling and visiting each store. ASUSTOR NAS provides a unique system migration function that allows Mr. Wang to first use any ASUSTOR NAS at company headquarters to prepare and initialize hard disks required by branch stores. These hard disks can then be sent to the individual stores, inserted into an ASUSTOR NAS and be immediately ready for use, allowing the IT manager to quickly complete the setup of new systems. ASUSTOR’s user friendly ADM interface is also extremely simple to use, which allows the IT manager to delegate access permission configurations to the various departments using the devices, allowing for better efficiency.

Furthermore, ASUSTOR NAS also features comprehensive system notifications, allowing IT administrators to receive email, SMS or push notifications for system events. This gives them the power to always stay up to date with the system while having the ability to quickly respond to any unexpected events, limiting any potential damage or losses that could occur.

When compared with expensive IP SAN infrastructures, ASUSTOR NAS provides hardware and software expandability, cross-platform file sharing, seamless Windows AD integration and much more at an affordable price that simplifies management for IT staff while providing added convenience and productivity. “All ASUSTOR NAS devices come with 3 year warranties, providing us with a large quality guarantee and meeting our stringent conditions for cost, service and usage convenience,” said the IT manager. “Currently we are using close to 100 ASUSTOR NAS units and are extremely satisfied with their stable performance, ease of management and secure operation. In our future plans for expansion, we will continue to use ASUSTOR NAS solutions in all our stores, for their high cost-effectiveness and excellent performance.”