How GHS Empowered a Leading Bank with Cloud-Based DR and Strategic IT Freedom

13.02.25

Situation

A major financial institution embarked on a full-scale migration to IBM Cloud, aiming to modernize its IT infrastructure and enhance resilience. The bank’s plan was structured into two key phases:

Phase 1: Implement a next-generation disaster recovery (DR) and backup solution in IBM Cloud’s Toronto data center, replacing their outdated, manual DR system.

Phase 2: Migrate all production workloads to Toronto, with Montreal serving as the new DR site.

The urgency behind this initiative was driven by business continuity risks, particularly hurricanes impacting the bank’s Caribbean-based clients. Their legacy DR system relied on highly manual processes, physical hardware dependencies, and slow recovery procedures, exposing them to potential downtime, regulatory risks, and escalating operational costs.

The initial priority was clear: implement a resilient, fully automated cloud-based DR solution to eliminate external threats from their IT decision-making.

But what happened next redefined the bank’s entire approach to cloud migration.

By successfully executing Phase 1, GlassHouse Systems (GHS) delivered such a robust, cost-effective, and fully automated DR solution that the bank no longer felt forced into an urgent production migration. Instead of reacting out of necessity, they gained full control over their cloud strategy, enabling them to proceed with Phase 2 on their own terms.

Action

The bank’s previous legacy DR solution was an outdated, inflexible model that constrained their ability to respond to disruptions. GHS quickly identified the key limitations that needed to be addressed:

High operational costs – The bank was spending millions annually on a service that lacked automation and scalability.

Manual, slow failovers – Every DR event required IT intervention, significantly increasing recovery times and business risk.

Rigid hardware dependencies – The system relied on physical infrastructure, limiting flexibility and scalability.

Lack of business agility – The DR system’s inefficiencies meant external risks, such as hurricanes, dictated IT strategy instead of business priorities.

GHS stepped in with a transformational solution, eliminating these inefficiencies by implementing:

IBM Power Virtual Server for IBM i workloads, ensuring cloud scalability and performance.

Zerto for VMware-based workloads, providing seamless, near-instant replication and failover automation.

This next-generation DR system delivered unmatched capabilities:

Near-synchronous replication – Eliminating hours or days of potential data loss, significantly improving RPO and RTO.
Automated failovers – No more manual interventions, reducing downtime and increasing IT agility.
Massive cost savings – The bank saved $1.5M immediately, improving financial efficiency and budget flexibility.
Unparalleled resiliency – With Toronto as the active DR site, the bank was now fully insulated from Caribbean weather disruptions.

By implementing a modern, cloud-first DR solution, GHS turned what was previously a business vulnerability into a strategic advantage.

Business Outcome

The impact of GHS’s work went beyond just disaster recovery—it fundamentally changed how the bank approached its IT strategy.

Before this project, the bank felt trapped in an urgent migration timeline, driven by hurricane risks and operational weaknesses. After GHS successfully deployed Phase 1, the bank no longer had to react to external pressures. Instead, they took back control and gained the ability to dictate their own cloud roadmap.

Now, instead of scrambling to complete Phase 2 before hurricane season, the bank can:

✔ Execute a controlled, strategic cloud migration, aligning with long-term business priorities.
✔ Eliminate unnecessary disruptions, ensuring seamless transitions for employees and customers.
✔ Continue leveraging GHS’s managed services for proactive monitoring, optimization, and security.

This isn’t just an upgrade in technology—it’s a paradigm shift in how the bank manages IT resilience and strategic decision-making.

The Big Takeaway: GlassHouse Systems Delivered More Than a Solution—We Delivered Freedom

This bank started its cloud transformation out of urgency. Now, it continues on its own terms—a luxury they never had before.

That’s the power of GlassHouse Systems and modern cloud-based DR—it removes pressure, eliminates uncertainty, and gives businesses the ability to act when they’re ready, not when they’re forced.

They no longer have to move because of hurricanes.

They can move because it’s the right time for them.

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