More time for important things

In summer 2007, Migros IT Services (MITS) set up an internal project group. Its task was to evaluate new monitoring software.

"As the number of SAP systems managed in the Basic Services group grew rapidly, so did the need for efficient, simple and comprehensive monitoring. The software used until then was very cumbersome to administer and could only partially provide the required services"

explains Balz Koch, Head of SAP Basis at MITS.

The first step was to draw up a specification sheet in which all the functions, components and systems to be monitored were recorded and classified according to importance and on-call relevance (on-call duty).

The search for suitable solutions then began and a total of five were shortlisted, although three were eliminated early on. The practical suitability of the two remaining candidates was tested on the basis of a trial run with test installations in-house.

Balz Koch and his team focused on the following criteria: simple handling, central administration and configuration as well as the establishment of an early warning system to eliminate emergencies.

After Migros IT Services opted for the Syslink product Xandria in December 2007, a consultant developed a customized concept for the company within two days in January 2008.

The installation and basic configuration were also carried out during this time. The first SAP systems and SAP-related systems were successfully connected to the new software.

Alerts and notifications are sent via SMS or email and can be viewed by all team members on a central console. Around 135 SAP systems with over 200 instances (test, IDES, training, quality assurance and production systems) are currently connected across M-Retail, M-Industry, MGB, M-Group and service providers.

All release upgrades were processed without any problems. Thanks to the automatic checks carried out daily, bottlenecks, space or performance problems can be identified and rectified at an early stage.

"The investment has paid off for our customers and for us. We can react more quickly and efficiently to problems and recognize potential problems at an early stage.

For our customers, this means increased security, availability and quality, all at the same price. The annual release upgrades run efficiently and smoothly and many of our needs have been incorporated in the process"

Balz Koch is satisfied.