Windows Azure Solutions Series: Siemens expands software delivery services to significantly reduce total cost of ownership

Siemens-a global group of electrical and Electrical engineering, with its business in industry, energy and Healthcare, has won worldwide acclaim for its innovations and technological achievements. Siemens IT FX and Services has developed a worldwide transport service system with over 80,000 devices. Another additional service enables its users to send packages to devices around the world across the VPN network. To make these software updates and installations more efficient, cost effective, and deliver more complex packages to more devices, Siemens is now able to use the Windows Azure™ platform to connect devices directly to the Internet. Companies can dynamically adjust the size of global software distribution, while reducing costs, strengthening services and avoiding large amounts of new capital investments.

Scene
Headquartered in Berlin and Munich, Germany, Siemens is a global group in electrical and electrical engineering, with business in industry, energy and healthcare. The company has 410,000 employees all over the world. In fiscal year 2008, Siemens earned € 77.3 billion euros (about 113.8 billion US dollars), with net income of € 5.9 billion (IFRS).

Siemens IT FX and services is the world's leading provider of IT solutions and service. It covers the entire single source of IT service chain, from IT infrastructure consulting to management. In addition, Siemens it FX and Services has expanded its other Siemens sectors solutions to include IT solutions. Siemens IT FX and services employs more than 41,000 employees, with an annual sales of € 5.3 billion ($78 billion), of which more than 70% are generated outside of Siemens (Siemens sectors).

Elmar Stoecker, Siemens IT FX and Services Portfolio Management Director: Our first assessment showed that we were able to reduce the total cost of ownership by 90%, built on windows Software distribution systems above Azure can be more aggressive and cost-effective.

In order to control costs and compensate for the dwindling availability of equipment and computing resources, Siemens IT FX and services developed the common Remote Service Platform (CRSP), A remote service system hosted by a large server infrastructure in 3 data centers around the world. Siemens uses CRSP to remotely support more than 80,000 devices worldwide. CRSP includes a software distribution service that sends new software and updates to devices over a VPN connection without onsite maintenance support.

In the future, in new areas of application, such as video streaming or large-scale software updates, a solution that can easily expand or scale to meet the flow requirements of Siemens flows into and out is needed. To meet the needs of CRSP in its own non cloud data center, Siemens must build a large server infrastructure to handle peak loads. The large server infrastructure is idle during off-peak periods of low demand.

"To implement the entire system within an organization, the cost of distributing the application increases." Elmar Stoecker, Siemens it FX and services portfolio management, "we need a solution that can quickly achieve and give us more flexibility." ”

Up to now, the increase in the number of software distributed to devices around the world has created a lot of demand, as packages are passed through VPNs and cross firewalls. User firewalls must be configured by the administrator to allow VPN connections, and Siemens it FX and services must ensure that the VPN server capabilities are available in the data center. These factors increase the total cost of ownership of the VPN based solution.

To make software upgrades and installations more efficient, and to save costs, and to distribute more complex packages for more devices, Siemens IT FX and services began researching new technologies that could easily expand CRSP capabilities. It requires a solution that provides the functionality of the existing distribution mechanism, reduces user configuration difficulties, prevents unauthorized changes to complex packages, and is supported by a reliable communication infrastructure worldwide.

"From a technical standpoint, the main challenge is to smooth integration with existing platforms, scalability, reduced complexity, and higher security," Stoecker said, "From a business perspective, flexibility and cost are key factors." ”

Solution
Siemens decided to develop a software distribution program through the "cloud computing" model. Now the company has been able to store and manage its software packages and distribution information through external data centers, hosted on the Internet ("cloud") computing resources.

Siemens IT FX and Services is involved in the Microsoft®technology adoption program, so it can immediately use the Windows Azure™ platform, an internet-level cloud service platform, Hosted in the Microsoft Data Center, distributing packages to thousands of devices from a central storage point for many different users.

Siemens chooses the Windows Azure platform because of its high availability, an extended infrastructure for Pay-as-you-go mode, Windows Azure cloud service operating system, and a set of developer services that can be used independently or jointly.

Multi-component Software Distribution services

Companies can now replace existing software distribution systems and VPN connections with multiple component software Distribution services hosted on Windows Azure. Within the Siemens intranet, an SAP system generates orders for software distribution. Based on Microsoft SQL server® data management software, Siemens it FX and Services developed developed an application called Software IBuySpy Manager (SDM) to collect orders from SAP systems, and make the order and the package extracted in the library collaboration.

SDM then uploads orders and packages to the software IBuySpy Service (SDS), which uses Windows Azure storage to store packages and manages data with Microsoft SQL Azure™ database. When the package is downloadable, SDS notifies Software IBuySpy Client (SDC) at the user site. SDC downloads and installs packages on separate devices and notifies SDS of their completion status.

Finally, SDS relays feedback to the SDM,SAP system to pay attention to the download and installation process, providing billing information, including: The amount of Windows Azure resources used.

"With Windows Azure, we don't have to connect terminal equipment to the data center," Stoecker said. "Now we're storing information in a central place where users can choose and download software." ”

Elmar Stoecker, Siemens IT FX and Services portfolio management Director: Most of our developers have used Visual Studio Tools, and we can use a known SQL Server based 2008,visual Studio 2008, and the Visual Studio Team Foundation Server's development environment, is one of the big reasons we use Windows Azure.

Data storage

Siemens stores order processes and management information in SQL Azure, and SQL Azure synchronizes with Windows Azure Blob storage, which stores packages.  By separating management and batch data, Siemens can use the managed load balance for web roles. The load balancing of Blob Storage is automatically implemented by Windows Azure Storage. Companies use shared access signatures to ensure that users access the package security without providing them with a shared access key for Windows Azure storage.

"Developing Application management logic in SQL Azure enables faster, more seamless integration, and internal code reuse." So our data pattern in the cloud is the same as not in the cloud. Gerald Kaefer explains, Siemens architect. This allows Siemens to use a single coding base, which makes the company manageable.

Advantages
With Windows Azure platform, Siemens it FX and Services has developed a globally available software distribution service that reduces operating costs and avoids large capital investments.

Companies can dynamically expand solutions to meet requirements and pay only for the computing and storage resources they need to use. Now Siemens it FX and services can provide enhanced solutions and service to better serve customers with less time and cost.

Reduce Capital risk

By using Windows Azure platform, Siemens has reduced the risk of infrastructure investment in changing markets. Without upfront investment in the physical infrastructure that meets peak demand, Siemens is reducing its total cost of ownership and creating economies of scale.

"Our first assessment showed that we were able to reduce the 90% cost of ownership," Stoecker said, "The software distribution system built on Windows Azure will be more aggressive and cost-effective." ”

High scalability

Now Siemens can quickly and easily expand or reduce the size of its software distribution system. It can use only the necessary storage and processing capabilities to store, distribute, install, and detect software packages for industrial devices worldwide. After that, it can also scale down in low demand, use less computing resources, and cost less. The distribution time was also significantly reduced.

"Knowing how many orders were sent, we got the Windows Azure computing resources we needed beforehand." Kaefer said, "Transferring data directly from Windows Azure Blob storage automatically expands seamlessly and avoids the extra cost of hosting web Roles network services."

Reduce operating costs

Siemens significantly lowers operating costs by replacing physical infrastructure with Windows Azure computing and storage resources that can be flexibly managed. Without relying on VPN connections, it can take less time to manage and approve system administration tools. Siemens can use the Pay-per-view approach to gain flexibility and maintain price transparency between orders and users, and reduce the maintenance costs required.

"Our cost is significantly reduced by temporarily storing software packages on Windows Azure compared to our own data centers." "Stoecker said.

Strengthen User Service

With its new delivery model based on the Windows Azure platform, Siemens IT FX and services can provide improved service and quality to users. For example, with fast and easy software trials and rapid response to growth requirements, it can provide cost flexibility and save user costs. The company expects to introduce new services more frequently based on its new software distribution system.

Familiar development environment

"The solution we build on Windows Azure is not only cost-effective, but also easier to implement than previous systems," Stoecker said. ”

Siemens IT FX and services is familiar with the Microsoft Visual studio® development system and uses this technology to deploy its Windows Azure based software distribution system. "Most of our developers have used Visual Studio Tools," Stoecker said, "and we can use the known SQL Server 2008,visual Studio 2008 and the Visual Studio Team Foundation Server's development environment, which is one of the big reasons we use Windows Azure. ”

This article translates from:

http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/Case_Study_Detail.aspx?CaseStudyID=4000005945

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