Cloud Hosting Provider S High-Availability Solution Delivers Self-Service BI

Microsoft SQL Server Partner Solution Case Study

Cloud Hosting Provider’s High-Availability Solution Delivers Self-Service BI

“Thanks to the tools in SQL Server 2012 that encourage self-service consumption of data, Rackspace can deliver the enterprise-class BI tools that our customers need, in a managed hosting environment.” Aaron Conklin, Product Manager, Rackspace

Rackspace® Hosting, a hosting and cloud computing company, serves many customers that need business intelligence (BI) tools and database business continuity. Rackspace introduced a Microsoft database solution that customers can deploy in multiple data centers. With this new solution, Rackspace customers gain BI tools to turn their data streams into insights, acquire access to high- availability and disaster-recovery features, and minimize capital expenses thanks to the hosted model.

Business Needs most recently in 2012. The company Rackspace Hosting provides a broad has eight global data centers and more portfolio of IT services, such as than 4,500 employees. Rackspace dedicated hosting and cloud prides itself on its renowned service computing, to more than 190,000 culture known as Fanatical Support®. businesses worldwide, including more than 60 percent of Fortune 100 “Many of our customers have big data companies. A Microsoft partner with a with high-frequency transactions,” says Gold Hosting competency, Rackspace Aaron Conklin, Product Manager at is a four-time winner of the Microsoft Rackspace. “They need BI tools to help Hosting Partner of the Year award, them intelligently manage these data

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published August 2012 streams.” Several Rackspace customers do SQL Server 2012 development with clustering, and log shipping—into a have made long-term investments in a distributed workforce model in the single interface to create and manage Microsoft SQL Server 2005 software, Microsoft Visual Studio development availability.” which will reach the end of its product system,” Conklin says. lifecycle in 2016. Benefits SQL Server 2012 also interoperates Rackspace customers can use SQL Business continuity is also a priority for well with Microsoft SharePoint Server Server 2012 to improve self-service BI, many Rackspace customers. “Customers 2010. “SharePoint Server 2010 is the gain peace of mind by taking are seeking features for their disaster- default collaboration platform for advantage of its high-availability and recovery plans through geographic many of our customers,” says Conklin. disaster-recovery features, and avoid clustering and other features of newer “The ability to gather, analyze, and large capital expenses thanks to the technologies,” Conklin says. “Many want share large amounts of data from Rackspace managed hosting model. Rackspace to help them navigate the almost any data source can be a pitfalls of the technology refresh.” game-changer for companies Improved Self-Service BI interested in quickly identifying and Companies can use SQL Server 2012 to In short, current and potential reacting to changes in their business.” turn their large data streams into Rackspace customers are looking for a insights that power smart business hosted data management solution that With its hosted model, Rackspace decisions. “The hosting industry has provides BI insight and business makes software installation and not yet sufficiently served the demand continuity tools. licensing—plus administrative support for BI tools and services,” Conklin says. —available to customers. “Fanatical “Thanks to the tools in SQL Server Solution Support means we are going to take 2012 that encourage self-service In June 2012, Rackspace added our time to perform testing and consumption of data, Rackspace can Microsoft SQL Server 2012 to its hosting validation as part of our service before deliver the enterprise-class BI tools portfolio. With this new database including SQL Server 2012 in our that our customers need, in a solution, companies can take advantage Managed or Intensive service level,” managed hosting environment.” of SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services says Conklin. “This due diligence including SQL Server 2012 Power View, means our customers can trust that Greater Peace of Mind a BI tool that customers can use to Rackspace has the ability to support Customers can get more control of visually explore their data. their mission-critical databases.” their business continuity plans using the high-availability and disaster- Companies with large amounts of data By the end of 2012, Rackspace will also recovery features of SQL Server 2012. and high-frequency transactions will support SQL Server 2012 multisite The Rackspace managed hosting likely use SQL Server 2012 Integration clustering through its hosting model model offers them access to multiple Services to monitor, tune, and debug that uses multiple data centers. data centers, and thus also offers their data flows. Customers can also Conklin says, “Customers will be able peace of mind. “All of our customers— cleanse and standardize data using SQL to take advantage of our data centers enterprises and small-to-medium Server 2012 Data Quality Services and around the world for SQL Server 2012– businesses alike—are requesting more SQL Server 2012 Master Data Services. based disaster recovery or sophisticated tools for their disaster- “Administrators often struggle to ensure geographically aware load balancing.” recovery plans,” Conklin says. “The SQL that metadata and object definitions Server 2012 AlwaysOn features are remain consistent across disparate This model builds on the improved exactly in line with those needs.” systems in an enterprise,” Conklin says. performance and availability features “SQL Server 2012 Master Data Services of SQL Server 2012. These features Low Capital Expenses is a valuable feature to any company include AlwaysOn availability groups, The Rackspace hosted model looking to drive efficiency through which support up to four secondary minimizes the large capital expenses standardization.” replicas, and AlwaysOn active that often prevent customers from secondary replicas, which make it using software tools. Conklin says, “The Companies can develop and deploy possible for report queries and backup Rackspace managed hosting model databases using the new SQL Server operations to run on secondary gives customers broad access to the Data Tools. “The SQL Server Data Tools instances. Conklin says, “SQL Server Microsoft software portfolio and a are well designed to help our customers AlwaysOn has combined three pool of support specialists on an as- formerly disparate systems—mirroring,

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published August 2012 needed basis, which drives down the overall costs for our customers.”

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published August 2012