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“Manfredi Cold Storage was chosen to participate in the Windows Server 2008 Rapid Deployment Program (RDP) as a member of Microsoft’s Technology Adoption Program (TAP)”

Business Needs
Manfredi Cold Storage and Distribution uses state-of-the-art computerized controls to maintain temperature in its storage facilities, and it uses bar-coding and RF technology for inventory accuracy. A unique company service allows 50 customers in 22 different countries to check shipping status and inventory in real time by using Terminal Services to connect to a custom-developed line-of-business (LOB) application. Ten employees also use Terminal Services for remote access to the LOB application and remote administration of servers. These employees use a mix of Windows XP with SP3 and Windows Vista with SP1.

The company’s network environment consists of approximately 70 PCs and 10 servers (two domain controllers, a file server, terminal servers, application servers, and a server running Microsoft Exchange Server 2007). Multiple buildings are linked by fiber-optic cable and a broadband connection. It is an Active Directory environment that also includes SQL Server.

Remote users accessed Terminal Services running on Windows 2000 Server, a solution that presented some drawbacks:
* Aging hardware. Performance was acceptable but perceived to be sluggish and preventing future growth and scalability.
* Difficulty with print drivers for new USB printers. An IT assistant typically took two hours to configure printers for a new user or new printers for an existing user.
* Reliability issue. The LOB application occasionally disconnected from its database when too many concurrent users logged on to Windows 2000 Terminal Server, knocking clients offline and tying up IT staff.

Issues with the existing Terminal Server did not impact critical business operations, but did cause some loss of IT staff productivity and generated call center customer requests for inventory and status updates. The company needed a replacement server.

Solution
Manfredi considered replacing its custom-developed LOB application with a Web-based solution, but development time was estimated to exceed one year and costs to exceed $70,000. An alternative was to keep the LOB application and move to Citrix, but Citrix would still require Terminal Services licensing. The most logical solution, then, was to upgrade to Windows Server 2008.

Manfredi replaced Windows 2000 Server with Windows Server 2008 Enterprise on one server to take full advantage of Terminal Services features. In addition, Windows Server 2008 enabled the company to continue delivering the invaluable LOB application to local and remote users without additional development.

Deployment was quick. Basic functionality was ready two days after Manfredi received new hardware from Dell. The Roles Wizard in the Server Manager console provided a GUI-based walk-through to help the administrator complete the Terminal Services setup process. The deployment was so seamless users did not notice the transition to the new server, just the improvement in speed.

Manfredi hired Beacon Technologies, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, to plan and implement the Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services project. Beacon’s services also include monitoring and managing remote servers, maintaining network documentation, and providing on-call user support to maximize uptime.

Manfredi plans to extend the Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services environment to more customers, to migrate them off Windows 2000 Server. Eventually, the company may consolidate from two terminal servers to one and use Terminal Services RemoteApp™ to reduce administrative overhead on employee workstations.

Benefits
Manfredi customers need to see real-time data. The Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services solution improved communication between Manfredi and its customers and enabled employees to work from anywhere, helping Manfredi maintain a competitive advantage.

In addition, the solution has:
* Reduced support costs. Because of TS Easy Print, setting up new users takes approximately one hour less for IT staff, and existing users no longer need to call the IT department when they change printers (saving one hour for each change).
* Reduced application deployment time by 12 months. They saved development for a new LOB application by delivering the current one via Terminal Services.
* Increased server performance by 50%. Multi-core processing makes concurrent Terminal Services sessions faster.
* Improved reliability. The LOB application no longer disconnects from its database.
* Improved scalability. Windows Server 2008 has eliminated the need to add physical servers. Manfredi can now add more concurrent users on one server.
* Increased network throughput by 50 percent. The network can handle at least twice the number of concurrent users.
* Provided better security in Remote Desktop Connection 6.1. Clients can now authenticate earlier in the remote session by using Network Level Authentication.

Windows Server 2008
Windows Server 2008, with built-in Web and virtualization technologies, enables you to increase the reliability and flexibility of your server infrastructure. New virtualization tools, Web resources, and security enhancements help you save time, reduce costs, and provide a platform for a dynamic and optimized datacenter. Powerful new tools like IIS 7.0, Server Manager, and Windows® PowerShell, allow you to have more control over your servers and streamline Web, configuration, and management tasks. Advanced security and reliability enhancements like Network Access Protection and the Read-Only Domain Controller option for Active Directory Domain Services harden the operating system and help protect your server environment to ensure you have a solid foundation on which to build your business.

For more information, go to:
www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008