Project Management & Implementation

Projects with EMKAL

We take the following measures to ensure our clients are fully satisfied when we improve their IT infrastructure:

 

  • We help to differentiate between nice-to-have and need-to-have projects to ensure that your IT dollars are spent effectively
  • We are vendor neutral, so we find the best prices on hardware and equipment that the market has to offer
  • We never begin work until we provide a quote and receive written approval to commence
  • We confirm with our clients that work has been completed to specification before we close the project

A Sample of our Project Success Stories

Remote Working

Remote Working Solutions

When one of our clients wanted to make it easier for employees to work from home, they asked us to develop a solution. We re-designed and upgraded their network and provided them with VPN to access all of their work documents remotely. Management could even use the VPN to access security camera footage from their smartphones. We also upgraded the remote password expiry system to allow users to reset expiring passwords from home. This setup has enabled their employees to work with minimal disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SharePoint Migration

As our client’s physical server was reaching the end of its warranty period, we reached out to them with a recommendation to migrate their file server to SharePoint. We seamlessly transitioned them to the cloud which enabled them to save thousands of dollars on a new physical server. This solution made it easier for their employees to work from home and was critical in helping them to maintain business operations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Laptop Computer

Office Deployments

As our clients grow, we have taken a leadership role in establishing their new office space from an IT perspective, whether it be within their existing facility or across the country. We collaborate with our network of business partners to ensure our clients receive end-to-end service and are set up with minimal business disruption.

Troubleshooting A Deep Software Bug

A third-party vendor needed to install their application on our client’s systems. The software worked on many machines, but a few were generating an error when clicking a certain button. This was a long standing problem for the developer and they had been unable to determine the cause. Using advanced tools like Microsoft Process Monitor, we were able to get to the root of the problem. The third-party vendor implemented our patch, benefiting both our client and users of the software worldwide.

Technical Support

Network Infrastructure and Apple iPad Deployment

Our client had a vision to place dozens of iPads in the hands of children in their care. We transformed five disconnected educational centers into a single network managed from the head office using IPSec VPN Tunnels. We set up and installed Netgear PoE switches, Ubiquiti edge routers, and UniFi Wireless AC (IEEE 802.11ac) access points, while project-managing third-party vendors to install enterprise grade 12U rack mount cabinets, faster internet and additional CAT6 network wiring.

VMWare Virtualization and Scaling

Upon auditing a new client environment we discovered their primary server was operating on workstation-class hardware in an unventilated service closet with no RAID or redundant power supply. We provisioned, configured, and deployed a Dell R720 server with VMware vSphere, then migrated all critical line of business applications with zero downtime. We were later able to virtualize a Microsoft Domain Controller and a 3CX VoIP Server, while simultaneously deploying a 100 Mbit synchronous fibre optic internet service with SIP trunking and QoS. As a result our client was able to triple the size of their call center operation without adding additional hardware.

VMware Cloud
Secure Payment

Paypal API Troubleshooting

Our client’s Paypal IPN integration built on the ColdFusion platform suddenly stopped processing orders and the client’s programmer could not identify the root issue. We began by inserting debugging statements and traced the execution of the application right down to the line causing the error. We discovered that the hosting provider was using an out-of-date Java certificate store causing SSL negotiation to fail. We worked closely with the provider to release the backlog and restore the online ordering system.

Government of British Columbia E-mail Bouncebacks

We were referred to a client whose mail server was bouncing back messages from the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment. Their existing IT service provider was unable to identify the root cause. We initiated contact with the client, gained access to their systems and services, diagnosed incorrect MX and nameserver records in DNS, and had the solution implemented in less than 48 hours.

Email Check

Live RAID Migration and Cache Upgrade on Hewlett-Packard Production Server

Our client was experiencing slow access to their main application server. Using a combination of Windows Resource Monitor and Atto Bench32, we identified the root cause as poor disk performance. We discovered the RAID adapter for the HP DL360 server did not ship with a Flash Backed Write Cache (FBWC) module and 3 of the 5 installed disks were not in use. We sourced and installed the cache module, then flashed the server firmware before performing a live migration from RAID 1 to RAID 1+0 (plus hot-spare). The result was 20x faster disk performance from the same hardware.

Chinese Branch Office VPN

Our client opened a branch office in Shenzhen, China and wanted employees there to have access to their ERP. Unfortunately, the “great firewall” of China made remote connectivity slow and unreliable. EMKAL worked with a vendor in Hong Kong to implement a new internet connection with an IPSec VPN tunnel on a Cisco router, enabling Chinese operations to reach full production capacity.

Secure-VPN
Barcode Scanner

Barcode Scanner Upgrade

When our client’s fleet of barcode scanners were starting to fail, we deployed cost-effective replacements and configured them to be interoperable with the existing WMS. As a result, we saved the company from spending thousands of dollars on an off-the-shelf solution.

DataCore Migrations

When our client’s DataCore SAN infrastructure was nearing obsolescence, we migrated them to the latest version of the software and replaced their aging hardware with modern equipment that would allow them to realize the full potential of their virtualized data storage solution. The result was increased performance and capacity of their data storage systems.

Cloud computing data storage

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