Nutanix powers performance-intensive design applications for remote and office workers
INDUSTRY
Architecture
BENEFITS
- Flexible hyperconverged infrastructure supports advanced architecture and design applications
- Centralized management dashboard streamlines visibility across infrastructure
- Nutanix Frame enables offsite workers to access their applications and data from any device or location
SOLUTION
- Nutanix Hybrid Cloud Platform
- Nutanix Xi Frame
- Nutanix Files
XI FRAME RESELLER
CDW
Since 1978, FXCollaborative has been a leading American architecture, planning, and interior design firm. To drive maximum efficiency for its clients, the firm employs a global workforce of design professionals with 24x7 operations. When the VDI infrastructure that connected this workforce began to experience performance and reliability issues, FXCollaborative needed a unified solution that could deliver the consistent performance they required, from any location. Nutanix Hybrid Cloud Platform, together with Nutanix Frame, lets employees access the advanced resources they need from any device, to keep the spotlight on designers instead of the IT help desk.
Nutanix is definitely better than our previous solution because it is more durable and easier to manage. It’s just simpler, and I don’t have to worry about getting a 2:00 AM call about production-stopping issues anymore. It’s simple and scalable, and we can add additional nodes with just a few clicks.
Chaim Zeitz, IT Manager, FXCollaborative
CHALLENGE
FXCollaborative is well known for a variety of high-profile projects in New York City, including 4 Times Square, the renovation of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, and the Statue of Liberty Museum. FXCollaborative relies on its infrastructure to support advanced, performance-intensive design applications like Revit, AutoCAD, Rhino and the Adobe Creative Suite for its designers around the world.
When the firm’s older VDI hardware began to show its age, performance and availability were impacted. The IT team struggled to update its legacy VDI infrastructure and downtime and production outages became more frequent.
“It was not unusual for me to get calls at 2:00 AM from our remote workforce complaining that something wasn’t working, or that they had no access because part of our legacy VDI infrastructure had crashed,” said Chaim Zeitz, IT Manager at FXCollaborative. “It got to a point where upgrading and maintaining the infrastructure became so complicated that we needed to hire a consultant to help.”
SOLUTION
After considering a variety of alternatives, FXCollaborative migrated its infrastructure to the Nutanix Hybrid Cloud Platform. Nutanix enables the organization to consolidate its previous solutions onto a single hyperconverged platform that is easier to manage and maintain.
“We were looking to simplify our environment, and we researched several alternatives,” said Zeitz. “When I saw Nutanix features like one-click upgrades, I knew that its capabilities would make life a lot easier. From our initial engagement with Nutanix to subsequent meetings about what we needed, to the moment we fired it up and received ongoing support, the experience has been very positive.”
Nutanix Frame enables FXCollaborative’s workforce to access all the tools and applications they need to stay productive, including Revit, AutoCAD, Rhino, and the Adobe Creative Suite, as well as printing and file management resources.
Initially, FXCollaborative deployed Nutanix for general server virtualization. To empower its workforce with additional flexibility, the firm decided to extend its solution with Nutanix Frame. Frame is a Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) solution that lets employees access their applications on any device, from any location, providing external access without a VPN.
“We are just getting started with deployment and spun up our new VDI cluster over the summer,” said Zeitz. “We have stopped buying physical workstations, and are planning to add more nodes until our desktop needs are met. Ultimately, we expect to support about 150 users.”
To further improve storage efficiency and resiliency, FXCollaborative also deployed Nutanix Files, a scale-out distributed file storage solution.
“We are using Nutanix Files for Windows folder redirection for user profiles, which helps us utilize disk space more efficiently,” said Zeitz. “Many of the projects that we do span several years, so our users need plenty of room for applications and scratch space. Redirecting user profile to a Nutanix Files share reduces the local disk space we require for each VM, without impacting performance. Nutanix Files also provides a resilience advantage, because if a particular VM goes down, we will still be able to restore the user files, because they are maintained somewhere else.”
CUSTOMER OUTCOME
The new Nutanix solution delivers the performance and dependable operation that FXCollaborative needs to keep its entire workforce productive—inside and outside the office. The solution supports multiple monitors and GPU profiles, enabling us to allocate those resources efficiently – so designers can work the way they choose.
“The most important benefit for our organization is that people can consistently get their work done on time,” said Zeitz. “They can use an iPad, PC, or any other device, open up a web browser, and connect to the desktop from anywhere. That flexibility is very compelling, and Nutanix Frame makes it simple.”
Upgrades and compatibility problems are a thing of the past, and the Nutanix Prism console provides the visibility Zeitz needs to ensure that critical services remain quietly available.
“When our old VDI infrastructure was failing once or twice a week, our IT team was receiving too much attention. Now I can return to the background and be confident in knowing that our system is working reliably. And if I have an issue, I know I can open a support ticket with Nutanix Support and get a response in minutes. That is worth its weight in gold.”
NEXT STEPS
FXCollaborative is in the process of changing locations, and the new infrastructure is expected to play an important role in helping the organization redefine its company culture.
“We are moving to a new office in Brooklyn, which gives us an opportunity to give people more flexibility,” said Zeitz. “Our designers will not necessarily be sitting at their desks all day with a physical workstation. They may prefer to work on a terrace or group space on their own devices. Nutanix Frame lets us move beyond restrictions of physical workstations, because as long as an employee has an internet connection, they can connect to their desktop.”
With this flexible VDI solution in place, FXCollaborative has positioned itself to deliver the satisfying user experience needed to attract the best talent, to continue to build on its vision as an innovative, trend-setting design firm.