AngelTrack builds a resilient, scalable IT framework in the private cloud to enable faster response times for EMS and fire services

AngelTrack’s IT infrastructure initially relied on a robust Hyper-V cluster running Windows Server 2016, SQL Server 2017 and Cisco ASA firewalls. This configuration allowed AngelTrack to self-manage web servers while leveraging SQL Server expertise from Rackspace Technology. As the demands of AngelTrack’s growing customer base evolved, it became clear that an even more scalable, modern infrastructure was needed to support expanded disaster recovery capabilities and handle the increased load.

After a detailed assessment of AngelTrack’s infrastructure needs, the Rackspace team recommended Rackspace SDDC Business to provide a flexible, self-managed environment that aligned with AngelTrack’s requirements. The Rackspace SDDC Business platform was an ideal solution because it allowed AngelTrack to retain control over VM configurations and database management while benefiting from expert oversight for complex configurations and security.
 

Rackspace Technology provisioned the Rackspace SDDC Business infrastructure, setting up VMware ESXi hypervisors, managing vSphere configurations and clustering SQL Server 2022 for optimal performance and failover capabilities.

“The new cluster is blazingly fast, especially SQL Server, which now has a comfortable excess of memory, reducing its CPU utilization 67% by eliminating the thrashing in the procedure cache,” explains Christopher Hanka, CEO, AngelTrack Software.

Once the infrastructure was configured, Rackspace transferred operational control to AngelTrack’s team, allowing it to implement application-specific configurations. This phased approach ensured that the established Hyper-V cluster continued serving customers seamlessly while enabling a gradual transition to the new SDDC environment.

“Out of a sense of responsibility, we refused to outsource that project,” recalls Hanka. “Rackspace set up a secure VPN for us to transfer customer data one database at a time, avoiding dependencies between clusters.”

Throughout the transition, the Rackspace Elastic Engineering team provided crucial support via weekly knowledge-transfer sessions. These in-depth sessions covered VMware vSphere configuration, Palo Alto Pan-OS firewall optimization and advanced configuration strategies.

The knowledge transfer sessions were highly beneficial, helping AngelTrack overcome the initial intimidation of navigating new systems, refine configuration decisions and alleviate any remaining concerns. Additionally, they provided AngelTrack with a deep understanding of the subtle capabilities of deployment, enabling them to leverage all the methods and abilities at their disposal.

The support enabled AngelTrack’s employees to fully leverage Rackspace SDDC Business’ high availability (HA), cost control and enhanced security features, equipping them with the expertise needed for independent management.

“SDDC superimposes a shared-responsibility framework on top of VMware, exposing a subset of change authority to the customer, and reserving the rest to Rackspace by means of support calls or tickets,” explains Hanka. “We still enjoy all of VMware’s capabilities. With SDDC we receive a carveout of VMware’s config, monitoring and reporting functions within a set of guardrails for in-house people to use without going through Rackspace.”