Azure Stack HCI and Azure Arc deliver the benefits of Azure to local applications at Uniper

The challenge: Different provisioning complicates application management

From gas to electricity, hydrogen to biomethane, Uniper generates and trades all kinds of energy and is active worldwide in a highly regulated industry. Its activities in the energy sector are subject to numerous legal requirements, from internal control systems and safety standards to risk management and liquidity conditions—at both the national and international levels.

Such regulations always have an impact on IT. For example, particularly sensitive data, such as for the operation or maintenance of power plants, is not permitted to be hosted in the public cloud. Permissions and access are highly confidential here. The same applies to the applications that use this data. “These days, we can host many applications in the public cloud, but we continue to provide 6 to 8 percent on-premises—either because we’re legally required to or because the technology for business-critical applications makes it necessary,” says Hans Pezold, SVP Information Technology and Managing Director at Uniper IT GmbH. “The latter relates to things like IoT sensors at power plants, where the data is processed on site to avoid any loss of speed.” Regardless of whether the applications are hosted in the public cloud or locally, the company’s IT department must be able to operate and maintain them in a standardized, stable, and secure manner.

Doing so is a bit of a challenge, as Uniper has been relying on a single-cloud strategy since 2016 with Microsoft Azure. “After we were spun off from E.ON, we opted for modernization with the public cloud rather than our own datacenter,” Pezold explains. “We wanted to continue to focus on our core competence as an energy company, and the cloud offers decisive advantages in terms of costs, performance, and security.” Uniper also benefits from the high level of automation of Azure, rapid provision of services, scalability, and flexibility. The company thus needed to find a way to bridge these two worlds. “It was important for us to be able to implement the new solution quickly and to deliver new services without having to acquire additional expertise,” says Tamás Stolcz, Cloud Architect Lead at Uniper IT GmbH. “We wanted a solution from a single source, and we were keen to utilize the integration capabilities of Azure. So it was a logical step for us to opt for Azure Stack HCI and Azure Arc as the technological basis.”

The solution: One dashboard for all applications based on Azure Stack HCI and Azure Arc

Uniper now manages its IT resources uniformly in an integrated overall system, regardless of whether the resources are hosted centrally in the public cloud or locally on-premises. All data is collected via Azure Arc and Azure Monitor, converted into a standard format, and ultimately made available in an IT dashboard. Azure Stack HCI enables the hybrid use of cloud services in the on-premises environment. Software and hardware are easily updated via integrated Azure components, keeping downtimes to a minimum.

The solution uses Dell Technologies systems that are perfectly coordinated with the integrated setup. “Azure Stack HCI has special requirements,” explains Elmar Szych, Cloud Solution Architect at Dell Technologies. “That’s why we’re constantly working together with Microsoft to refine our solutions. We’re certified in this Azure service as well. At the same time, we take on all the maintenance so that Uniper can continue concentrating on its core competence.” In addition to the hardware, it was crucial for Pezold and his team that the project could also be rolled out internationally. This requires a partner who specializes in exactly that: “We were easily able to meet the need for Europe-wide management with our internal project team and a central project manager,” says Johannes Wolf, Team Lead Sales, Core & Hybrid Infrastructure at IT-HAUS.

Uniper’s IT quickly saw the benefits: “Our new hybrid solution is like a standardized control panel and steering wheel for the car. We just switch it on and start driving. And it works for all cars, all vehicle models—or in our case, every type of application,” Pezold explains. “The control panel for managing the applications is always the same, so you’re always ‘driving’ in a familiar environment. This enables the uniform, standardized, stable, and secure management of all applications in a highly regulated market.” At the same time, existing expertise and capacity can be used more efficiently, as processes are no longer developed from scratch but simply transferred. Orders can be launched more quickly, new services can be brought to market faster, and additional systems can be made available with just a few clicks. Thanks to the agility and scalability of Azure Stack HCI, the solution can be flexibly expanded or scaled down.

In the form of a dashboard, the standardized management console shows at a glance which applications are hosted where, which systems are running where, and where updates may be necessary. “The dashboards of our hybrid solution give us an overview of all applications. We can view data in real time, sort it, and create lists. For example, we can identify outdated databases and operating systems immediately and take action promptly,” Stolcz says. “In this way, we help other departments keep their applications up to date.”

Pezold concludes: “The hybrid solution based on Azure Stack HCI, Azure Arc, and the systems from Dell Technologies allows us to use the advantages and tools of both Azure and the public cloud on-premises as well. Companies in other highly regulated sectors can also benefit from this approach.” Uniper has rolled out the hybrid solution at its international locations and is already in the process of implementing further Azure services, such as Azure Kubernetes Service, in addition to tools from the areas of IoT and file sharing.