With so many servers and the importance of the work we do, it’s crucial to resolve issues instantly. We needed a robust solution to scan, document, and flag any issues automatically. That’s where CENTREL’s XIA Configuration came in.
Dharmesh Mistry, DataCentre Services Lead | Coventry City Council
About Coventry City Council
Coventry City Council, based in the UK, is a metropolitan authority employing over 5,000 people. The Council operates through 54 elected Councillors, responsible for policymaking on services and finances, while its officers oversee daily operations. This case study focuses on IT documentation automation for the public sector with CENTREL Solutions’ flagship product, XIA Configuration.
The challenge
Managing an extensive IT infrastructure with 45 Virtualization Hosts and 889 Windows Servers posed a significant documentation challenge for Coventry City Council. Ensuring all servers were checked regularly and issues identified promptly was critical to maintaining reliable public sector services.
Engineers often faced significant demands on their time, making it challenging to consistently perform regular server checks. By integrating CENTREL’s XIA Configuration solution into their workflow, they streamlined these tasks, ensuring thorough and efficient server monitoring without adding to their workload.
“It was necessary for the organisation to ensure that servers were being checked daily and weekly so that any issues could be fixed immediately,” comments Dharmesh Mistry, Data Centre Services Lead. “With so many servers and the importance of the work we do, it’s crucial to resolve issues instantly. That’s why CENTREL’s XIA Configuration product was a must for us.”
The solution
Coventry City Council trialled CENTREL Solutions’ XIA Configuration, a comprehensive platform designed to automate IT documentation and server monitoring. The solution seamlessly integrated into their existing systems and quickly proved invaluable.
Mistry highlights the platform’s time-saving benefits: “Manually checking hundreds of servers consumed significant time. Integrating XIA Configuration removed this burden, freeing engineers to focus on resolving issues rather than finding them.”
The XIA Configuration product was set up to scan every server, producing detailed reports that broke down key specifics. The reports highlighted areas that were functioning efficiently and flagged problem areas, enabling the team to address issues faster than ever before.
Additionally, the comparison feature allowed the team to track configuration changes and assess their impact, while the email automation ensured timely reporting.
“The email automation is one of the standout features,” says Mistry. “The automatic delivery of detailed reports—highlighting scan completions and flagged issues—is invaluable. It ensures we stay informed and prepared to take action.”
The result
Implementing XIA Configuration significantly enhanced operational efficiency for Coventry City Council’s IT team:
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Time savings: Engineers now focus on resolving issues rather than performing manual checks.
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Proactive maintenance: Continuous scans and automated reports ensure problems are addressed quickly.
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Improved server reliability: The Council can maintain critical systems with confidence.
CENTREL Solutions also ensured a seamless onboarding experience, providing ongoing support and incorporating the Council’s feedback into product updates.
David Homer, Director at CENTREL Solutions, comments: “Our mission is to simplify IT operations and empower organisations to work smarter. Our work for Coventry City Council exemplifies this—by eliminating the complexity of manual server management, XIA Configuration has enabled their team to focus on what matters most: delivering reliable services efficiently. Their feedback has been invaluable, helping us continuously evolve our software to meet the ever-changing needs of organisations worldwide.”
By adopting CENTREL Solutions’ XIA Configuration Server, Coventry City Council transformed its server management processes, ensuring proactive issue resolution and saving valuable time for engineers. The partnership highlights the power of collaboration and technology to improve efficiency in the public sector.
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