Virtualization: PacificSource Health Plans Achieves Fast And Uninterrupted Data Access With File Storage Virtualization Solution From F5

F5 Networks, Inc., the global leader in Application Delivery Networking, recently announced that PacificSource Health Plans, one of the largest independent, non-profit health plans serving the Pacific Northwest, has deployed an F5 Acopia ARX file storage virtualization solution as the underpinning of its file storage management strategy. The new system has allowed PacificSource to perform non-disruptive migration of file data such as business, individual, and family health plan information, as well as its own internal business data.

"We recently faced a significant data migration challenge during a system upgrade of our direct-attached disk environment to a clustered Windows storage area network. We recognized that any interruption of access to health plan information or even our own internal business data would be completely unacceptable," said Tim Wolfe, Network Administrator at PacificSource. "The F5 Acopia ARX file storage virtualization solution allowed us to perform all data migration tasks without any downtime and without the need to manually reconfigure client systems and applications. Moreover, by leveraging ARX we have been able to streamline and automate all future data movement."

"PacificSource applied the same level of painstaking diligence in choosing their file management platform as they do in selecting the world-class health plans to offer their customers," said Kirby Wadsworth, Senior Director of Marketing for Data Solutions at F5. "Initially, they selected the F5 Acopia ARX for its non-disruptive capabilities, as well as unmatched performance and scalability. However, they also chose to invest in the ARX solution for the long term as it provided them with the ability to move data whenever they wish, to whatever storage technologies they might choose to use in the future. This translates into significant savings in both operational resources and capital expense."

In addition to continued data migration initiatives, future plans for the F5 Acopia ARX file storage virtualization solution includes its use in PacificSource's data replication for disaster recovery (DR) efforts.

About PacificSource Health Plans
PacificSource Health Plans is based in Springfield, Ore., with offices in Portland, Bend and Medford, Ore., and Boise, Idaho. Founded in 1933, PacificSource provides medical and dental benefits to more than 4,000 Pacific Northwest employers and covers more than 151,000 people with its group and individual health insurance plans. It also provides self-funded employee benefit plans, flexible spending accounts, HRAs, and COBRA administration services through its subsidiaries Manley Services and Select Benefit Administrators. PacificSource and its subsidiaries employ 324 people. For more information, visit www.pacificsource.com or call (800) 624-6052.

About F5 Networks
F5 Networks is the global leader in Application Delivery Networking. F5 provides solutions that make applications secure, fast and available for everyone, helping organizations get the most out of their investment. By adding intelligence and manageability into the network to offload applications, F5 optimizes applications and allows them to work faster and consume fewer resources. F5's extensible architecture intelligently integrates application optimization, protects the application and the network, and delivers application reliability all on one universal platform. Over 16,000 organizations and service providers worldwide trust F5 to keep their applications running. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington with offices worldwide. For more information, go to www.f5.com.

SOURCE: F5 Networks, Inc.