A prominent healthcare provider in the Philippines was relying on legacy infrastructure to support their Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), a crucial software used to store and retrieve medical imaging. CT Link proactively introduced a solution that was simple, scalable, and sustainable—laying the foundation for a modernized storage infrastructure that would later prove critical for their SAP ERP system.
CT Link proposed Pure Storage—not in response to a request, but as a strategic move—highlighting its speed, simplicity, and data-reduction benefits. Initially scoped for PACS and running at just 11% utilization, Pure Storage quickly became essential when the client’s existing storage solution for SAP ERP unexpectedly failed.
The Challenge
The client was already exploring Pure Storage for PACS workloads when their SAN-based storage system—used for SAP ERP—suffered a critical failure. This accelerated their evaluation of storage options and brought several long-standing challenges to the forefront:
- The legacy SAN storage was reaching its performance and capacity limits.
- Maintenance costs for the existing infrastructure were becoming unsustainable.
- Unplanned downtime threatened not just business operations but also regulatory compliance and patient care.
- PACS and SAP were running on separate, siloed infrastructures, leading to latency, duplication, and complexity in management.
- Clinical workflows were hampered by long load times for imaging and patient data.
- SAP HANA performance was constrained by storage bottlenecks, limiting real-time analytics.
- Ongoing data growth from imaging systems increased pressure on storage planning.
Faced with this crisis, the client consulted CT Link on whether the partially utilized Pure Storage—initially scoped for PACS—could be reallocated for SAP ERP. CT Link swiftly evaluated the system, confirmed its capacity and performance viability, and reconfigured the deployment to support SAP ERP workloads, ensuring continuity and stability during the transition.
How CT Link Helped
CT Link immediately evaluated the feasibility of repurposing the Pure Storage deployment to support the SAP ERP environment. Recognizing the mission-critical nature of SAP ERP, the CT Link team rapidly adjusted the implementation strategy, migrated the SAP data, and reconfigured the system to meet SAP’s demanding performance needs.
Beyond this technical response, CT Link also aligned the solution with the broader business requirements of the healthcare provider:
- Real-time Access: Ensured seamless access to EMR systems and medical imaging for improved clinical decision-making.
- Unified Data Management: Helped the organization break down silos by supporting both SAP and PACS on a single, unified storage infrastructure.
- Consistent Performance: Delivered reliable and fast storage performance for critical workloads.
- Regulatory Compliance: Supported HIPAA and GDPR mandates through Pure Storage’s built-in security features.
- Scalable Architecture: Enabled better management of growing imaging data and faster analytics and reporting with SAP HANA.
Within a short timeframe, SAP ERP was fully operational on Pure Storage. What began as a temporary workaround quickly revealed itself as a strategic advantage. The client reported dramatically faster access to EMR systems, smoother financial transactions, and a noticeable improvement in analytics and reporting capabilities.
This experience shifted the client’s perspective. Impressed by the performance and efficiency of Pure Storage, they decided against restoring the old SAN system. Instead, they chose to invest in a second Pure Storage unit dedicated to PACS—paving the way for a modern, unified storage strategy.
CT Link’s Service Process
CT Link’s agile and strategic methodology included:
- Initial PACS Planning: Evaluated storage needs and selected Pure Storage for its performance and efficiency.
- SAP Emergency Response: Responded swiftly to critical downtime, reallocating Pure Storage to maintain operations.
- Data Migration and Optimization: Seamlessly transitioned SAP ERP to the Pure platform and optimized performance.
- Performance Validation: Monitored SAP performance and validated improvements with client teams.
- Strategic Realignment: Guided the client in shifting to a Pure-first storage strategy based on proven benefits.
- Second Deployment for PACS: Delivered and deployed a second Pure Storage system to support imaging systems and ensure future scalability.
The Results
The healthcare provider experienced transformative improvements:
- Faster Access, Better Care: Radiologists and clinicians noted significantly shorter load times for images and records, which streamlined diagnostics and improved patient experiences. Clinical workflows became more fluid and responsive.
- No More Bottlenecks: By hosting SAP HANA on Pure Storage, the healthcare provider eliminated latency issues, allowing real-time analytics to drive smarter and quicker decision-making.
- Massive Data Efficiency: A 5:1 data reduction rate was achieved across both SAP and PACS environments, reducing overall storage requirements and driving down operational costs.
- Simplified and Unified: With EMR and imaging now on a shared platform, staff no longer had to manage or troubleshoot siloed systems. This unification improved collaboration and sped up cross-system processes.
- Regulatory Confidence: By leveraging Pure Storage’s built-in encryption and reliable uptime, the provider ensured compliance with data protection mandates such as HIPAA and GDPR.
- Lower Operational Burden: With easier storage administration and more reliable performance, IT teams spent less time firefighting and more time on innovation and future planning.
Why It Matters: Storage’s Role in SAP ERP Performance
For many enterprises, SAP ERP is a mission-critical backbone. Yet the impact of storage infrastructure on SAP performance is often underestimated. This use case highlights how strategic infrastructure decisions can not only restore operations quickly during outages but also drive transformative, long-term benefits.
In this healthcare provider’s case, Pure Storage did more than just patch a problem—it elevated expectations. When SAP ERP was shifted onto Pure Storage as an emergency measure, it became immediately clear how performance bottlenecks from the old system had been silently affecting productivity. Users reported faster transactions, smoother navigation, and fewer delays in generating reports. IT teams, once burdened by storage-related troubleshooting, found themselves freed up to focus on innovation.
This performance leap opened the door to a bigger realization: storage isn’t just supporting the system—it’s driving it. The client’s decision to retire their previous solution and double down on Pure Storage showed a new way of thinking—one that sees infrastructure not as a background player, but as a strategic enabler of growth and efficiency.
Whether you’re running enterprise applications like SAP ERP or high-data systems like PACS, the quality of your storage directly influences user experience, reliability, and long-term scalability. CT Link helps organizations align their infrastructure with the demands of their operations. Let us help you optimize your systems for resilience, performance, and growth.
Interested in learning more about Pure Storage and how it can help make your infrastructure more efficient? Send us a message at marketing@ctlink.com.ph to set a meeting with us today!