VTB will ensure the transition of its technological systems to target data centers

2022: Replacement of the fifth data center

VTB continues to work on the migration of the bank's information systems from outdated data centers (data centers) to the target configuration of data centers. As part of the migration program, the fifth data center with outdated equipment has already been replaced. The plans are to replace two more non-target data centers by the end of 2023 in order to completely update the infrastructure. The bank announced this on October 24, 2022.

These changes provide VTB with not only the necessary level of stability in the operation of its internal banking systems, but also the potential for capacity growth. Conditions are created for increasing the speed of data processing and bringing to market various client services in a situation of continuous growth of the load on the infrastructure.

Data centers house data storage, transmission and processing systems, as well as other computing equipment that ensures the operation of the main banking systems and applications.

The program to transfer the bank's information systems to target data centers, developed and created jointly with PJSC Rostelecom, started at VTB in 2019. Previously used data centers built on foreign equipment of the previous generation are already outdated and do not provide the necessary level of sustainable operation. During the program, outdated data centers acquired by VTB Bank during its development in the early to mid-2000s were turned off.

The updated VTB data centers meet all the necessary reliability requirements and allow you to carry out planned repair and prevention work without stopping data centers. All systems in them are completely reserved, which ensures the availability of banking services even in the event of emergency situations.

Work on the abandonment of outdated infrastructure and the transition to the target configuration of the data center is the basis that allows VTB to realize the strategic goals of the bank, including the availability of banking services at the level of 99.99% and the ability to receive online 100% of VTB financial services. We have already built a single data network, almost completed the migration of information systems to the target configuration of the data center, created a cloud self-service portal. We build an infrastructure with multiple redundancy on high-performance equipment, conduct DR testing, monitor monitoring, use synchronous data replication, "said Vadim Kulik, Deputy President-Chairman of the VTB Board.

In the circumstances that have developed for October 2022, launching a new data center and blurring systems into it is a difficult and time-consuming task. Dependence on foreign technologies still greatly affects the timing, complexity and the very possibility of implementing such a project. The share of server and network equipment produced in Russia or in friendly countries has already grown significantly, but for certain categories of equipment, an import-independent analogue is still being searched. There are successes not only in terms of server, network equipment and storage systems, but also in terms of engineering systems. For example, transformers, machines and cabinets are already completely Russian-made, "said Vladimir Dergachev, vice president, head of the VTB infrastructure development department.

The domestic IT infrastructure market is in the transformation stage: approaches, service models, solutions, structure of requests and tasks are changing. The IT landscape is changing, with data centers becoming key elements of the infrastructure. The most important criterion for the success of such a complex project as the transition to the target configuration of the VTB data center is the coherence of the interaction between the unified team of VTB and Rostelecom. We act as a digital business partner and take on infrastructure tasks, allowing the customer to focus on key business processes of digital transformation, "said Alexey Podryabinnikov, Vice President, Director for Corporate Customer Relations at PJSC Rostelecom.