Help wanted
(February 2003)
JobsDB.com recruits Intel processor-based Dell servers and storage for a fast, robust data center
Challenge: Keep costs down while maintaining high availability and reliability as the company experiences exponential growth
Solution: Fifty DellTM PowerEdgeTM servers running Intel® Pentium® III XeonTM processors, three Dell PowerVaultTM SCSI storage systems, and two PowerVault DLT tape drives with autoloaders
Benefit: Productivity gains allow two administrators to manage 50 servers in the data center; easy scalability and cost-effectiveness as business expands
Finding the perfect job—or sometimes, even a job—is no easy task. It requires networking and lots of communication with as many potential employers as possible. The same holds true for the employer. Identifying the perfect candidate is a tough proposition. At JobsDB.com, technology and the business of recruiting converge.
Since 1998, JobsDB.com has been providing a Web portal so that corporate employers and job seekers can communicate and network directly. Job seekers can search for prospective employers and provide their résumés to hundreds of potential employers. For employers and recruitment agencies, JobsDB.com delivers a convenient, low-cost, and efficient method for business recruitment across Asia.
During its four years of operation, the company has grown exponentially, attracting more than 100,000 customers and 2 million members. Its 20 IT personnel now support nearly 200 employees in 12 offices worldwide.
Technology: The key to effective recruitment
According to Anthony Yuen, director and chief technology officer of JobsDB.com, JobsDB.com is not just a job board; it also offers an interactive platform for employers and potential employees. "We use technology to make the recruitment process more effective by providing greater employer-employee interaction," says Yuen.
Using software developed in-house, the portal protects applicants' privacy by providing different levels of information based on interest. For instance, potential employers who search the résumé database can see only the experience and skills of the applicant. If they think a candidate matches their requirements, they can request more information from the applicant. The candidate responds with a simple click of a button to release the information.
Figure 1. JobsDB.com has quickly become a leading provider of Pan-Asian online recruitment services
Dell hardware: The right technology for the job
"In our business, technology is the top priority," emphasizes Yuen. "Our IT strategy involves using any technology that can meet our customers' needs."
Yuen and his colleagues have been impressed with Dell's server technology and offerings. "From the very beginning, we decided that we would build our business using DellTM servers," Yuen says. "We made the decision based on our past experience with Dell. We are very happy with the Dell systems and service." This satisfaction made Dell a logical choice as the company started its online business. "Dell matched our hardware requirements. Their servers are reliable and robust, easy to maintain, and price competitive," Yuen recalls.
JobsDB.com launched its initial service using two Intel® Pentium® III XeonTM processor-based Dell PowerEdgeTM servers running the Microsoft® Windows NT® 4.0 operating system. As the business grew both in volume and geographical spread, JobsDB.com added more servers. Today, the company has 50 Dell PowerEdge servers running the Microsoft Windows® 2000 operating system. All production servers, including the database server, are from Dell.
PowerEdge servers are highly configurable and available in freestanding and rack-capable formats. This flexibility makes them optimal for data center maintenance and expansion because of their efficient use of space and their scalability. Affordable, high-performance Dell servers support mission-critical e-commerce applications and online traffic across various information repositories.
Clustering promotes performance
To support business growth and a rapidly expanding database, the company installed three Dell PowerVaultTM 220S SCSI storage systems in 1999. It also deployed Dell's cluster technology to improve server performance and to help ensure higher availability.
Clustering combines multiple PowerEdge servers and treats them as a single server, a technique that offers high availability, scalability, and easier management. Failover clusters achieve higher availability because resources can automatically move among nodes if a failure occurs.
Load balancing an application across several servers can provide scalability. Virtual servers can simplify management by giving administrators the ability to control all the servers through a single console rather than managing each individual computer.
"We started with very few developers and we needed a scalable solution," says Yuen. His past experience led him to choose the Windows platform. Yuen created the database using Microsoft SQL Server because it is "more user friendly, price competitive, and easier to learn." To protect sensitive business information and maintain a competitive edge, JobsDB.com decided to develop its online applications in-house.
A job well done
Using the Dell server-centered IT infrastructure, JobsDB.com has managed to grow its business while keeping down maintenance costs.
"We have 50 Dell servers in our data center and employ only two administrators. This shows how easy it is to maintain the servers," notes Yuen. "In our business, database performance is very important because online sites are all about speed. Not only do the Dell servers deliver great performance, but they are stable, compatible with Windows, and cost-effective."
Yuen prefers a single hardware supplier for "a single point of accountability, and our established relationship is critical and easier for business continuity and management going forward."
That relationship with Dell was reinforced when JobsDB.com encountered some hiccups in February. "Our servers went down and we needed to get them up and running fast. Dell came immediately to our site and solved the problem," explains Yuen. "We were very happy, because it was just before Chinese New Year and most companies had already closed for the holidays. Service is just as, if not more, important than technology."
A continued working relationship
As a technology-savvy company, JobsDB.com intends to keep enhancing its system to deliver better services to its customers. Dell plays an integral part in this technology evolution.
"Dell is committed to state-of-the-art technology, Web servers, and workstations. The company is a good hardware vendor that can adapt technology well and build reliable and robust systems," says Yuen. "We also appreciate Dell's efforts to keep us up-to-date on upcoming products and technology."
FOR MORE INFORMATION
http://www.dell.com/clusters
http://www.dell.com/servers
http://www.dell.com/storage
