We started with a few unix systems, and quickly discovered they had a tendency to multiply. The data warehouse project was no exception.

The first installation used RedBrick to track millions of vehicle logistics transactions. Later we installed Essbase for financial operations, and after that we started a project to move all current and future date warehouses into Oracle.

My role in these was to set the standards, obtain equipment, install it, support it, and develop policy.

Our standard was the HP-9000 attached to EMC disk, using the EMC Data Manager for backups.

Here's a nice shot featuring some of the Unix systems. The Sun boxes do not fit in traditional racks so we had some custom-built. You can just barely see these black racks on the right side of this picture. The console controlled all of the units via a keyboard-controlled switching unit. Above the console are tape drives.