As extreme weather events become more common, the Sichuan Meteorological Bureau, based in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province in southwest China, plays an increasingly important role in public safety and disaster prevention.
In addition to providing public meteorological services, including weather observation and forecasting, climate change research, and severe weather warnings, the bureau also delivers information to government bodies to support programs that mitigate the impact of extreme weather.
To perform critical weather research, Sichuan Meteorological Bureau relies on many analytics and database systems. Historically, these systems were distributed across multiple data centers – a complex set up that led to escalating management costs. To streamline operations and enhance efficiency, the bureau decided to migrate its systems to a unified platform in a single data center.
The Challenge
Managing a migration of this scale required careful planning and execution. To add to the complexity, the bureau aimed to move the systems during the regional flood season – one of the busiest periods of the year when demand for up-to-the-minute weather updates is at its highest. It was therefore vital to maintain the availability of key forecasting and operational systems during the changeover.
“The relocation task faced immense pressure due to its complex requirements, including system security, user clusters, and business dependencies,” a Sichuan Meteorological Bureau spokesperson said.
While the Sichuan Meteorological Bureau received proposals from multiple vendors, one stood out – Lenovo. As a long-standing trusted partner, with deep knowledge of the bureau’s existing business processes, systems, and IT environment, Lenovo was uniquely positioned to deliver a tailored migration plan.
Given the scale and sensitivity of the project, Lenovo’s proven track record in large-scale infrastructure migrations was key. The bureau entrusted Lenovo with the relocation of many databases, servers, and storage systems, and with the provision of ongoing support.
Enlisting expert migration support
To assess the bureau’s current server, storage, and networking environment. The customized data center relocation project included comprehensive systems mapping, capacity planning and designing relocation paths. Involving both logical migration – including data and files – and physical migration, it was executed through Lenovo’s Configuration and Deployment Services, ensuring minimal disruption to operations. Ongoing performance and reliability were supported by
In addition to monitoring and optimizing the servers and storage environment, Lenovo now manages the bureau’s third-party virtualization, database, and security systems. The bureau also benefits from Lenovo’s Support Services and fast access to spare parts, ensuring continuous operational efficiency and long-term infrastructure stability.
“The Lenovo team worked closely with our bureau to create a comprehensive relocation plan, ensuring seamless migration while maintaining security and efficiency. The specialists from provided on-site support during critical stages and ensured all technical bottlenecks were resolved within 32 hours.” – a Sichuan Meteorological Bureau spokesperson said.
The data and file migration was completed in four phases, due to the reuse of existing equipment, with each taking between three to five hours. This meant that the migration process was carried out without any downtime.
The Results
Working with Lenovo, the Sichuan Meteorological Bureau successfully migrated its core systems to a streamlined infrastructure in the new data center, simplifying management, reducing costs, and strengthening support for vital climate research and weather forecasting.
John Stamer, Vice President & General Manager, Global Product Services at Lenovo said: “We’re proud to have supported the Sichuan Meteorological Bureau in modernizing its critical infrastructure during such a vital system migration. With our end-to-end Managed Services, we’ve delivered tailored support across assessment, deployment, and ongoing optimization – all while ensuring uninterrupted weather forecasting during one of the region’s most demanding seasons. This collaboration underscores Lenovo’s commitment to providing comprehensive solutions that help organizations navigate complexity and operate with confidence, resilience, and agility.”
“The data migration was completed smoothly, enabling core meteorological operations, forecasts, and warnings to continue without interruption. Lenovo’s dedication has left a deep impression on all stakeholders involved,” a Sichuan Meteorological Bureau spokesperson said.
Crucially, Lenovo helped the bureau to complete the relocation on schedule, despite tight timelines. Throughout the transition, the bureau maintained uninterrupted access critical weather analysis, monitoring, and forecasting systems, enabling it to provide updates to the public during the flood season.
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