Pacific Sintered Metals: Manufacturing IT, SYSPRO & Infrastructure Case Study
How a 65-employee precision-parts manufacturer modernized its infrastructure — VMware server clusters, thin clients, SYSPRO support, Datto disaster recovery, and Microsoft 365 — to reach 99.9% uptime.
The challenge
Pacific Sintered Metals ran a demanding production operation on technology that had quietly fallen behind — and every gap put uptime and security at risk:
- An un-segmented networkThe plant ran on a flat network with no segmentation, so a single compromised device could reach the systems that run production.
- No support for SYSPROThe firm’s SYSPRO ERP — the backbone of scheduling, inventory, and shipping — had no dedicated IT owner to keep it healthy.
- No enterprise cybersecurityThere were no enterprise-grade security controls protecting the business or the production floor.
- Aging computersOffice and shop-floor computers were old and increasingly unreliable.
- Out-of-warranty serversCritical servers were old and out of warranty, leaving the operation exposed to hardware failure with no safety net.
The solution
Advanced Networks rebuilt Pacific Sintered Metals’ infrastructure from the ground up — modern, virtualized, secured, and centrally managed for the demands of a production floor.
VMware virtualized servers & remote cluster
We replaced the aging, out-of-warranty servers with new VMware-virtualized servers and a remote server cluster — resilient, modern infrastructure built for uptime.
Thin clients & centralized management
We rolled out thin clients for every office and shop-floor user, all centrally managed — easier to support, more secure, and far more reliable than aging PCs.
SYSPRO ERP support
We took ownership of the firm’s SYSPRO ERP, keeping the system that drives scheduling, inventory, and shipping fast and reliable.
Network segmentation
We segmented the flat network into isolated zones, separating production systems from office traffic — a foundational control in our network design and manufacturing cybersecurity.
Datto disaster recovery
We deployed a Datto backup and disaster recovery system, so a server failure or ransomware event no longer means lost production.
Microsoft 365 migration
We migrated the firm’s old on-premise Exchange server to Microsoft 365, modernizing email and removing another aging server from the environment.
The major projects
VMware servers & thin clients
Replaced out-of-warranty servers with a new VMware-virtualized cluster and rolled out centrally managed thin clients across the office and shop floor.
Datto disaster recovery
Stood up tested backup and disaster recovery for fast, reliable restores.
Exchange to Microsoft 365
Migrated the legacy on-premise Exchange server to Microsoft 365.
The results
- 99.9% system uptime across the production environment
- Server recovery in under 1 hour with Datto disaster recovery
- Legacy Exchange migrated to Microsoft 365, retiring an aging on-premise server
- Fewer security incidents after segmentation and enterprise cybersecurity
- Modernized, standardized hardware — thin clients and virtualized servers replacing aging equipment
For a 65-employee precision-parts manufacturer, this rebuild turned an aging, exposed environment into a modern, secure, high-uptime operation. This story is part of our manufacturing IT services in Los Angeles.
About Advanced Networks: Advanced Networks supports manufacturers from its Los Angeles headquarters and its Orange County and San Francisco offices, delivering managed IT and cybersecurity across Southern California and the Bay Area.