South Pacific Division Completes Major Server Migration

Adventist Technology move will enhance mission work across the region, leaders say.

December 20 2023 | Sydney, Australia | Juliana Muniz, Adventist Record, and Adventist Review

Adventist Technology, the technology arm of the South Pacific Division of the Adventist Church (SPD), recently concluded a two-year migration project of SPD servers in Sydney, Australia, to a new data center. Previously based at a massive data center facility near Sydney Airport, 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the SPD office, the servers are now housed at Sydney Adventist Hospital (SAH) data center, just across the road from the regional church headquarters.

Information Technology operations and infrastructure manager Dean Tichborne explained that the data center is a critical tool for fulfilling the mission of the church. “It is the place where many of our missional and administrative systems run, such as the eGiving platform,” Tichborne said.

The complex migration process involved transferring more than 200 virtual machines, which are essential for various server functions. Key personnel in the project included engineers Tomas Boguzis and Chris Chakovan, who played crucial roles in selecting, installing, and configuring the new equipment.

“This move required installing all the new equipment in a new data center 40 kilometers away, all while keeping every system online. The planning and timing of all the changes needed to be precise,” Tichborne said.

The move brings many benefits, Tichborne added. “It allows us to leverage the San’s [SAH’s] high-quality facility, and by partnering together, we are able to keep investing in our mission. The bonus is that the facility is easily accessible now by our engineers.”

The successful completion of the project was celebrated with a dedication ceremony on November 28, attended by SPD and SAH representatives. The dedication was streamed via Zoom videoconference during the SPD staff morning worship.

Speaking at the ceremony, SPD president Glenn Townend commended the work of Adventist Technology. “This is the best of technology, a crucial part of our operation, especially considering the threats we face in the digital age,” Townend said. “We’re in the great controversy, so I want to dedicate this to God.” Townend then offered a dedicatory prayer.

The migration is part of a collaborative effort between SAH, SPD, and Adventist Technology. This partnership aligns with the SPD’s goal of unifying technology systems across its network to facilitate mission work more effectively, leaders said.

The South Pacific Division includes Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. It also encompasses dozens of islands and archipelagos across the Pacific, including Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

The original version of this story was posted by Adventist Record.