In 2011, Eterna Plc operated without a formal IT infrastructure: no domain controllers, no centralized directory, no enterprise-grade servers, and relied solely on cPanel-based email for over 150 employees.
As a consultant from IPI Solutions, I was appointed Head Project Coordinator to plan, lead, and execute the company’s first-ever enterprise-grade data centre deployment, Microsoft infrastructure implementation, and domain transformation initiative.
BEFORE THE REVAMP
No centralized authentication or device policy
No domain or Active Directory structure
No enterprise server hardware
Staff used individual cPanel email accounts
No proper backup or recovery strategy
KEY DELIVERABLES
Commissioning of Hardware:
Procured and deployed 4x HP ProLiant DL380 G6 Servers
Set up rack-mounted infrastructure and UPS protection in a new mini data centre room
Microsoft Server & Exchange Deployment:
Installed Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard (for AD DS, DNS, DHCP, File Services)
Installed Windows Server 2008 Enterprise for Microsoft Exchange Server
Deployed Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 SP3 as the organization’s internal and external mail platform
Domain & Identity Management:
Established Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) for eternaplc.com
Joined 130+ workstations and laptops to the domain
Created Group Policies (GPOs) for password policies, desktop security, drive mapping, etc.
Enabled Roaming Profiles for flexible logins
Mailbox Migration:
Backed up existing email accounts from cPanel into .PST format
Uploaded and mapped all .PST mailboxes to Microsoft Exchange mailboxes
Verified all mailbox integrity and staff account access
Network & DNS Configuration:
Integrated Layer 2/3 switches and built IP address schema
Setup DHCP & DNS roles for internal name resolution and device provisioning
Configured reverse DNS, MX records, and firewall rules
Security & Backup Strategy:
Configured Windows Server Backup and external backup drives
Implemented user permission policies, mailbox quotas, and anti-spam policies
Impact & Results
Transformed Eterna Plc from a non-enterprise IT setup to a fully integrated Microsoft infrastructure
Boosted security, authentication, and centralized IT administration
Improved email delivery, reliability, and archiving via Exchange
Laid the groundwork for future ERP systems and software integrations
Delivered on-time and on-budget within the 3-month timeline
