Lean Structures, Lower Costs
Reset print shop consolidates with open source The printing industry: a data processing microcosm with power users. Anyone coming from Bill Gates’ world of Windows and dealing with print shops runs into unknown data processing objects. Data interchange — a simple thing between two PCs — is not that simple in this industry, where over 50% of users work with Apple Macintosh computers. The data volume of graphic and image files is immense, and print orders of over 30 gigabytes are not unusual. What’s more, even individual applications require their very own dedicated servers, and the servers themselves run on all varieties of operating systems.
An efficient workflow is essential to ensure smooth data transfer between customer and print shop. And all has to be secure, robust and cost-efficient. Data bottlenecks and floods of spam reset Grafische Medien GmbH is part of this industry. Around the middle of 2003, reset CEO Gerd Dombrowsky and his colleagues perceived the IT situation in the printing industry to be increasingly excruciating: “It all started with the ever greater data volumes that we received from our customers,” recalls Dombrowsky. All communication up to that time went through one Internet provider that supplied an FTP and mail server and supported the website.
“Many people in graphic design work with Apple Macintosh and to that day preferred data transfer via ISDN. This not only tied up the phone lines but also sent the phone bills through the roof, since the data had to be downloaded from the Internet provider’s FTP server. The growing flood of spam and viruses also made our work more difficult.” This inefficiency forced Gerd Dombrowsky to look for alternatives.
The solution had to meet three demands:
- The server had to be on site.
- Separate directories with differentiated access rights had to be set up for each customer.
- There had to be control over e-mail traffic and the up- and downloads of the extensive graphic files.
IT consolidation with open source
Various providers recommended Web hosting or the use of fiber-optic cables. According to Dombrowsky, however, “that wasn’t economical, and besides, the solutions would have been very limited, handling only the data traffic.” In late 2003, the reset Managing Director finally consulted the specialist reseller next move IT. The experienced team specializes in IT security and cost-cutting, concentrating on the needs of small and midsize business. Alongside quality, financial feasibility for the customer is always in the forefront. “Not everything that costs a lot also delivers a lot,” says Wolfgang Otto, Managing Director of next move IT. “This is particularly true of server technology, where there is always a variety of solution approaches. Many system providers try to sell their customers entire server farms,” continues the next move IT Managing Director. A survey of the IT environment at reset revealed a strikingly heterogeneous system landscape: “There was an old Novell server that is still in operation and a Linux server that handled Helios, which is a common server solution in the print industry. There was also a Windows network for administration and a Mac OS network for preprint,” recalls Otto.
But the print shop demanded even more of the server solution:
“It was important to us to integrate home workstations via a Virtual Private Network (VPN).” There had to be a software option for external service providers to access print data, and last but not least, access for technical support had to be created.
Wolfgang Otto suggested the Collax Business Server as a solution. This server solution is an open source-based multifunction server offering all communication, networking and security functions. What’s unique about it is that Collax has hidden the various open-source components under an administrative interface, completely shielding the user from the complexity of Linux. This makes it possible to configure and maintain the network and server applications under a single intuitive user interface. The server, which fits into a standard 19-inch rack, thus enables consolidation of many infrastructure services on one platform.
The core of the new server landscape — the Collax Business Server
The Collax Business Server thus became the heart of the enterprise-wide server landscape. Implementation took place in early 2004 and lasted a total of two days. The preconfigured hardware was set up on the first day. There followed one day of fine-tuning. All enterprise communication - e-mail, FTP (file transfer) and VPN — is 3now handled centrally by the Collax Business Server. The server solution is also being used as a Web server with its own upload/download script, and it works as a firewall to control antivirus for the mail server, Web server and file server. next move IT GmbH developed a script for upload and download via FTP especially for reset, so data can be uploaded to and downloaded from the server from any computer through a simple Internet browser, regardless of the operating system. It was also possible to accommodate the request for customer directories by handling these transfer directories through file sharing within the intranet. Collax Business Server serves as the VPN gateway for additional data hookups used for the remote servicing of printing presses, remote operation of output systems or home office workstations. Together with the NCP VPN clients, these secure external data hookups to the Collax Business Server were secured at the home offices and external partners.
Working with the Collax Business Server
Little has changed in the heterogeneous IT environment since the introduction of the Collax server. reset is still using many applications that require specific server types and operating systems. But consolidation of numerous services on one platform has noticeably relieved the remaining servers.
Data transmission bottlenecks have also been eliminated. This applies to both direct customer access to the server and download times — which aren't even an issue any more, since the server is on site. Gerd Dombrowsky estimates time savings of about 80% over the old method. Up- and downloads are handled through a specially configured browser window that makes it very easy for the customer to arrange file transfers.
Above all, Mac users do not require a special FTP client. The virus problem has also been cut down. The fact that printing material is often sent as e-mail attachments made for a constant vulnerability to malware attacks. Along with the Collax Server, virus scans were introduced that are controlled centrally and run automatically in the background. The virus signatures are updated every hour. This aspect impressed Dombrowsky: “When we compare this to some of our partners, who also have heavy data traffic and regular problems, we know we have nothing to worry about.” The new solution has also greatly improved the bottom line. “Deploying the Collax Business Server lowered our annual
IT costs by six to eight thousand euros,” boasts Dombrowsky. And Dombrowsky doesn’t need to worry about maintenance, which he has entrusted to next move IT. “The Collax Business Server can be serviced remotely, so we can install updates quickly and access the system directly when problems occur,” explains Wolfgang Otto.
Gerd Dombrowsky sums it up: “By deploying the Collax Business Server, we were able to greatly consolidate and unburden our server landscape. It’s a very reassuring feeling to have a solid, secure server solution running in the background that you can safely forget about, because it simply does what it’s supposed to do — it works. This is the only way to concentrate on your core business and prosper.”
When we compare this to some of our partners, who also have heavy data traffic and regular problems, we know we have nothing to worry about.