Roto Smeets Group, specialist in high-quality print for efficient mass communication, announced the implementation of the latest Blade technique in their IT environment. As their old servers were due for replacement, Roto Smeets followed DiMS! organizing print’s advice to consider the Blade server technique and invested in a complete Blade system to run DiMS!, as well as several other applications. “At first, we walked the beaten track in our search for a new server to run DiMS!, our business-critical MIS system on, but looking back I am happy that we took this new route towards the Blade server technique”, said Theo Bruinhof, Manager ICT systems at Roto Smeets Group.
Spreading of risks and easy application management
For the DiMS! system, Roto Smeets has allocated four Blade servers; two for the production environment (one for the Oracle database and one for the DiMS! application on a Linux operating system) and two for the test environment (same configuration). “It was a conscious choice to go for this setup as it delivers us great advantages, like a wider spread of risks and easier application management”, according to Antoon Feijen, Corporate Information Manager at Roto Smeets Group. “And, when we eventually run DiMS! in a VM-ware environment in the near future, these advantages will be magnified. Actions such as database maintenance, and updating to a new release, will be much easier to perform, and when a server goes down, one of the others will automatically take over, without users noticing there is a problem”, he adds.
Theo Bruinhof added: “Looking back on the first month that we went live with DiMS! and the Blade system, we are very satisfied. In all respects, this new Blade system has brought us huge time savings. Users have experienced great improvements in the performance, and the IT staff is thrilled about the capabilities, which makes their day-to-day job a lot easier to perform.”
DiMS! is always at the forefront when it comes to adopting new techniques that are beneficial to its customers. “Supporting the Blade server technique is just a natural consequence of that commitment”, said Martijn Kemperman, VP Software Development at DiMS! organizing print. “It offers our customers benefits that range from increased system performance to less heat radiation, and risk spreading to easy ICT management; all evident results that complement our end-to-end MIS/ERP system.”
Blade server technique
A complete Blade system consists of a Blade chassis/enclosure with a number of Blade servers. The Blade servers are server computers with a modular design that are optimized to minimize the use of physical space and energy. Many components are removed in order to save space and minimize power consumption, while still having all the functional components of a computer. A Blade enclosure, which can hold multiple Blade servers, covers the services such as power, cooling, networking, various interconnects and management – whether or not through VM-ware – for all inserted Blade servers simultaneously.
Increased performance and decreased energy consumption
Roto Smeets’ decision to move forward was mainly driven by the technique, whereas the cost aspect played an important part too. Theo Bruinhof explains: “Both hardware and software techniques have evolved rapidly; our HP/UX server was 8 years old and ran a DiMS! application that functionality-wise basically multiplied over that same period, so there was a need for capacity increase. Of course we have added processors and internal memory to the old server to improve its performance, but we were reaching a limit there. With the new Blade server technique – linked to our existing storage – we have instantaneously improved the performance (20-23 x) for now and into the far future, and for a relatively low price. This, supplemented with the decrease in energy consumption and heat production, as well as the easy server extension capabilities, confirms that we have made the right choice.”
About Roto Smeets Group
Roto Smeets Group NV is a graphics business company and forms part of the information and communication industry. Roto Smeets Group is quoted in the NextPrime list of Euronext, the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. It is Roto Smeets Group’s ambition, using its companies, to create and produce high quality added value within the total process by which our clients communicate with their target groups.
Roto Smeets Group is one of the top five independent graphics businesses in Europe that use paper as the most important information carrier and thus produce and supply printed matter. Roto Smeets Group’s business model is one of core activities that supplement and reinforce each other. These activities are grouped into two business lines: Print Productions and Marketing Communications.
- PRINT PRODUCTIONS The efficient production of web printed matter using specialized, full service companies that cover the entire value chain, from prepress to distribution, either as adviser, manager or contractor.
- MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS The optimum facilitation of a client’s own communications channel, focusing on the creation of cross-media - concept, creation, development and supply - as well as recording customer
About DiMS! organizing print
DiMS! organizing print develops, sells, and implements DiMS!, the world’s leading MIS/ERP solution for the printing and packaging industry. DiMS! contains all of the functionality necessary to fully integrate the complete range of business processes in a single software package. From sales and estimating to planning and scheduling, from prepress to print and bind, supply chain to transportation, and automated invoicing to real-time management information, DiMS! supports it all.
Founded in 1986, DiMS! organizing print supplies many of the world’s leading print and packaging companies and label converters with integrated Management Information Systems. More than 10,000 employees experience, on a daily basis, the ease of use DiMS! provides. Companies such as Roto Smeets Group (the Netherlands), Brown Printing Company (USA), Burda Druck (Germany), PMP Limited (Australia), Mayr-Melnhof (Austria) and Paarl Media Group (South Africa) currently benefit from the DiMS! integrated system. For more information about DiMS! organizing print, please visit www.dims.net.
Comments
Post a Comment