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The DGFiP (French Public Finance Agency) choose Synerway and their systems integration partner SCC for their data protection requirements
November 2011 by Marc Jacob
The DGFiP (French Public Finance Agency) launched a consultation process for the purchase and maintenance of a data backup and restoration solution for mainland France and overseas sites.
In all, there are 1,800 local sites (tax offices) and 170 regional sites which regroup management and specialist services.
Threefold constraints
The primary constraint of the DGFIP was to install a software-only solution in its local sites in order to limit on-site interventions and improve data backup and restoration quality of service. This solution enables user assistance departments in the Besancon IT control centre to handle software configurations remotely.
Secondly, regional management and specialised services centers are equipped with both physical and software solutions to enable them to work with greater data volumes and an optimal quality of service.
The third constraint expressed by the DGFIP was for the complete solution to remain constantly coherent and interconnected. With a view to improving overall service levels, the DGFiP is keen to consolidate backups performed locally, over the network, to regional management sites.
The technical response
Synerway the virtual and physical Appliance software editor creates solutions which answer all three constraints. In partnership with SCC, in their role as a project manager, from the outset to deployment, Synerway proposes a series of technical solutions which respond, point by point to the specifications defined by the DGFiP.
The technical solution comprises two major components:
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One for remote sites designated in solution 1.
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Another for regional management sites to receive consolidated data from remote sites designated in solution 2.
Solution 1, which concerns over 1,800 remote sites, is a Virtual Backup Appliance (SVA) installed on an on-site workstation, in this case a data collection machine running on Windows XP.
It enables disk backups, meaning that data is restored locally to Windows and Linux systems. Backups are then consolidated to one of 170 regional sites.
Solution 2, which concerns the 170 regional sites, is a Physical Backup Appliance the size of which depends on required data volumes. (MA8000T or LA16000L).
This Synerway Appliance backs up office servers and workstations and other Windows, Linux, AIX, HP-UX systems based on a pre-defined set of backup requirements. It also acts as a reception Appliance for backed up data consolidated from the remote sites within its region.
In addition to the innovative technology provided by Synerway, in particular the newly-developed virtual Appliance ranges, SVA Pack and RBM; other organisational and operational considerations played a major role in the choice made by the DGFiP.
Synerway has all the advantages of the sole provider with a single point of contact for services and technical support.
For the IT teams, the daily operating tasks performed by the Appliances are immensely simplified thanks in part to the identical interfaces for both physical and virtual Appliances. Many tasks typically linked to backup are now automated or simply eliminated.
The centralised supervision and administration of the Appliances is handled by the SVA RBM (Remote Backup Management) a dedicated virtual Appliance.
The range of Synerway Appliances comprises a solution where storage space requirements can grow over time. The modification of the Appliance disk space is performed by simply adding a software key.
During the first half of 2011, Synerway announced two key deals in the retail sector in France and abroad. The contract with the French Finance Ministry enables Synerway to continue to break through into the public sector and position itself as a leader on the multi-site data protection market.
