Centralised Prepress Server

[Bart Lammertyn]

I get from time to time questions from customers who want to set up a "centralised prepress server" in a remote datacenter. Different locations could access the same files so one can easy transfer jobs between locations.

Anyone experienced with this material ? What about speed ? How to organise ?

Kindest regards,

Bart Lammertyn


Edited by: Bart Lammertyn on Jul 4, 2008 4:53 PM

[mattbeals]

A prepress server in a remote data center can be a good idea depending on how you work. If you are pushing and pulling data constantly then you'll need a very fast connection, like an OC-3. A T-3 would be minimum in my opinion. Heck, an OC-3 would bring us back to 100Mb ethernet to the desktop and a T-3 would be way back to 10Base-T. But it would be even worse if you have more than one concurrent user.

But if you are remotely "managing" the server where the processing and moving of data is local to the server then it's not too bad of an idea. But there's a real limitation as to how well one can work in a terminal service/remote desktop/VNC environment.

It can be done but you have to be *real* careful not to bring the whole workflow to a screeching halt.

[dj]

Are they just looking for a repository for PDF files? Have you undergone a formal requirement-gathering process?

I mean, what features do they want?

If somebody put a gun to my head and said "install a prepress repository which can be accessed remotely NOW" I would install Wordpress MU and tweak it based on user feedback.

Cheers, DJ
www.prepresspilgrim.com

[chiefy]

I've been asked the same a few times. I run Prinect in two different sites accross the country and trueflow in another and it would be great to sync them both together and get the third site onto prinect. If network was not an issue I image i could jack up the primary hardware to support all the content and then have staff at any site access the jobs as they are required from one central hub and run proofs and plates via a meta shooter to the remote sites. It would mean less staff and more capacity and flexibility. On the other hand we struggle to keep the data moving and all the local network users, rips, engines etc running smoothly at each site as it is with no connection between databases etc. The data base of files and JDF continually gets slammed and grinds to a halt from time to time causing chaos.