Open Creative Digital Technology
"Whenever adding a new node, we can quickly mount a Hybrid Share Folder on the new device. Because local servers only serve as cache, you can access any files you need immediately without waiting for shared data to finish syncing."
Wen Chia-Wei, Network Information Manager, Open Creative Digital Technology
The Company
Open Creative Digital Technology, based in Hsinchu, Taiwan, has over 20 years of experience providing professional services to domestic and international customers in the electronic gaming industry. Services include consulting on opening stores, interior design, gaming machine sales, and professional skills development.
The Challenge
The gaming solutions Open Creative provides to clients require large periodic software updates. To exchange these files internally or with customers, they were synchronized from the company's on-premises servers to a public cloud solution. However, frequent changes to this cloud solution resulted in file name, versioning, and other issues.
The Solution
Open Creative installed Synology storage systems at their clients' locations and used Hybrid Share for quick file transfer via the cloud. The shared files, which include electronic signage, videos, documents, device settings, firmware, and PDFs, are accessible to client PCs via SMB, with file sizes ranging from kilobytes to gigabytes.
Immediate data availability
Hybrid Share stands out from other solutions as it requires minimal setup. Setting up Hybrid Share on a new device is as simple as adding a shared folder, with all shared data immediately available on the new server. This makes it ideal where client IT devices are frequently and unpredictably replaced. Synology storage systems can also immediately be mounted on client workstations over SMB, allowing for immediate use. This straightforward process minimizes downtime and reduces administrative costs.
Secure remote management
To ensure proper access control, Open Creative establishes a Hybrid Share folder for every new client, each protected with a unique encryption key. Using this key, the company then mounts this specific folder to the client's on-premises server and makes this folder accessible to the client's local user account, as well as to devices connected over SMB. When clients request any change to their setups, Open Creative staff can manage the Synology systems remotely
Integrated data protection
Open Creative implemented a range of data protection measures using Synology's built-in solutions. This includes using snapshots in Hybrid Share to instantly restore shared folder level data, as well as the file explorer tool C2 Storage Explorer to view current and historical versions of Hybrid Share Folders, download specific files, and restore folders to a previous state. In addition, Hyper Backup is used to back up clients' Synology servers, including Hybrid Share data, to Synology C2 Storage, in accordance with the 3-2-1 backup principle.
High-availability server solution
To ensure uninterrupted services, Open Creative established an on-site high-availability cluster using Synology High Availability (SHA) with two Synology DS3018xs systems. In a high-availability configuration, data is continuously replicated from the active server to the passive server. In the event of a critical malfunction, the passive server is ready to take over all services.
The Benefits
Easy setup: Setting up Hybrid Share is as simple as adding a shared folder. The intuitive Synology user interface makes it easy to quickly get started.
Rapid deployment: Adding a new client device is as simple as mounting a Hybrid Share Folder. Users can download frequently accessed files at LAN speeds with local caching options.
End-to-end encryption: Open Creative's clients benefit from the essential end-to-end encryption provided by the C2 server, where data is stored and encrypted, and only decrypted when accessed. This level of encryption is not commonly found in most cloud storage services.
Lower storage costs: Hybrid Share is a hybrid cloud deployment that efficiently allocates storage space between the cloud and Synology devices. On-premises systems only need to store hot data, while the rest is stored in the cloud, resulting in lower storage costs.
One-stop service: The combination of Synology storage systems and cloud services provides all necessary hardware and cloud services in a streamlined process, making it highly efficient for troubleshooting and repair purposes.
Recommended Models
- DS3018xs × 2
- DS720+ × 11
Recommended Features
- Hybrid Share
- Hybrid Share snapshots
- Hyper Backup
- Synology High Availability