Servers of efficiency, speed and reliability.

Using existing proven technology in the form of Open source software and proven hardware architecture, we develop smart and affordable solutions with industry-standard reliability.

These server platforms are low noise, low power consumption and omits low heat. This means that if space is an issue, these servers can be conveniently housed outside established computer rooms.

 

Hardware specifications

Default	Upgrades
CPU core i7 (4 cores)	Intel Xeon E5 2657 v2 (12 cores)
Ram 16gb	64GB for i7, 128GB for Xeon
2 x 480gb SSD	2 x 1tb SSD
3 x Intel 1 Gb Adapters	4 x Intel 1 Gb, 2 x 10G Intel Adapters

 

Software specifications

 

Ubuntu server 16.4	OS, baremetal install
LVM	For OS only
ZFS	Virtual Machines, Direct Storage
Virtualbox 5.02	Virtual Machine Platform

 

The Procedure

 

All servers run off a USB pen drive. Once a server is installed, 2 clones are made for safe keeping. The installation is hardware independent. If the server needs to be changed, an existing installation can run on different hardware with minimum change. If ever, in the event where the USB is corrupted or damaged, backup copies can be used immediately. 

All virtual servers are saved in disparate zfs file systems. The level of redundancy depends on hardware chosen but there is a minimum of a mirror, and 2 copies per segment. 

The zfs file systems are replicable between other servers, which means a copy of all virtual servers can be synchronised on other servers (local and remote) provided there is sufficient bandwidth (generally not an issue locally). The replication uses high end encryption (3des standard) with private and public keys.

The file systems can also be encrypted for added security.

 

Who is this built for?

 

Clients with limited space

Clients who wish to reduce their electricity bill

Clients who frequently move and operate in different environments

Clients who wish to save on maintenance

Clients who require a holistic solution

 

Integrated to backup and safeguard against any potential eventual data loss.

We guarantee each solution to fit into any DRP that has been set in place.

 

The Procedure

 

	Sequence of Backups	Why
Replicable filesystems	ZFS provides both in place copies for backup, but also allows for replication at block level to other systems.	Server hardware failure
OS on a stick	Having the host OS on a USB stick provides a level of abstraction which few companies offer. As a bonus, the OS is hardware independent so in a pinch any computer can be used to get a customer up and running quickly	Server hardware change / upgrade
Data on multiple NAS	We recognize the importance of having a replica of data always on call. For that reason there is always a second online (but unreachable) copy of the data, dated 1 day before. Hit by ransomware? Not a problem – roll back to the previous day	NAS hardware failure
Shadow Copies / Snapshots	If Windows virtual servers are used, Shadow Copies will certainly used. In case Linux is used, ZFS or LVM Snapshots will be used instead	File deletions / overwrites
Cloud Backups	If you have Google Drive / Dropbox or OneDrive we can make use of it in our backup plans. Since cloud based space can be expensive, we can advise on how best to use such space.	Workplace inaccessibility
Synology Cloud Backup	If using a Synology, this is like having Shadow Copies on an external source.	Shadow Copy failure
Sen3 Windows Backup Tools	Our suite of software do many tasks; verify free space, check if backup task completed, keep track of what ran what and for how long with a log of events. But there is more. Our suite of software archives old data, creates archives of work done during the day, and transmits the data to FTP servers (local or remote) safely and efficiently.	Second tier backup
Manual Backups	Finally, with a maintenance agreement, we will do manual backups, keep yearly archives, even implement BD archiving policies (semi-automated).	Upgrades and changes

A multi-encryption system, executing all 3 layers of protection, using only private keys.

This solution provides isolation and security from external attackers, in-house developers and high level employees with secure access to data.

We encourage interaction among your developers to provide an extra layer to which we are not party of.

 

The 3 layers of protection

Search Keys	To access the secured data it is necessary to know at least something from the data itself – what users will search with. It is the first safeguard because if there is no hit, then no data will be accessed as no record exists
No Key Transfer	The decryption module will never have the key to decrypt the data. It is purely a brute force methodology.
Different Databases	The encrypted key databases are housed in separate servers, with different encryption systems (minimum 2 and maximum of 8). Each preloaded by different authorised personnel. All keys are unique
Responsibility Sharing	No one person can (and should) ever have access to all the keys
Data Split before store	The secured data is split (at a random point)  and each part is padded and stored into 2 different databases (randomly) and one key is chosen from one of the  databases (randomly) .
Multiple Encryption	There are 2 separate encryptions. One using a traditional encryption before splitting the data. This uses a traditional encryption method which can be chosen by the customer. The second encryption occurs on the split parts and uses the random key.

 

Durability

Unlike traditional methods, the encryption system does not rely solely on mathematics. It rather exploits the speed of modern cpus to brute force keys to decrypt the data.

The only way to decrypt the data is to have all key databases, have the decryption key for each database, then try to match each record with a corresponding record in another database…… List goes on. 

 

Who is this built for?

Data Warehousing

Credit Card information

Personal Information of a large group of people

Medical Information

Sensitive Information

The plight of server technology is that there is no one product which can do all. Often, even if a software offers many features, can only (and should only) be used to do one specific task, and do it well.

We analyse on what each client actually needs and create the solution to around the specific agenda. This ability is strongly bred out of necessity, such that we do not limit our solutions to only what we specialise in.

Here’s our up-to-date industry focus:

Databases	Implementation, management and issues
Backups	Implementation, checking
Startup Assistance	Analysis, budgeting
Servers	Implementation, management, best practices
Local and Wide Area networks	Implementation, management and best practices
DRP (Disaster Recovery Planning)	Creation, implementation ISO standards