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Rationalisation of production of its editions

A large bank wants to equip itself with a multi-environment file server to centralise mass desktop publishing production, keeping it to 10 or 15 days, in order to be able to dispatch printing jobs to the various facilities in place, in a very secured world.

This bank has operating centres in which a Host IBM created files intended for different printing servers in place. The files are mainly metacode and partially PostScript. The printing equipment is either from page to page Xerox, or continuous Xerox and Océ.

There are 8 printing and enveloping sites in France.

Each site has a Host IBM (under MVS) which creates printing files on cartridges, which are rerun on the various servers making it possible to pilot either the Xerox page to page printers or the Océ continuous printer, or directly in channel function the printing servers.

An online connection also exists between the host and the printing servers; some older Xerox printers are still connected in channel function to the host.

The Bank’s request is to provide a server solution capable of relieving the Host of the printing management and of uniting the various servers already in place: PRISMA (LCDS and POD) and VIP/VISTA and DocuSp.

An initial pilot site is to be equipped. Then the others will be equipped in an identical way.

The IT Management developed an action plan for rationalising the desktop publishing production centres, over 2 years, with:
optimal use and distribution of human and hardware resources,
software and hardware architecture adapted to assisting a production server,
gradual replacement of the cartridges or tapes by the network,
removal of all function connections between the host and the desktop publishing production sites
control of the smooth running of the equipment in place by information recovery on the servers linked to the printers,
organisation of precise planning of printing tasks,
provision of daily statistics for the follow-up of files received and processed
management of a link between remote sites
automatic update of printing resources

The offer is based on a hardware platform on which the software solution, based on the Printnet PA product, is installed.

The holding period for files is estimated between 10 and 15 days. The solution integrates a hardware backup server and a software “hot” recovery system. The transfer of files is then carried out from the Pelican transfer tool.

Following the installation of a prototype, the dual configuration server for backup was elaborated.

The test production was then started. After 2 months of test production, acceptance was pronounced and deployment on the other sites was launched.

The solution fully meets the expectations of the client and the desktop publishing production sites.

The operators were familiarised with this solution, which provides reliable and secure desktop publishing production under the best economic conditions.