Al Anba Newspaper
Synology provides a robust storage and backup solution which can be managed and scheduled easily, with expandable storage that can also be added flexibly based on our needs. Building a high availability cluster of Synology NAS a complete hardware and data redundancy. We are also using Surveillance Station to monitor and record all the camera videos.
Atif Ibrahim Bebal, IT Manager, Al Anba Newspaper
The Company
Founded in 1976, Al Anba Newspaper is a daily political newspaper and currently one of the most circulated publications in Kuwait. In 2001, Al Anba was the bestselling paper in the country, and by the year 2016 they have developed a good number of circulations around the world. Al Anba is considered one of the deep-rooted media institutions in the Arab world, known for its professionalism and constant search for scoops, news coverage, analyses and special reports.
The Challenge
As a prominent media entity, Al Anba grapples daily with the substantial volume of data and high-resolution media files, navigating the challenges of storage and archiving. In the past, images were modestly sized at around 2MB each, but with advancements in technology, the current norm sees a single photo occupying 5-15 MB due to higher resolutions. Consequently, the media house now contends with a monthly storage consumption of approximately 400GB.
Beyond the escalating storage concerns, Al Anba has been contending with the manual backup of data onto DVDs, servers, and older NAS models. This predicament dates back to 1976, and the accumulation of data on both NAS and SAN units has strained available storage resources. The reliance on tape drives and DVDs has further complicated the management of this extensive collection. Furthermore, Al Anba lacked a dedicated surveillance system to oversee its nearly 50 indoor and outdoor cameras, resorting to the use of web links for monitoring each of them.
The Solution
Centralized Data Management: Ensuring Business Continuity Amidst Rapid Data Growth
To mitigate the risk of service downtime, Al Anba implemented a high-availability cluster with their two RS3621xs+ units. This setup achieves comprehensive hardware and data redundancy, crucial for sustaining the daily operations of all departments. The dual units not only provide immediate resilience but also offer a scalable solution, accommodating future expansion up to 160 TB over the next five years. The flexibility of this system makes expansion effortless and ensures adaptability to the evolving data requirements.
In addition to the high-availability configuration, Al Anba reinforces its data security through the use of Hyper Backup, transmitting backup files to their Disaster Recovery Site. This meticulous approach guarantees the existence of a redundant copy for each file, fortifying the organization's data integrity and disaster preparedness.
Surveillance Station: video monitoring and management made easy
Instead of monitoring each camera individually, a dedicated NAS unit RS3614xs+ is now deployed to monitor and record all of their camera feeds through Surveillance Station, and there's no need to switch in-between different platforms. While recording, Al Anba particularly enjoys the Motion Detection feature within Surveillance Station. To minimize storage consumption, the system starts recording when it detects movements taking place in a pre-determined area, for example, when a door is opened, or when objects enter the frame. The timeline feature also helps retrieve the footage easily. Furthermore, Al Anba also takes full advantage of the mobile app DS cam for remote monitoring purposes, which allows the managers to access the surveillance system from outside the premises.
Recommended Models
- RS2414RP+ × 2
- RS3621xs+ × 2
- RS3614xs+
Recommended Features
- Multi-version backup with Hyper Backup
- Synology High Availability for uninterrupted service
- Surveillance Station for centralized monitoring and management