Enhancing Data Access and Backup Efficiency at Het Streek with Synology Solutions

Synology solutions have helped us save €21,000 annually and our backup speeds have improved 16 times. The reliable UC3200 and SA3400 units, along with Active Backup for Microsoft 365, are all we need to safely back up all 3,000 of our Microsoft 365 accounts, as well as account data for our students and teachers. We have peace of mind knowing our data can always be recovered.

Wim Hendriks, Head of ICT, Het Streek

The Challenge

Ensuring seamless and reliable remote computing for over 3,000 users while maintaining fast, scalable, and cost-effective storage and backup solutions.

Het Streek leverages a remote computing environment and Microsoft cloud applications to provide a seamless desktop experience for students and staff, regardless of their device. The virtual desktop infrastructure allows for easy switching between computers by streaming applications and data directly from centrally hosted user profiles, minimizing loading and synchronization times.

With daily PC use dependent on remote computing, it is essential to keep user profiles accessible at all times. For the solution to be effective, profiles must load quickly.

To enhance system performance, the school required highly reliable and lightning-fast storage to host their Microsoft FSLogix Profile Containers and other critical data. The solution also needed to be cost-effective and provide robust protection against downtime and data loss.

Additionally, Het Streek needed a comprehensive solution to back up data from their 3,000 Microsoft 365 accounts, including emails, contacts, archives, and chat logs. With new students enrolling every year, any backup hardware they acquired needed to be highly scalable to meet future storage demands.

The Solution

Improved data access and backup efficiency using Synology’s high-performance and scalable storage solutions

For nearly 15 years, Het Streek has trusted Synology products for their reliability, security, and efficiency. Based on this successful track record, the school chose Synology hardware and software once again.

Faster Access to Student and Teacher Profiles

To ensure rapid and reliable access to student and teacher data, including FSLogix roaming profiles, Het Streek selected Synology's active-active SAN solution for mission-critical environments, the dual-controller UC3200.

The UC3200 is a high-performance storage solution that offers uninterrupted iSCSI and Fibre Channel storage services through a unified architecture. With two active controllers working in tandem, it delivers high availability in a single server, minimizing downtime and ensuring data accessibility even in the event of hardware or software failure.

An all-flash RAID 5 volume was configured to provide fast and low-latency access to FSLogix profile data, enhancing loading speeds. Additionally, a separate HDD RAID 10 volume was set up to store data such as surveillance footage and pictures.

Backup Times Reduced from 8 Hours to 30 Minutes

For backing up its Microsoft 365 accounts, Het Streek opted for Synology's most scalable SAS storage solution, the high-capacity and high-performance SA3400.

The 12-bay SA3400 can support up to 180 drives using expansion units, delivering more than 1.5 petabytes of raw capacity. Coupled with its built-in data protection solutions, it offers high reliability and ample potential to meet the school's future data storage needs.

The unit was dedicated to backing up the school's 3,000 Microsoft 365 accounts, totaling 12 TB of data. This was accomplished at no additional cost using Synology's license-free cloud protection solution, Active Backup for Microsoft 365.

Compared to the previous storage setup, backup times were significantly reduced, from 8 hours to approximately 30 minutes.

Topology

By utilizing the SA3400, UC3200, and Active Backup for Microsoft 365, Het Streek saves €21,000 annually.

The UC3200 delivers FSLogix profiles directly from its SSD array to workstations, significantly reducing loading times and providing a noticeable improvement for students and staff.

Active Backup for Microsoft 365 ensures daily backups of the school's 3,000 Microsoft 365 profiles to their private server at no extra cost.

The SA3400 offers ample scalability to meet future data needs, alleviating concerns about imminent infrastructure upgrades.

The Customer

Established in 1995, Het Streek is a comprehensive school with over 3,000 students and staff across two campuses and a central head office.

The school offers a wide range of programs, from vocational training to the region's exclusive "Technasium" pre-university track, which emphasizes science and technology.

Students are encouraged to use laptops and digital workbooks during classes, promoting modern skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and digital literacy.

Education

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Netherlands

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