Mittelbayerischer Verlag keeps an overview of its distributed IT infrastructures with Paessler PRTG
About Mittelbayerischer Verlag
Mittelbayerischer Verlag KG is not just about “making newspapers.” The publisher also owns the Mittelbayerische Medienfabrik (media agency), the Mittelbayerisches Druckzentrum (printing center), the VIA Werbemittelverteilung (ad agency), and the CityMail mail delivery service. Its oldest product is the Mittelbayerische Zeitung (newspaper), which first appeared on October 23, 1945. 20 field offices provide editorial content for the publisher.
In today’s world of computers, smartphones, and tablets, we no longer get our news exclusively from printed newspapers. Mittelbayerischer Verlag KG, a publishing company based in Regensburg, Germany, now produces the entirety of its content in digital form. Its team of admins use PRTG Network Monitor, a network monitoring tool developed by Paessler AG, to ensure its production, printing, and editorial systems run like clockwork in its fragmented IT infrastructure. Among other things, PRTG allows for the centralized monitoring of ESX, Windows, and Linux servers. In the event of a problem or error, the software sends an alert by email, SMS, or push notification to keep the publisher’s IT workers up to date – regardless of their location.
“PRTG has made the monitoring of IT processes a cinch. The software saves us two hours of work per day, which we used to spend on follow-up checks.”
Helmut Brunner, IT System Administrator at Mittelbayerischer Verlag
The time came for a new solution
Previously, the IT team used the network monitoring solution MonitorMagic (from Tools4Ever) to keep track of the IT network at both its headquarters and its subsidiaries. However, over time the IT managers began to realize that the software no longer met the publisher’s requirements. Not only was the scope of monitoring possibilities limited, but the tool was also extremely difficult to use. Furthermore, the software lacked an intuitive dashboard that could allow admins to maintain an overview of the entire network.
Working with EDV-BV GmbH, Mittelbayerischer Verlag KG began the search for a new monitoring tool. EDV-BV is a service provider that specializes in comprehensive and manufacturer-independent IT solutions. During the course of the partnership, Helmut Brunner, IT System Administrator at Mittelbayerischer Verlag, was advised by Stefan Lindner, Managing Director at EDV-BV and an expert in security and data centers. Eventually, the pair decided to go with PRTG from Paessler AG – a network monitoring solution that makes it possible to determine the load and availability of devices, as well as the use of bandwidth.
Sensors for distributed networks
The software from the Nuremberg-based company was particularly appealing due to the wide range of monitoring possibilities it offered compared to the previous tool. Among other things, PRTG can monitor hybrid IT environments comprised of both physical and virtual components. The Paessler tool also impressed with its intuitive administration, customizable display options, and numerous notification possibilities. PRTG alerts – which are sent to the IT managers by SMS or email in the event of errors or if predefined threshold values are exceed – were another factor that tipped the scale in favor of PRTG. With PRTG, the members of the IT team are notified of problems around the clock, regardless of where they happen to be.
PRTG currently monitors the publisher’s ESX, Windows, and Linux servers. The IT department uses the software to monitor the availability of network components and servers, the capacity of disks, CPU loads, event logs, cluster resources, Exchange (round-trip), and active services and programs. Log and file monitoring are also included in the monitoring environment. As a result, a search string can be used to obtain information on the oldest/most recent file in the directory, including the contents of the file and the modification date. PRTG not only keeps an eye on the infrastructure at Mittelbayerischer Verlag in Regensburg, but also monitors the networks of the 20 branch offices and the subsidiaries Mittelbayerisches Druckzentrum and CityMail.
The IT team uses PRTG remote probes to monitor the infrastructures outside the company’s headquarters. Designed for distributed networks, these probes collect then send monitoring data to the PRTG core server for analysis.
Customizable monitoring software
Mittelbayerischer Verlag KG currently uses around 1,300 PRTG sensors (measuring points), most of which are special sensors that monitor Windows, Linux, programs, and scripts. With PRTG, the company can create custom sensors and add its own scripts, which in turn allow the IT team to monitor existing Linux systems and log files according to specific criteria. The IT team also monitors backup files with PRTG.
The IT staff uses both the browser-based web interface and the PRTG app for desktop. "Setting up and managing PRTG has been made much easier for us thanks to the various graphical display options," explains Helmut Brunner. "We have made individual maps that show the infrastructure in the data center, for example. On the one hand, this gives us more transparency, and on the other, we can locate errors more quickly."
"PRTG has made it much easier for us to control our IT operations," sums up Brunner. "As a result, we now save around two hours a day that would otherwise have been spent on follow-up checks. In addition, we appreciate the round-the-clock alerting, since our networks must be functional at all times and we can now react directly thanks to immediate alerts. We see further advantages in the monitoring options for different platforms, the presentation of basic problems in an overview, the quick installation of new sensors, and the regular improvements by Paessler."
Conclusion
The monitoring of multiple heterogeneous, distributed networks proved to be too much for the previous monitoring solution used by Mittelbayerischer Verlag KG. Since installing PRTG, the company now benefits from a tool that meets this requirement, all the while providing handy features such as overviews allowing IT workers to keep an eye on the network – regardless of their location. In the absence of alerts, the IT team can rest assured that everything is in order and spend time doing other things.
About EDV-BV GmbH
Founded in 1981, EDV-BV Vertriebs GmbH is an employee-run company with more than 30 years of experience in the IT industry. EDV-BV GmbH is headquartered in Nabburg, Germany, belongs to the teccle group, and specializes in comprehensive and manufacturer-independent IT solutions. Its customers include commercial and industrial companies, as well as government offices and agencies.
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