Outsourcing by IKOULA

Choosing the right level of service Frequently asked questions

Are all applications supported by managed services teams?

As experts, IKOULA's teams master many applications, including the following (non-exhaustive list)

• Linux:
  • Web services (Apache, Nginx, lighttpd, NodeJS, Haproxy, Varnish, Tomcat, PHP - FPM & module , Plesk, etc.)
  • Databases (MySQL - alone or replication, MariaDB - alone or replication, Postgres - alone or replication, MongoDB - alone or replication, SQlite, etc.)
  • Applications (Docker, Supervisor, Bascule, CoroSync, etc.)
• Windows:
  • Web services (IIS, Apache, Nginx, PHP - FPM & module, Plesk, etc.)
  • Databases (Microsoft SQL Server - alone or replication, MySQL - alone or replication, MariaDB - alone or replication, Postgres - alone or replication, etc.)

How can your platforms be supervised remotely?

To support the managed services running your platforms, IKOULA provides you with various reporting and supervision tools, accessible from a single, secure web interface, called the Extranet.
With the Extranet, you have all the information you need to manage your platforms:

• Supervision of systems and services
• Monitoring dashboards
• Follow-up of major indicators
• Response reports
• Annual review, identification of potential new needs, definition of major orientations

How does outsourcing help SMEs to develop?

Outsourcing allows SMEs to benefit from IT maintenance equivalent to that of large companies, which often have a team specialized in this sector.

How to succeed in IT outsourcing?

It is essential to define the needs and the expected results by writing a contract in which both parties are in complete agreement on all points, but first the company chooses what type of outsourcing it wants (complete or not). And above all, the customer must be in constant communication with the provider so that no problems arise.

How to trigger outsourcing?

First of all, you have to register and ask all the questions you want beforehand. Then you can connect to your customer area to then choose the package and the VPS that the company wants.

What concrete actions can be carried out by IKOULA's managed services teams?

It all depends on the level of service chosen and the company's objectives/needs. We can mention for example:

• The creation of a VirtualHost (web configuration, database with its user, SFTP user, etc.).
• Analysis and implementation of specific configurations according to the customer's needs (redirection, URL rewriting, caching, etc.)
• Monitoring updates and security vulnerabilities of servers and applications, with analysis and proposal of solutions to the customer, then applying patches in agreement with the customer.
• Monitoring of the platform, with advice on its evolution. A steering committee can even be set up, whether in conf-call or even on site.
• Daily monitoring of platform backups, with automatic error correction (upgrades, etc.). The important thing is to ALWAYS have a functional backup!

What does an outsourcing service include?

First of all you have to know what kind of outsourcing the company has selected, however for most of them this includes the maintenance of the computer park, the monitoring and the securing of all the systems and networks, a technical support and a assistance for the different users and finally an evolution of the computer park so that it is permanently efficient.

What do managed services at IKOULA entail in practice?

Because each company has its own infrastructure and different needs, IKOULA offers 4 distinct levels of managed services: LIBERTY, PRIME, BUSINESS & FIRST. Each service level follows 3 main axes: monitoring, backup/restoration and system management.

1. Monitoring (Zabbix tool):
• LIBERTY Level: Monitoring of the physical or virtual server status (“up” or “down”) and check certain network ports.
• PRIME Level Monitoring standard via Zabbix. This tool takes accurate readings, and checks the status of system resources (RAM, CPU, disk, network, etc.) and services (https, web, search, bdd, etc.).
• BUSINESS and FIRST level: Advanced monitoring with customised probes, to check both the availability and the consumption of resources. For example, on a web platform we check the response time of a home page. These measures are recorded and compared to identify service impairments. Beyond a certain threshold alerts are sent, and human intervention is necessary. These interventions can be planned in advance in a procedure booklet.
2. Backup / restoring:
• LIBERTY and PRIME Level: Available as an option
• BUSINESS Level: the customer retains full power over backup and restores. IKOULA remains available if necessary to advise the customer on the tools to be implemented.
• FIRST Level: IKOULA teams manage backup and restore on behalf of the customer according to established criteria. The customer cannot modify or restore an item without first going through the managed service. The presence of a firewall is also mandatory.
3. The management system:
• LIBERTY Level: includes monitoring of your infrastructure and certain network ports
• PRIME Level: in addition to the LIBERTY level, includes the monitoring system of your platforms (CPU, RAM, hard disk, etc.)
• BUSINESS Level: in addition to the PRIME Level, includes advanced and personalised monitoring, backup/restoration and actions to maintain the availability of services, according to a procedure manual defined by the customer in advance
• FIRST Level: in addition to the BUSINESS Level, this defines the human time required to manage the platform on a daily basis (security update, software)

What is outsourcing?

Outsourcing involves a company entrusting its IT system (the management of its computers, data and softwares) to a service provider. This outsourcing can be total or partial.

What is the benefit of outsourcing?

There are several advantages between saving time and money, the safety of data protection and also the anticipation problems because these are the experts who take care of it. And also from a legal point of view by transferring responsibility to the service provider in case of computer-related problems.

What is the right approach to choose an outsourcing?

First you have to compare the proposed offers and the cost between the different companies that offer this service. Then it is necessary to assess the responsiveness, the flexibility, the expertise and the security to know which one is the best for the needs of the business. And above all, it is better to move towards modular offers (that is to say that the latter is adapted and personalized according to the needs of the customer) than packaged offers.

Why choose IKOULA ?

Choosing IKOULA for managed services brings certain advantages:

• Supervision is fully customisable:
  • “made in IKOULA” templates can be applied, with the modification of the thresholds
  • web scenarios can be created and monitored, based on the return code, the search for text in the page and the response time
  • specific elements of supervision can be created, in collaboration with IKOULA teams
  • intervention procedures in the event of alerts can also be put in place
• Backups are the subject of particular attention:
  • they can be customised (schedule, periodicity and backup method used: file copy, dump, etc.)
  • they are by default located on a remote site, for example, if your infrastructure is located in our IKDC1 data centre, the backup will automatically be located on our 2nd IKDC2 data centre, and vice versa)
• There are several PRA options, it is possible to fully replicate the main platform, or to have a lesser platform with degraded operation.

Why put your server in outsourcing?

Thanks to outsourcing, the company no longer has problems of overheating or breakdown because the data is stored in very secure data centers. In addition, by adopting this method, the company remains at the cutting edge of technology.

Why secure corporate data in outsourcing?

This minimizes accidents such as the loss or the theft of data and the leakage of confidential informations by hackers or by an employee.

Why should I use managed services for my infrastructures?

Opting for managed services allows you to entrust the maintenance of your machines to professionals, who have a perfect command of the various issues in the sector.

Choosing managed services means choosing:
• Peace of mind: opting for outsourcing allows you to be informed in real time of the status of your infrastructures via our secure Extranet. If necessary, our teams of experts - based within our data centres - can respond automatically. So no need for you to worry! You can refocus on your core business!
• Security: because the security of IT systems is our priority, our teams follow a very strict daily monitoring protocol, which allows them to identify potential vulnerabilities and correct them as quickly as possible. The following is included in this protocol:
  • Thorough monitoring, with verification of recognised sources (operating system sites, such as Debian or Centos, but also ssites such as ANSSI, Zataz or NVD)
  • An update of internal information databases, listing application information (names and versions concerned) but also customer documentation, with explanations of weaknesses found and corrective measures taken (available via each customer's Extranet.)
  • Direct communication with customers according to the criticality of the identified vulnerabilities, to plan the operations to be carried out
• Control: from IKOULA's secure Extranet, you can monitor the performance of your platform according to your KPIs. Our teams will also support you to adjust and adapt your infrastructures in line with the development of your company, while controlling your costs.