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Keystone offers a service of hosting your KLAS database. This service provides you with access to KLAS running on servers that we provide and maintain in our datacenter. With this, you no longer need to purchase servers for the database and WebOpac online catalog, nor budget for maintenance and upgrades of servers. You simplify your operations, and gain the reliability and enhanced services offered by Keystone hosting.

Keystone Hosting Services

A full range of IT services and KLAS-specific services are provided, including:

  • Use of servers and infrastructure provided and maintained by Keystone Systems.
  • Complete and continuing on-going System Administration for both Database and WebOPAC servers.
  • KLAS software updates and patches applied by Keystone Staff.
  • Firewall, VPN, and hardened operating systems to provide data security.
  • Separate servers for database, OPAC and firewalls, etc.
  • On-line USPS Address Validation a service Keystone provides to help seamlessly ensure that mailing addresses are entered in correctly.
  • All databases using Keystone Hosting Services utilize the Progress Enterprise level DBMS.
  • Hardware performance monitoring and upgrade as needed by Keystone with no additional charges.
  • Network monitoring and troubleshooting as required.
  • Database maintenance by Keystone staff (excluding custom programming requests).
  • Periodic database maintenance functions to keep database operating smoothly.
  • Provide additional assistance in performing KLAS Administrator functions, on request.
  • Public access to WebOPAC (online catalog) 24 hours per day 7 days per week (24/7).
  • WebOPAC monitoring, troubleshooting, and restart as necessary.
  • WebOPAC maintenance by Keystone Staff at the request of the customer.
  • Proactive system monitoring with automatic alerting of Keystone Staff.

Keystone Facilities for Disaster Preparedness

Keystone's datacenter is fully supported by a natural gas power generator and multiple UPSs in a secure concrete/brick building in a well-protected area of Raleigh, NC. Keystone always maintains excess capacity, to allow for quick recovery in the event of server failure, the loss of a node in our SAN (storage area network), or loss of some network infrastructure. Our redundant capacities for disaster preparedness include:

  • Communications: Two fiber optic communication lines with automatic failover between providers.
  • Network: Keystone uses redundant Cisco routers and switches with easily replaceable standard parts.
  • Servers: Servers are divided into separate groups for Infrastructure (web, email, and VPN), and Operations (customer hosting). Each group has an extra server available with easily replaceable parts.
  • Back-up Power: Keystone's datacenter has dual UPS systems to keep servers running in the event of a power failure until a 60-KW natural gas powered generator comes on automatically.
  • Data Storage: Keystone maintains redundant SAN fabric, mirrored storage, along with tested and proven back-up procedures, and off-site data storage.
  • Environmental: Triple HVAC systems with environmental monitoring systems and automated alerting

Backups and Data Protection

Keystone works to protect your data by maintaining a series of backups of your data, and the configuration of the server environment. Backups are achieved in multiple levels in various forms.

  • Hardware design: All servers are designed with redundancy in mind. From power, to network and storage, Keystone has taken every measure to protect your data.
  • Transaction logging: All database transactions are logged in a secure way to ensure they can be "rolled forward" to ensure all transactions can be re-applied to a backup copy of your database. These transaction log files are encrypted, backed up, and streamed off-site every 5 minutes.
  • Backups: Keystone maintains a 28 day rotation of nightly database backups, with additional archives of weekly, quarterly, and annual full-system backups.
  • Encryption: All backups are encrypted to ensure that your data is always safe.
  • Physical protection: Keystone maintains a rotation of backup media, so that only the current week's backup media is kept on site. All other backup media is stored in off-site facilities. Any media that is brought on-site is stored in a data-rated fire safe while not in use.

Software as a Service

Keystone offers three different operations options for acquiring, operating, and supporting KLAS. By adopting KLAS in a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, libraries are able to find accessible software that meets their workflow needs, while eliminating many of their budgetary and IT barriers. Because it is delivered in a SaaS model, Keystone provides support for the KLAS software including daily technical operations, housing, and maintenance of server and network hardware. This allows libraries to use funds previously allocated for technology staff and maintenance for other critical areas of the library.

PROs of KLAS SaaS:

  • Access to the full features of the KLAS system
  • No up-front licensing costs.
  • No need to buy a server for running the application. It is included in the hosting services. Keystone Systems will proactively upgrade the server hardware well before it is overloaded. Currently, we are averaging upgrading the server hardware every 18 months to 2 years.
  • Disaster recovery plan. You do not need to worry about disaster recovery for your server facilities. Keystone Systems already has in place:
    • No single point of failure
    • Electric generator, powered by natural gas pipeline
    • Redundant internet communications links.
    • Redundant network capacity.
    • Redundant server capacity.
    • "After-image" backup of every transaction.
    • Daily backup of data.
    • Weekly full-system backup.
    • 1 set of backups stored on-site in fire proof, data rated safe.
    • 1 set of backups stored off-site.
  • Security of the database is ensured.
  • Multiple firewalls and VPN connection ensure the security and integrity of your data.
  • Very high bandwidth for providing digital download of information.
  • T3 fiber connection to the internet.
  • Easy management of growth - Keystone will manage the facilities to always have excess capacity.
  • Upgrades to the KLAS and Progress software applied by Keystone staff.

Operations Options

Keystone provides three options for acquiring, operating, and supporting KLAS:

  1. KLAS SaaS (software as a service) and Keystone hosting services.
  2. Purchase of perpetual KLAS licenses with Keystone hosting services.
  3. Purchase of perpetual KLAS licenses and the customer hosting the operation in computer facilities owned and operated by the customer.

A Comparison of Operations Options:




Software as a Service (SaaS) Keystone Hosted Self-Hosted
Up-front Licensing Costs None YES YES
Location of Server Keystone
(Connect to database
over Internet)
Keystone
(Connect to database over Internet)
Customer's site
Server Maintenance Costs Included Included Local IT
Disaster Recovery YES YES YES
Database Secure
(Multiple Firewalls & VPN Connection)
YES YES ?
Very High Bandwidth
(T3 Fiber Connections between database and Internet)
YES YES ?
Easy Management of Growth
(Manage and Insure Excess Capacity on Servers)
YES YES ?
Upgrades to KLAS and Progress Applied by Keystone Applied by Keystone Applied by
Local IT
Need IT / Database Administrator Onsite None Needed None Needed YES

 

Summary of Options

Option 1: SaaS (Software as a Service) and Keystone Hosting

KLAS SaaS is based on paying a monthly fee for using the software as a service and having the databases hosted at Keystone Systems offices. This option has the lowest upfront cost as there is no licensing of software or purchase of a server. Keystone staff will provide hosting services as described in the "Keystone Hosting Services" document.

Option 2: Perpetual License with Keystone Hosting

The library purchases the software licenses and pays a monthly fee to Keystone for hosting the database and providing services as described in the "Keystone Hosting Services" document. With this option, the library will not need to purchase a server, nor budget for maintenance or upgrades of the server. This provides the stability offered by the perpetual license option and the reliability and enhanced services offered by Keystone hosting.

Option 3: Perpetual License and Self-Hosting

Self-hosting is based on paying a one-time fee to license the application software and having the databases operate on servers at your site. Your library will be responsible for providing appropriate servers and ensuring their proper operation. Your staff will connect to the databases over your internal network.

This option requires a more significant up-front cost, but lower on-going operations fees. With this you purchase, KLAS licenses, a server, and budget for IT staff to implement and maintain the server. You will also need to plan to replace and/or upgrade the server every 3-5 years.