Andromeda Technology & Automation Linux Support

Linux Support Service

An Overview.

No single system shall function properly for a long period of time without proper maintenance and that takes time, knowledge and money. Many organizations do not have the possibility to provide such support themselves, because of a lack of knowledge or resources. Daily administration and surveillance of complex systems is not a trivial job. For this reason, small problems can escalate unnecessarily which causes systems to malfunction and may cause other incidents. Apart from the time it costs to solve such problems, the availability of the systems suffers as well. And all this is redundant work, because preventing problems or reducing risks does not need to take much work.

You can subcontract the regular maintenance, so all necessary tasks are performed on schedule. We offer you this maintenance in the Linux Support Service and, of course, we keep you informed about all relevant developments about your computer systems. The absolutely crucial system administration is then in good hands. Because we work together with you, you determine how much of our support you wish to rely upon. You do not need to subcontract everything if you don't want to. And if you need some more support every once in a while or if you need special trainings for your staff, we offer those services at an attractive discount from our normal rates. The Linux Support Service has many advantages in several areas.

Cost.

1. Efficient maintenance. By subcontracting system administration to highly experienced experts who have the right tools for the job, system maintenance can be performed more efficiently. We can charge a lower rate because our experts manage multiple systems.
2. Budget control. Clear agreements on what you will get and at what rates will provide you with easier and clearer budget calculations. The costs for regular maintenance are no longer an unknown area in your ICT budget. When purchasing additional services, you may count on an attractive discount.
3. Decreased TCO. If systems are maintained well, unexpected expenses will decrease and you will be able to use your computers more effectively. Besides improved control, this will mean a reduction in TCO for your systems.

Administration.

1. Improved administration. Because we keep a close eye on your systems, all administrative tasks will be carried out. System administration will not vanish into the background from which the quality of your systems will clearly benefit.
2. More control. Because we report to you regularly, you will know what goes on in your systems. You will have complete control over what goes on in your systems without technical details consuming your time. You can monitor the status of your requests on the Internet. Through this, you will have more answers and less questions.
3. Pro-active monitoring. By utilizing various checks and active monitoring we try to predict the occurrence of problems. You will meet less surprises and actions can be taken before a small incident turns into a real problem.

Security.

1. Up-to-date. Many attacks are known leaks that are abused. Few people are capable of inventing an original attack. This is the reason why it is important to plug the holes. Because with the Linux Support Service your systems are kept up to date, the probability of being vulnerable to known leaks is minimized.
2. Feedback. The Linux Support Service means attention payed to your systems. Depending on the chosen support program, a higher or lower level of attention will be payed to your systems. Security will always have our special attention in all cases, however. If something is discovered that needs improvement, we will bring this to your attention.
3. Better safe than sorry. Many problems related to security show symptoms that can be discovered beforehand. The Linux Support Service offers you safety and relieves you of worries.

Support.

Experience available. With the Linux Support Service you will bring years of experience in Linux/UNIX administration and security into your organization. You are not alone anymore and can rely on our excellent expertise. Because nobody has knowledge about everything, we built a network of partners. This enables us to offer the best expertise in the right field. Of course, we will always work in a uniform way and for a uniform rate, so you will never be confronted with unpleasant surprises. You always have support, even when things do not seem to stick to the plan.

What is it?

The Linux Support Service is a service in which you partially subcontract the system administration for your computers. We perform the agreed tasks on schedule. We make intensive use of the latest technologies, applied with much personal attention. We believe that technology is supportive to the experience and expertise of people and can never be a full replacement. The only thing we ask of you is a fixed IP address and access to your computer in order to do our job, through the Internet.

The service is offered in four different levels, in which each higher level provides more service than the previous level. In case you need more support than agreed upon, you will get an attractive discount on our rates, based upon your level of service. Our prices will also become more attractive if we add multiple systems to a contract. The subdivision of services is stated briefly below. More detailed explanations will follow this general overview.

Basic service.

We keep your systems up-to-date, so fixed problems will actually be installed on your systems on time.

Supportive maintenance.

In addition to the basic service, we also take care of regular maintenance and tasks that usually tend to slip. Besides documenting your systems in the system administration manual, we keep an eye on the logbooks and the system files and handle administrative emails.

Secure maintenance.

In addition to the services in supportive maintenance, tasks are performed to keep the security on an acceptable level. We monitor the warnings about security leaks and take appropriate measured whenever this is required. The logbooks are reviewed more closely and daily security checks are performed. We also regularly scan for traces of a possible intrusion.

Extended maintenance.

In addition to the services in secure maintenance, other tasks are performed that benefit the operational maintenance. This involves a very extensive security check at regular intervals as well as checks whether the backup systems keeps functioning correctly. You will be provided with various statistics about the performance of your systems and we will give you access to our problems database in which you can report your problems and monitor the progress.

Basic service.

The basic service provides for the most necessary actions to guarantee the smooth operation of your Linux system as much as possible. The following services are provided:

Software updates.

To be able to keep using your Linux systems and to make sure that hackers do not get a chance, it is necessary to install the available patches on the system software. Research shows that this type of maintenance is often neglected in a large number of organizations. Usually only 50% of the computers connected to the Internet are updated after thirty days while programs to abuse leaks are often freely available on the Internet. As soon as a leak is fixed, we take care to install the update onto your systems.

Software upgrades.

Software is being renewed and improved continuously. To keep relying on support, organizations need to keep up with new stable versions of a package. If installing such an upgrade would be a wise decision, we will let you know and, in cooperation with you, will perform the upgrade. Thus we provide you with modern and well supported versions of software on your system. We even take this a step further than most suppliers of Linux distributions. We obtain the software directly from the authors of these packages and also actively contribute to their development.

Supportive Maintenance.

The next step in the Linux Support Service is supportive maintenance. In this service level we supplement the basic service with documentation and monitoring of your computer's reports. This is needed stop potential problems at the very beginning.

System administration manual.

The reference point for everything that takes place on a computer system is the system administration manual. This manual describes the configuration of the system, both hardware and software, what applications are relevant en what procedures are followed, for example in relation to the backup. The system administration manual is continuously adapted to the changing circumstances.

Logbook analysis.

All events that occur on a computer system are logged in logbooks, the so called system logs. When a situation arises which disturbs the normal operation of the system, this will usually show up in the system logs. We therefore review the system logs on a weekly basis and inform you of any noteworthy events.

Root mail.

Special events that occur on the system are automatically reported by sending an email to the system administrator called root. It is therefore important that this mail is actually read by someone. Because the email destined for root is forwarded to us, you can be sure that this does happen. It goes without saying that we will immediately take appropriate action if the situation so requires.

Vulnerability reports.

Through the widespread use of software all over the world, software leaks are easily discovered. Such leaks are usually announced by organizations such as CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) and are often discussed previously on mailing lists. We keep an eye on these messages and also follow the less official reports (which are often at least as serious). If such a leak involves software that is applicable to you, we don't hesitate to take appropriate measures. If a patch to fix the leak is not yet available, we will search for solutions to limit the risk. We will consult with you immediately in such situations.

Secure maintenance.

The supportive maintenance as service to mainly prevent unintended problems can be extended with secure maintenance. Besides the previously mentioned support, we will help you reduce the risk of a successful intrusion into your systems.

Root-kit detection.

Most computers run a great deal of software and despite all good care, the possibility always exists that attackers manage to gain access to the system. Many attackers will then try to install their own software on your computer and disguise their presence. We look for traces of such software and will inform you if we find any.

Security review logbooks.

We already explained the importance of log books. In this service, we review the system logs on a daily basis instead of a weekly basis and pay special attention to security. We can therefore react more quickly to special events and thus increase the security of your system. Furthermore, you will sooner be informed of noteworthy events and incidents are handled more quickly.

Security sweep.

In order to optimally guarantee the security of your system, it is important to keep informed about modifications in the state of the system. To keep up with these modifications, we perform a daily security sweep to check whether your system still adheres to the security criteria. As soon as something changes on your system, either intended or unintended, we will know within 24 hours. If an alteration in your system happens unexpectedly, we will immediately consult with you to determine appropriate reactions.

Extended maintenance.

We offer extended maintenance to everyone for whom keeping the systems operational is crucial. With this service, the monitoring is increased even further and you will receive more insight into your data.

Extended security check.

With extended maintenance, we perform an extended security check on your system every month. This involves a remote check for vulnerabilities.

Monitoring system files.

All your software and information is stored on file systems on your hard disks. It is therefore important that these file systems remain intact. One of the main concerns for every system administrator is the file systems becoming filled up. When this happens, no more information, such as incoming email, can be added to the system and database can become corrupted. We therefore keep a close eye on your file systems so we will note any problems in an early stage. We can also advise you in planning future expansions.

Monitoring processes.

Every computer system runs a multitude of processes that keep the system operational and offer the services for which the system is intended. It goes without saying that these processes must keep on running all the time. We monitor these processes to see if they behave as intended. As soon as a process stops to perform its duties, we step in to save the day.

Monitoring backups.

The best guarantee for keeping your information safe is to make regular backups. Of course, you have your backup strategy deployed quite nicely. We leave that entirely up to you, unless you ask for our advice, of course. What we can do, however, is check if the backup performs as you have planned. In case anything goes wrong, we will inform you and take the appropriate steps to correct the problem.

Statistics.

Of course, you like to be informed about everything that happens on your systems. However, you don't want to be bothered with all the technical details. What matters to you is the management information, the big picture. To inform you about the state of affairs, we compose a quarterly overview about all things that occurred in the past three months.

Problem Reports.

If despite everything, something goes wrong, or if you wish to have a modification made to the configuration or the software, we offer the possibility to submit a Problem Report to our on-line database. Because you have access to this database through the Internet, you can track the progress on the handling of the incident. Apart from that, you can add your own input and you will automatically be informed by email.

Pricing

The prices for the Linux Support Service will be calculated per computer and the purchased service level. In addition to a substantial discount for yearly payments, you will also receive a discount when you dedicate multiple computers to the Linux Support Service.

Earning discounts.

As stated before, customers will be rewarded for their loyalty with discounts. You can earn the discount with services which you purchase from us or our partners. This holds not only for the Linux Support Service, but also for security audits, trainings, computers and consultancy. The more we work together, the more the discount and you will get this discount on all our services. Not only from us but also from our partners. A discount that will really benefit you.

Extra services.

On-site Consultancy.

The world around us is constantly changing. Your computer systems will also need to be adapted regularly to altering requirements and technology. Our experts can serve you in this with support and advice.

Trainings.

Supported by a good education, your personnel can work more effectively with the computer systems. We can provide trainings in the areas of computer usage, administration, security, Internet and software development.

Audits.

Network security involves more than just managing the systems. Without reverting to the extreme, security measures must match with the risk profile of the organization. This will change with the passing of time and the ambitions of a company are subject to change as well. Because total protection can not be achieved in one day, slightly higher goals will be set each time. Our audits will help you determine where you stand and how effective your policy is. We offer concrete advice. Our audits are concrete, clear and affordable.

Computers.

You can count on us not only for maintaining your systems, but we also have fully installed Linux computers and hardware parts available for competitive prices.

Software Development.

If you are not entirely comfortable with readily available software, you can develop a special application or have such an application developed. We can design and implement the software for you, of course in close cooperation with you and your staff.

Web Engineering.

More often than not, a website is more than presenting a few pages of text. Supported by interactive elements and dynamic content, you site will truly come to life.

Incident Handling.

Whenever an incident occurs that falls out of scope of the regular maintenance, we are of course perfectly willing to provide assistance. Our experts may also be called upon when implementing new solutions or changing the configuration of your systems.

Partners.

No company holds all the wisdom of the universe, which is why we work together with carefully selected partners. This enables us to offer more services of high quality. This is the reason why we have searched cooperation with companies that work with a similar business model: much expertise, flexible, affordable and, above all, attention to the customer.