It is possible to use Prinergy across a Wide Area Network (WAN), but performance is generally slower and less reliable and the Kodak service contract does not cover WAN-related problems.
Important: Although Prinergy and other Kodak software have been tested across a WAN, Kodak does not support, and assumes no responsibility for, problems that may occur as a result of using a WAN. WAN-related problems are not covered by Kodak service contracts. For further information, contact your service representative.
A WAN is usually composed of two or more Local Area Networks (LANs) joined by one or more connectivity technologies (xDSL, T1-3, ATM, OC-xxx, frame relay, ISDN, x.25, and so on).
It is possible to use a Prinergy system across a WAN in the following ways:
- To connect Workshop to the Prinergy primary server located at another site (that is, at a different geographic location)
- To connect the Prinergy primary server at one site to a render station and output device at another site
Note: In this configuration, Emergency Platemaking is strongly recommended, so that the remote render station can still be used to output plates if the WAN connection is temporarily unavailable (if the data can be sent by an alternate channel).
Note the following requirements for using Prinergy across a WAN:
- Bandwidth must be at least 100 Mbps for platemaking across a WAN. Slower WANs might be unable to provide adequate performance for a Prinergy workflow. If you are only using Workshop, the bandwidth requirement is 10 Mbps.
- Ability to route all protocols required by Prinergy across the WAN (TCP/IP and AppleTalk)
- Ports required for communication between Prinergy servers (or between Prinergy and InSite) must not be blocked. This is rarely a problem for private networks.
- Guaranteed packet delivery, which precludes the use of frame relays with Prinergy
- Low latency. Satellite link latency is usually too high to use with Prinergy. A high WAN latency may cause Prinergy components to fail while waiting for data, leading to unpredictable behavior.
Kodak cannot predict Prinergy performance across a WAN. Generally, unless your WAN has extremely high bandwidth, you can expect much slower performance than an Ethernet connection.
Kodak tested platemaking with Prinergy using a 30 Mbps WAN between two sites. Performance was adequate for Workshop use but was inadequate for platemaking. To make plates at a remote site, 100 Mbps or faster bandwidth is required.
The impact of a WAN becoming unavailable and interrupting production is approximately the same as the impact of a LAN failure. As a rule, all mission-critical networks should be as reliable as possible. However, if a WAN fails, it may be more difficult to secure an alternate connection. If a LAN switch is faulty, you may be able to replace it with a spare switch or run a cable between two servers to restore production. This kind of quick solution is not possible if servers are in different geographical locations and the switch/router is in a different location as well.