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 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.