Hosting and managed VPS provision for the Zucchetti AD Hoc Infinity management system

Introduction: What is Zucchetti AD Hoc Infinity?

Talking about business management In Italy, the Zucchetti name represents a consolidated point of reference. Within the vast range of solutions offered, AD Hoc Infinity It is the web-oriented ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software developed to centrally and scalably manage the main business areas: accounting, commercial management, production, logistics, CRM, up to integration with web and mobile applications.

The peculiarity of AD Hoc Infinity lies in its architecture entirely based on web technologyThis means it doesn't require complex client installations, but relies on a server infrastructure that guarantees performance, security, and scalability. Access is via browser, allowing companies to simplify IT management and reduce operating costs.

To function properly, however, AD Hoc Infinity requires a well-defined technology platform: a Linux environment with an application stack that includes Apache HTTP Server, Tomcat and PostgreSQL, as well as a stable and reliable infrastructure. This is where the need for a managed hosting or VPS service capable of satisfying the specific requirements of the Zucchetti IT department and, at the same time, guaranteeing the user company operational continuity and long-term security.

Typical requirements for hosting Zucchetti AD Hoc

The standard requests from Zucchetti's IT department, reported in various official communications, clearly outline the scenario:

• Root access or sudo privileges during the initial installation phase, to allow Zucchetti specialists to correctly configure the application environment.

• Connecting via VPN and issuing administrative credentials, necessary to bypass any corporate firewalls and comply with security protocols.

• Installation of the main components:

  • tom cat 9.0.105

  • PostgreSQL 16

  • Apache HTTP Server

• Ability to customize critical configuration files, as server.xml e context.xml for Tomcat or httpd.conf e vhosts.conf for Apache.

• Regaining control in Managed mode after installation, to ensure system management, security updates, performance monitoring and backup procedures.

It is therefore one hybrid solution: In practice, in the initial phase, temporary and complete access to the machine (called "unmanaged") is requested, allowing Zucchetti technicians to enter the system and directly configure all the necessary components. At this point, the server functions as if it were "in their hands," allowing them to adapt it precisely to the management system's needs.

Once the installation and configuration are complete, however, the system returns to being managed entirely by the provider: this means that it is not left "abandoned to the customer", but is constantly monitored by professionals who guarantee its security, stability and operational continuity.

In other words, the hybrid solution combines the best of both worlds:

• Initial freedom for Zucchetti technicians, who can install everything as needed.

• Peace of mind in the long run for the company, which knows it has a supplier ready to monitor, update and protect the machine 24 hours a day.

Our Hosting and VPS Offer for AD Hoc Infinity

we at Managed Server SRL We have structured a specific offering to meet these needs, combining the flexibility required by Zucchetti's IT department with the security and reliability of a managed infrastructure.

Operating modes

The service is provided according to a clear and transparent process:

1. VPS/Dedicated Server Provisioning

   • A virtual or physical machine is set up with the agreed specifications (see hardware section below).

   • We install an updated and optimized Linux operating system.

2. Providing root/sudo credentials

   • During the initial installation, we provide Zucchetti's technical department with the credentials needed to proceed with the application setup.

   • Alternatively, upon request, we can collaborate directly by installing the basic components according to Zucchetti's precise instructions.

3. Installing the application environment

   • Tomcat, PostgreSQL, and Apache are configured according to best practices.

   • The ability to customize the environment's key files is guaranteed.

4. Resumption of Managed Management

   • After installation, the system returns to our management.

   • We handle security updates, monitoring, backups, and disaster recovery.

This operating mode has been successfully adopted by other Zucchetti customers and represents the ideal compromise between installation freedom and management stability.

Operating system: AlmaLinux or Ubuntu

As for the operating system, we provide customers with two main options:

• Ubuntu Server (LTS releases, from 20.04 onwards), widely used, supported by a very active community and packed with up-to-date software packages.

• SoulLinux (version 9 and above), our preferred choice for hosting enterprise solutions. AlmaLinux is a fork of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), fully binary-compatible, and supported by a non-profit foundation.

The preference falls on SoulLinux for several reasons:

• It's a distribution enterprise grade, designed for highly reliable server environments.

• Guarantees compatibility with the RHEL ecosystem, widely adopted in the corporate environment.

• Offer the FIPS 140 certification, essential for those companies that operate with stringent quality standards or that must comply with strict IT security regulations.

This feature makes AlmaLinux particularly suitable for companies that require compliance with quality controls, audits or specific regulations (for example in the IT sector). Finance, Health, public administration).

An additional advantage is related to the life cycle of the distribution: AlmaLinux offers a system of Extended Security Updates (ESU), which ensures critical security patches and high-level updates even beyond the normal release support duration.

In practice, this means that you can stay on a certain minor version of AlmaLinux (e.g. 9.2, or 9.6 9.10) for over six years, benefiting from continuous security updates and at least a year of overlap between one ESU release and the next.

This approach is particularly useful in contexts where:

• Platform stability is more important than frequent updates to the latest versions.

• There are constraints of certificazione (e.g. FIPS 140) that require maintaining the software environment unchanged for long periods.

• It is necessary to ensure business continuity without interruptions due to forced operating system upgrades.

In other words, AlmaLinux is not only a distribution compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, but also a solution that offers companies a safe and predictable time horizon to calmly plan your IT investments and long-term compliance strategies.

Our unique approach: Managed + temporary root access

A major point of differentiation compared to the competition concerns the way we manage the installation phase:

Many hosting and cloud providers they don't allow to subscribe to a "Managed" environment and simultaneously provide the customer or third parties with root administration credentials. This is because, once full access is granted, the control and management conditions typical of a managed service expire.

We adopt a different approach, specifically to meet the needs of the Zucchetti IT department:

• In initial phase, we grant root or sudo credentials necessary for the Zucchetti team to proceed with the installation and configuration of the application.

• At the end of this phase, the control return to Managed Server SRL, which takes care of bringing the machine back under full system management, ensuring safety, stability and operational continuity.

In this way the freedom required by Zucchetti is combined with the peace of mind of a service really managedIt's a modality we offer only for this specific management software, precisely because we understand their specific needs and know how to support them without compromising the overall stability of the platform.

Infrastructure: ZFS and advanced backup systems

One of the strengths of our offer is the adoption of OpenZFS as a reference file system. This is not a random choice: OpenZFS is now recognized as one of the most advanced and reliable file systems in the world, so much so that it was adopted as golden standard in numerous environments mission critical, including those in the sector financial and banking, where data integrity and availability are absolute and non-negotiable requirements.

Compared to more traditional file systems like EXT4 or XFSOpenZFS provides advanced features that really make a difference in high-availability scenarios:

• Instant snapshots, which allow you to photograph the system status at a precise moment without service interruptions.

• Advanced volume management, with transparent compression, checksum integrity checking, and protection against silent data corruption.

• Redundancy and flexibility, ideal for infrastructures that must guarantee operational continuity even in the event of a hardware failure.

Structure of the volumes

We have implemented the volumes following the PostgreSQL best practices on ZFS:

• /opt → dedicated to the installation of application components.

• /var/lib/pgsql/16/data → main PostgreSQL data directory.

• /var/lib/pgsql/16/data/pg_wal → area dedicated to WAL write logs, essential for database performance and consistency.

Snapshots and backups

The backup infrastructure has been designed to combine rapid local response and maximum security with geographic replication:

• Recursive snapshots each 30 minutes of the entire main volume and its subvolumes, so you can roll back very quickly in case of problems. Everything is automated and orchestrated via SANOID.

• Backup via pgBackRest, with a structured strategy:

  • Full weekly backup (Sunday night).

  • Daily incremental backups.

Geographic redundancy and encryption

Backups are also duplicated on two remote repositories, located in highly reliable European datacenters:

• Germany (primary SAN).

• Finland (Secondary SAN in append-only mode, i.e. not modifiable, for protection against ransomware and tampering).

The transfer always takes place via SSH encrypted channels, with data end-to-end encrypted, ensuring that information is protected both in transit and at destination.

This architecture offers the customer geographic redundancy, resilience and maximum data security, ensuring that, even in extreme scenarios, backups remain always available and intact.

Security and systems management

The context of an ERP management system requires business continuity and protection of sensitive dataFor this reason, in addition to ZFS and backup, we provide a complete set of security tools:

• Firewall and VPN management → customized configurations to allow access only to authorized IP addresses.

• Proactive monitoring → continuous alerting and logging systems to prevent anomalies.

• Updates and security patches → applied regularly according to standardized policies.

• Disaster recovery tested → Verified recovery procedures to ensure fast recovery times.

Recommended hardware specifications

According to Zucchetti's minimum requirements, the machine must have:

• 6 core CPU

• 8 GB RAM

• 100 GB SSD

• 1 Gbit/s connectivity with unlimited traffic

• Linux operating system (Ubuntu or AlmaLinux ≥9)

We suggest opting for configurations more performing, especially when intensive use by multiple simultaneous users or the management of large databases is expected:

• 8 core CPU or higher

• 16-32 GB RAM to ensure adequate caching for PostgreSQL

• NVMe Storage redundant, starting from 250 GB

• Redundant multi-carrier connectivity

These features allow us to ensure ease of use and future scalability.

Deployment mode: on-premise or cloud

The solution can be implemented in two different modes, depending on the customer's needs and preferences.

1. On-premise at the customer's premises

In this scenario, the management software is installed on physical servers already present within the companyIt is the typical choice of those who prefer to have the infrastructure "in-house" and under direct control.

• The server must be reachable online and integrated with the company network, allowing users to access it and our team to intervene with maintenance and updates.

• The company therefore retains ownership of the hardware, while we take care of the system side: installation, configuration, security management, backup, and monitoring.

• It's a suitable option for organizations that have already invested in internal infrastructure or that, due to internal policies, want to keep data on their premises.

Simply put: the customer provides the “physical space” and the machine, we ensure that everything always works at its best.

2. Cloud Managed Server SRL

The second option is the implementation directly in our cloud, using infrastructure allocated in certified data centers in Europe.

• In this case, there is no need to purchase or maintain hardware: the customer “rents” a virtual machine with the necessary features.

• The main advantage is the Instant scalability: if the company grows or the management system requires more resources, we can increase CPU, RAM and storage without physical intervention.

• The infrastructure is designed with geographic redundancy: data is replicated across multiple locations to ensure continuity even in the event of a major failure in one data center.

• There are no hardware maintenance costs: no more worries about disk failures, fans, power supplies or server upgrades.

In practice, the cloud allows you to have a management system that is always available, updated and secure, without having to worry about the hardware.

Two solutions, same safety standards

Let us choose theon-premise or cloud, the result does not change: both modes respect the Zucchetti operational guidelines and always include our systems management services, multi-level backups and advanced security measures.

Benefits of our managed solution for AD Hoc Infinity

1. Compliance with Zucchetti requirements

We follow the guidelines provided by the Zucchetti IT department exactly: initial root access, installation of basic components and subsequent management in Managed mode.

2. Foolproof security

Thanks to ZFS, frequent snapshots and geographically redundant backups, we minimize the risk of data loss.

3. High performance

NVMe storage, multi-core CPUs, and plenty of RAM ensure that Tomcat and PostgreSQL can handle even heavy loads without slowing down.

4. Operational flexibility

Possibility to choose between on-premise or cloud implementation, depending on the customer's needs.

5. Specialist assistance

A team of Linux system administrators specializing in web performance and databases ensures constant monitoring and qualified technical support.

6. Unique approach to Managed

We are among the few providers in Italy (perhaps the only one) to allow the formula Managed + temporary root, an operational model tailor-made for Zucchetti AD Hoc Infinity.

Conclusion

Zucchetti AD Hoc Infinity It represents a powerful and flexible ERP platform, but to fully express its potential it requires an adequate and, above all, professionally managed technological infrastructure.

With our offer of Hosting and managed VPSWe are able to meet both the initial installation and configuration needs required by Zucchetti, as well as the long-term stability, performance, and security needs of client companies.

The approach adopted – initial root access, advanced system management with ZFS, multi-geographic backup, dedicated firewall and operating system AlmaLinux FIPS 140 certified – offers the ideal combination of flexibility, reliability and business continuity.

Whether on-premise or cloud infrastructure, we ensure a platform ready to support AD Hoc Infinity today and in the future, ensuring that every data is always safe and every business process runs smoothly.