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

Introduction: What is Zucchetti AD Hoc Infinity?

When it comes to business management software in Italy, Zucchetti is a well-established name. Among its wide range of solutions, AD Hoc Infinity is the web-based ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software developed for centralized and scalable management of key business areas: accounting, sales management, production, logistics, CRM, and integration with web and mobile applications.

AD Hoc Infinity's unique feature is its entirely web-based architecture : this 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 precisely where the need for a managed hosting or VPS service comes into play, capable of meeting the specific requirements of Zucchetti's IT department while also 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.

• Connect via VPN and issue 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 , such as server.xml and context.xml for Tomcat or httpd.conf and vhosts.conf for Apache.

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

It's therefore a 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 installation and configuration are complete, however, the system returns to being entirely managed 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.

• Long-term peace of mind for the company, knowing it has a supplier ready to monitor, update, and protect the machine 24/24.

Our Hosting and VPS Offer for AD Hoc Infinity

At Managed Server SRL, we have designed 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) is widely used, supported by a very active community, and packed with up-to-date software packages.

• AlmaLinux (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 AlmaLinux for several reasons:

• It is an enterprise-grade distribution , designed for highly reliable server environments.

• It ensures compatibility with the RHEL ecosystem , which is widely adopted in the enterprise environment.

• It offers FIPS 140 certification , essential for those companies that operate with stringent quality standards or that must comply with severe regulations regarding cybersecurity.

This feature makes AlmaLinux particularly suitable for companies that require compliance with quality controls, audits or specific regulations (for example in the finance , healthcare , public administration sectors ).

A further advantage is linked to the distribution's lifecycle : AlmaLinux offers an Extended Security Updates (ESU) system , which guarantees critical security patches and high-level updates even beyond the normal support duration of the release.

In practice, this means that you can stay on a given minor version of AlmaLinux (e.g. 9.2, 9.6 or 9.10 ) for over six years , benefiting from continuous security updates and at least one 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 certification constraints (e.g. FIPS 140) that require maintaining the software environment unchanged for extended periods.

• It is necessary to ensure operational 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 secure and predictable time horizon to calmly plan their 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 don't allow you to subscribe to a "Managed" environment while simultaneously providing root administration credentials to the customer or third parties. This is because, once full access is granted, the control and management requirements typical of a managed service no longer apply.

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

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

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

This way, we combine the freedom Zucchetti demands with the peace of mind of a truly managed service . We offer this option only for this specific management software , precisely because we understand its unique needs and know how to support them without compromising the platform's overall stability.

Infrastructure: ZFS and advanced backup systems

One of the strengths of our offering is the adoption of OpenZFS as the reference file system. This is no coincidence: OpenZFS is now recognized as one of the most advanced and reliable file systems in the world , so much so that it has been adopted as the golden standard in numerous mission-critical environments , including those in the financial and banking sectors , where data integrity and availability are absolute and non-negotiable requirements.

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

• Instant snapshots , which allow you to photograph the system state 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 hardware failure.

Structure of the volumes

We implemented the volumes following 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 every 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 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).

Transfer always occurs via SSH encrypted channels , with data end-to-end encrypted , ensuring that information is protected both in transit and at its 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 data . For 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.

• Security updates and patches → applied regularly according to standardized policies.

• Tested disaster recovery → 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 more performing configurations , especially when you expect intensive use by multiple simultaneous users or the management of large databases:

• 8 core CPU or higher

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

• Redundant NVMe storage , starting at 250 GB

• Redundant multi-carrier connectivity

These features ensure fluidity of use and future scalability.

Deployment mode: on-premise or cloud

The solution can be implemented in two different ways , 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 company . This is the typical choice of those who prefer to have the infrastructure "in-house" and under direct control.

• The server must be accessible online and integrated with the company network, allowing users to access it and allowing our team to intervene for 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 implementation directly in our cloud , using infrastructures located in certified datacenters 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 immediate 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 datacenter.

• 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

Whether you choose on-premise or the cloud , the result is the same: both options comply with Zucchetti operational guidelines and always include our system 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 Managed + temporary root formula , an operating model tailor-made for Zucchetti AD Hoc Infinity.

Conclusion

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

With our Hosting and Managed VPS offering , we 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 FIPS 140 certified AlmaLinux operating system – 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.