Founded in 1975, Daekyo Co., Ltd. has established itself as a leader in South Korea’s education service industry. The company introduced the innovative ‘Noonnoppi’ (Eye Level) learning method, which tailors educational content to each child’s individual learning ability. Over the years, Daekyo has expanded its offerings to include educational publishing, private institutes, childhood education, online education and home schooling. With a mission to provide quality education “anytime, anywhere,” Daekyo continues to influence the global education landscape through its diverse programs and services.
At-a-Glance
With CentOS out of support since its end-of-life, Daekyo needed a secure, cost-effective solution to ensure business continuity, maintain ISMS certification and facilitate a seamless migration to an Enterprise Linux compatible distribution. By implementing SUSE Multi-Linux Support and SUSE Multi-Linux Manager, the company ensured ongoing security updates, centralized Linux management and automation — reducing costs by over 50% and laying a strong foundation for future cloud transformation.
Navigating CentOS end-of-life
Daekyo’s IT Planning Team is responsible for planning and managing both cloud and on-premises infrastructures, collaborating closely with Daekyo CNS’s infrastructure service team to meet the needs of learning services and internal business systems. Its primary goal is to provide stable and reliable services to customers by minimizing failures and maximizing company profits.
When Red Hat announced CentOS 7’s end-of-life (EOL) on June 30, 2024, the IT Planning Team knew it had to act. Daekyo had over 200 on-premises instances running on CentOS, and the EOL meant the cessation of official updates and security patches, potentially exposing Daekyo systems to vulnerabilities and compliance issues if they did not take action. The situation also posed a direct threat to maintaining Daeyko’s Information Security Management System (ISMS) certification, crucial for ensuring the security and reliability of its services.
To safeguard business continuity and uphold security standards, the IT Planning Team recognized the urgency to transition to a supported operating system that could provide continuous security updates and compliance with industry standards. This transition was critical not only for protecting their infrastructure but also for preserving the trust and confidence of their customers in Daekyo’s educational services.
“By adopting SUSE Multi-Linux Support, we were able to minimize the impact of CentOS EOL and plan for a migration to an Enterprise Linux compatible distribution without compromising business continuity.”
Why SUSE Multi-Linux Support and SUSE Multi-Linux Manager?
Daekyo’s IT Planning Team aimed to migrate to an Enterprise Linux compatible distribution without disrupting business operations. However, with no prior experience with large-scale Linux migrations and over 200 CentOS instances on-site, they needed a reliable solution to simplify the transition.
Daekyo evaluated several options, including MontaVista’s MVShield and CloudLinux OS’s TuxCare, considering investment costs, service coverage and the availability of local resellers. The company identified SUSE Multi-Linux Support as its preferred solution, offering comprehensive coverage at 50% lower costs than alternative vendor solutions.
“By adopting SUSE Multi-Linux Support, we were able to minimize the impact of CentOS EOL and plan for a migration to an Enterprise Linux compatible distribution without compromising business continuity,” says Junu Kim, IT Planning Team member at Daekyo.
Recognizing the need for a robust solution that could efficiently manage its diverse Linux environment, Daekyo also adopted SUSE Multi-Linux Manager. Daekyo chose SUSE Multi-Linux Manager because of its capability to handle multiple Linux distributions from a single console, providing a centralized management system.
“SUSE Multi-Linux Manager enabled consistent Linux Package Management with fewer resources,” says Junu Kim.
By selecting SUSE Multi-Linux Support and SUSE Multi-Linux Manager, Daekyo addressed its immediate challenges related to CentOS EOL and positioned itself for a smooth migration to an Enterprise Linux compatible distribution. This strategic choice ensured the continuity and security of its educational services infrastructure.
The impact of SUSE solutions
Daekyo’s deployment of SUSE Multi-Linux Support and SUSE Multi-Linux Manager has significantly enhanced the stability and efficiency of its IT infrastructure. These solutions run on a combination of VMware, Dell, HPE, IBM and NCP environments, supporting a wide range of critical workloads. Among these are Daekyo’s education services, including its foreign language video education platform and its internal business support systems, such as an overseas ERP, Oracle, logistics, tablet management and groupware solutions. The infrastructure also supports customer center systems and monitoring tools like S2O, Grafana and Scouter.
SUSE Multi-Linux Support preserves business continuity and security
One of the most critical benefits of SUSE Multi-Linux Support has been its role in ensuring a smooth transition away from CentOS, preserving business continuity. By providing ongoing support for CentOS workloads, Daekyo is avoiding disruptions while executing a long-term migration plan to a supported compatible Enterprise Linux distribution. This flexibility allows the IT team to maintain operational stability while strategically planning infrastructure changes rather than rushing into costly or risky alternatives.
Security and compliance were also key concerns addressed by SUSE Multi-Linux Support. Maintaining ISMS certification required continuous security updates and vulnerability management, which would have been at risk following CentOS EOL. With SUSE Multi-Linux Support, Daekyo ensures ongoing security patching and compliance adherence, safeguarding both internal operations and customer data integrity.
“Maintaining ISMS certification helped protect our credibility and public image,” says Junu Kim.
SUSE Multi-Linux Manager streamlines Linux server management
SUSE Multi-Linux Manager introduced a new level of efficiency in Linux server management for Daekyo. Previously, system administrators had to manually log in to each server to perform updates, patches and configurations. Now with centralized management capabilities, Daekyo can execute system-wide patches and enforce consistent configurations across its Linux environment. This has not only reduced administrative overhead but has also improved security by ensuring timely patching across all instances.
Daekyo has also been able to automate critical tasks such as periodic password changes, Linux package installations and patch deployments, further streamlining operations with SUSE Multi-Linux Manager’s automation capabilities. These previously manual, time-consuming processes are now handled more efficiently, reducing human error and freeing up IT staff to focus on higher-value initiatives.
Additionally, SUSE Multi-Linux Manager has enhanced monitoring and issue detection across Daekyo’s infrastructure. By providing greater visibility into system performance and security, the IT team can proactively address potential issues before they impact business operations. The increased monitoring capabilities have contributed to higher service reliability, benefiting both employees and customers who rely on Daekyo’s digital education services.
“SUSE Multi-Linux Manager has enabled us to increase the efficiency of managing our Linux servers,” says Junu Kim.
SUSE solutions optimize resource allocation and ROI
From a cost perspective, the adoption of SUSE solutions has enabled Daekyo to optimize resource allocation and long-term planning. Without SUSE Multi-Linux Support and SUSE Multi-Linux Manager, the company estimated that alternative solutions could have cost more than twice as much. Furthermore, SUSE Multi-Linux Support’s extended support allowed Daekyo to avoid abrupt infrastructure changes that could have led to unforeseen expenses.
“In terms of cost savings, the total solution allowed us to set up a long-term plan, which eliminated the cost of migrating to another Linux platform and allowed us to stay within the scope of management until the end of the related service,” says Junu Kim. “Had we gone with a different vendor, it would have cost us twice as much. We estimate that our payback period is 21 months.”
Proactive support mitigates risks
Since implementing SUSE solutions, Daekyo has not experienced any security incidents, which speaks to the effectiveness of the infrastructure’s security posture. When an openSSH vulnerability (CVE-2024-6387) was reported, the team was able to quickly assess the potential impact. Although the vulnerability was related to RHEL9, which was not part of Daekyo’s environment, the rapid response from SUSE was crucial.
“We contacted SUSE about the impact and they quickly confirmed the scope of the target, which allowed us to make quick decisions within the team,” says Junu Kim. “This proactive support helped mitigate any potential risks and ensured continued confidence in the security of our infrastructure.”
What’s next for Daekyo?
Ultimately, SUSE Multi-Linux Support and SUSE Multi-Linux Manager have provided Daekyo with the stability, security and efficiency necessary to support its evolving digital education landscape. By mitigating the risks associated with CentOS EOL, improving infrastructure management and enhancing automation, Daekyo has positioned itself for long-term success in delivering high-quality educational services.
Looking ahead, Daekyo is partnering with SUSE to modernize its IT infrastructure by migrating its assets to a Kubernetes-based cloud environment. This shift will enable greater scalability, flexibility and efficiency in managing its education services. As part of this transition, Daekyo is evaluating SUSE Rancher Prime to enhance its Kubernetes capabilities and streamline containerized workloads.
With a commitment to continuous improvement, Daekyo also plans to expand its expertise in cloud infrastructure and open source technologies. The team intends to participate in various training programs, including SUSE webinars, to stay ahead of industry trends and maximize the benefits of its evolving IT ecosystem. By embracing cloud native solutions and strengthening its technical capabilities, Daekyo is positioning itself for long-term success in the rapidly evolving digital education landscape.