In a perfect world, network and security infrastructure would never go down. But despite the enormous role technology plays in daily life, for now, we still live in a very human sphere where lapses can and do happen. There may be:

  • Unavoidable situations where dips in server performance occur from sudden traffic spikes.
  • A delay in software implementation or problems with integration that results in a system failure.
  • Failure to patch security software and firmware.

Talk to the professionals at VirtuWorks a  Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, and they’ll tell you the solution to network failures can be found in the use of High Availability (HA) configuration or architecture. Because systems can fail in so many ways, they need to be designed with the expectation failure will occur. The answer? Eliminate single points of failure so no single component, anywhere, can bring down your company’s system.

What is a Highly Available System?

Because high availability focuses on eliminating single points of failure it implies redundancy. That is, if one fault or malfunction can cause an entire system to stop operating, another mechanism must be in place to keep the system running. From the power coming out of the wall to the data appearing on screen, no single component should put an entire system at risk of catastrophic failure.

To avoid major damage, you must eliminate single points of failure via redundancy. Fortunately, there are reliable and economical ways to provide redundancies, including less sophisticated solutions that do an adequate job until the main system is back online.

The goal is to create maximum availability with minimum complexity. How? By figuring out the probability of any one component or device failing and then using the simplest configuration that meets the requirements at hand. This can be as simple as having redundant systems in two different geolocations.

What System Components are Required for High Availability?

Surveying your vulnerability to single points of failure can be challenging and time-consuming, but it’s not something to be put off. There are a lot of different redundancy protocols around, each providing different levels of service. You’ll need to choose the appropriate ones for your organization’s equipment and network taking into consideration factors like:

  • Environment. Are all your servers located in the same place? If so, a major natural disaster such as a hurricane or flooding can bring down the entire system. Instead, position redundant servers in different geographical areas and data centers to increase reliability.
  • Hardware. Thousands of simultaneous connections with 24/7 demand have made it critical that servers be resilient to power outages and hardware failures like network interfaces and hard disks.
  • Software. Features like self-healing systems and clustering technologies that spread workloads across multiple services are needed to handle unexpected failures.
  • Data. Physical and cloud data loss or failure are both susceptible to a single-point failure. Data safety features must consider both physical and customized cloud solutions.
  • Network. Businesses now run 24/7/365 and unplanned network outages can be disastrous, potentially losing companies thousands of dollars per minute. A redundant network strategy must be in place for possible failures

Conclusion

High availability is no longer an option. It’s something businesses of all sizes must consider as part of their digital transformation strategy. VirtuWorks makes building a high availability solution easier with our team that helps keep your business up and running when unforeseen problems occur.