In today’s 24/7/365 world, companies are running all day, everyday and they are relying heavily on their connectivity to stay in business. If there was any type of failure to your main link, would your business still be operational? To keep employees working and customers satisfied, redundancy technologies need to be implemented. If you are housing your own data center, please be advised of two common problems we encounter with network redundancy; overbuilt and under built.
We find excessive redundancy when more than one backup path is created. As additional design, implementation, and operational complexity increases, so do the problems. Multiple paths make it difficult to determine which path should be used when the primary path fails. Troubleshooting also becomes increasingly more challenging when the flow is shifted to multiple paths. The key is to design specific redundancy so you know where the failure paths will be and that both have the same performance and security.
The opposite can occur just as easily when companies begin using the redundant links to the point that operation is compromised. If the total volume of data on both paths is greater than what will fit on just one path, you don’t have a fully redundant design. For true redundancy, each path should have enough reserve capacity to carry a full load in the event that one path fails.
To keep a high level of availability, a solid business continuity strategy needs to be planned. You first want to scrutinize your current architecture, create the redundancy plan, deploy, and test. Testing is the key to network redundancy because nothing is successful until you have tested everything. Finally, you will want to put policies and processes in place to help monitor and take action when a failure occurs. Continually analyzing your unique network will ensure that your business stays up and running smoothly.
