Hot Standby DR
What is Hot Standby?
Hot Standby is a method of redundancy where system A runs simultaneously alongside system B. If system A fails, system B kicks in immediately. As the systems run in sync, there is no real downtime suffered – the only delay is the length of time it takes for the DNS changes to be made. This is like getting a SIM moved to a new supplier; as the networks/DNS servers around the world catch up to the changes, your users will automatically be directed to your new system.
What’s the difference between Hot Standby and DR?
DR is Disaster Recovery, and Standby is the server-side part of the process. In (very) simple terms, it’s easiest to think of it as transferring the contents of one box to another. All Standbys are Disaster Recovery protocols, and each one comes with specific latency parameters attached.
This is important, as latency is the speed at which data transfers from point A to point B in a network. In terms of your e-Learn Design services, point A is your original server, and point B is the new server to which your data is transferred in the event of a DR occurrence.
For fullness, the three basic Standby types and associated latency parameters are:
Cold Standby: Backups are taken daily as part of your hosting agreement. Your data is safe, but there is no immediately available ‘box’ to transfer it to. Latency includes the time it takes to build and configure your new ‘box’, and only then can the transfer of data begin.
Warm Standby: Backups are taken daily as part of your hosting agreement, and there is a pre-configured ‘box’ available for your data. Latency depends on the amount of data you need to have transferred. Small = fast; large = slow.
Hot Standby: Backups are taken daily as part of your hosting agreement, but the ‘boxes’ of data are kept in sync at all times, which makes latency exceptionally fast. To get you back up and running, all you need is the DNS changes to be made, i.e. redirecting the URL from server A to server B.
With e-Learn Design servers, all hosting clients have access to Warm Standby should the worst happen, and Disaster Recovery protocols need to be implemented. For dedicated server hosting clients only, the option of Hot Standby is available.
How much does Hot Standby cost?
Short answer? 20% of your current hosting plan plus £360 + VAT for the software license. Longer answer? We cover the setup and configuration in-house, and as the servers are in-sync, we don’t charge for monitoring or maintenance. All you need to pay for are the basic hardware costs and the license fee.