Compaq ProLiant 1000 Architecting and Deploying High-Availability Solutions - Page 13

Architecting and Deploying High-Availability Solutions 13 Manage for the long term Study Your Needs Identify the Right Compromise Start up on site Verify in the Factory Deliver to Spec Architect the Right Compromise Commit to a Given Result Study your needs As we have discussed in this paper, architecting a high-availability environment requires a methodical approach beginning with an understanding of your needs. The definition of your needs includes the cost of downtime to your organization and your requirements in terms of Recovery Point and Recovery Time. Consider also the ramifications of managing your high-availability environment in a multi-year time frame. Identify the right compromise What is the opportunity cost of downtime versus the price of the solution over the life of the system? Should you spend less now for a short term fix or make the major investment that will carry you well into the future? Architect the right compromise Once a balance has been struck among the issues described above, the next task is to turn that compromise into a design with the appropriate weight given to the individual availability technologies. Commit to a given result With design in hand, an organization must commit itself to carrying through on the plan whose end result is nothing less than the level of availability deemed necessary. This requires some degree of systems engineering - solutions modeling, characterization, proof of concept. Deliver to spec At this point, the vendor or vendors supplying the components of the availability solution must be equally committed to the end result. A vendor with strong internal technical project management and quality control is essential in this endeavor. Verify in the factory Don't wait until the solution is delivered to your site and installed to see if it works. A competent solutions provider will have the capability to factory pre-stage, integrate, and test the complete solution. Start up on site If the solution has been factory integrated and tested in a tightly controlled technical environment the onsite start-up should be a low-risk and non-disruptive exercise that accelerates the pace of implementation. Manage for the long term After implementation, the challenge is to maintain the level of availability originally architected. This is accomplished through a program of consistent internal controls and long-term relationships with support and service providers. ECG064/1198