Answers to frequently asked questions about the Zero Downtime concept for approaching zero downtimes
Downtimes of IT solutions often mean direct financial damage or reputational risks. Therefore, it is important that the server infrastructure, data stores, and the applications that run on them played like a well-tuned orchestra.
This is exactly what the unique Zero Downtime concept from eGroup Solutions will provide. The aim is to ensure a well-functioning infrastructure that will operate without downtime, or at least get as close to zero at possible.
eGroup Solutions has been working on the topic of IT infrastructure for 11 years and uses its knowledge and experience with this concept. We are also in IBM platinum partner.
Zero Downtime will be presented in the article in the form of questions and answers.
Discover a world without downtimes
What is Zero Downtime?
Zero Downtime is not one service. It is a concept of services that includes:
- Zero Downtime Infrastructure – delivery and installation of highly reliable and powerful IT systems.
- Zero Downtime Center – delivery of tools and solutions for operation management.
- Zero Downtime Support – operation support and maintenance, together with customer employees or in the form of outsourcing.
- Zero Downtime Cloud – providing cloud solutions such as IaaS, PaaS associated with the operation of the customer's IT.
- Zero Downtime Services – delivery of comprehensive IT systems based not only on our product portfolio, but also available applications.
Why choose Zero Downtime from eGroup Solutions?
In order for the IT infrastructure to perform the required tasks, it must be properly designed, properly implemented and operated with sufficient professional care. This requires many years of experience, constant monitoring of trends and training in individual technological areas.
„Thanks to our many years of experience in designing, implementing and operating solutions, we create comfort and peace for the client's work, because we solve all activities and stresses associated with IT operations for him, or together with him," explains Rudolf Bohuš from eGroup Solutions.
What is the main goal of Zero Downtime?
The main task is to ensure the functionality and security of all IT systems. Crucially, with this concept, you can be confident that the IT infrastructure will be designed, built and operated in such a way that there will be no downtime.
What is important to consider when designing infrastructure?
One of the most common problems in IT infrastructure is the incompatibility of individual components. Therefore, the design must take into account all the requirements and needs of individual parts of hardware, software and applications. Only then everything works as it should.
"We don't try to promise and guarantee something that we haven't tried and can't deliver. We leave that to others.“
How does the Zero Downtime support service work?
The support service within the Zero Downtime concept is provided by eGroup Solutions specialists and its task is to ensure the full functionality and availability of the customer's IT infrastructure and services for clients operated on the given infrastructure.
The customer's IT is thus under constant control, thanks to which specialists can immediately respond to all events and changes that occur in the environment, or to all requests for service according to the client's needs. The support ensures that the operation of the IT infrastructure and services is in accordance with the defined parameters and the required availability, which should be close to the mentioned zero downtime.
Is data backup an important part of Zero Downtime? What is important when backing up data?
Backup is important and today it is an integral part of a quality IT infrastructure. But it is much more important to know which data to back up, in what way, when and where. "Someone can say, I have an identical environment in three locations and data in three places, so why should I back up? The data in three locations would, however, have to be synchronized cyclically at all times, and this would not protect the data from the error caused by the human factor," explains Rudolf Bohuš from eGroup Solutions using the example of the backup philosophy.
How is the backup method chosen and how is data backed up today?
Data should always first be identified according to the amount and type of data, importance, value to the organization, and so on. It is then determined whether the data needs to be backed up and, if so, how. It is also necessary to define who will back up and when, and where the backed-up data will be stored for recovery purposes.
„Some say it's modern to back up to the cloud, not to use tape media, but few people know that even in those 'clouds', at the end of the day, that data is stored on static media, often tape that isn't always online, and thanks to this, the data is also protected against possible user error," describes Rudolf Bohuš.
Rely on flash memory
Can the risk of failure be reduced by using flash memory as the main method for storing data?
The use of flash memory is certainly a step towards reducing the risk of data loss during storage. This is because, unlike rotating discs, they do not have moving headers above the recording medium, the failure of which has mostly caused failures of these discs. This is also demonstrated by the development in this area, where more and more solutions are based on storage solutions with the combined use of HDD and SSD drives, or exclusively all-flash.
Are flash memories as reliable as traditional spinning disks?
Yes, they are. "The reliability of SSDs and flash media today will certainly match the reliability of traditional rotating disks," says Stanislav Dzúrik from IBM Slovakia. When IBM FlashSystem technology is used, the disk array automatically measures the amount of flash memory wear and its current level can be seen by the administrator directly on the console through the user interface.
"After switching to SSD or flash memory from conventional rotating disk arrays, it is immediately possible to observe savings in energy consumption of at least 40 %."
Faster and more economical
What are the biggest advantages of flash memory over spinning disks?
They are much, much faster. The example of one information system used in the financial sphere speaks for itself. Here the specialists from eGroup Solutions, IBM's platinum partner, implemented four pieces of flash systems from the above-mentioned company.
They are embedded in a virtualized storage infrastructure, and such appropriate integration and optimization has resulted in significant acceleration. Specifically, long-term monitoring showed that the average time to perform I/O operations was shortened from the original values of about 2,5 - 3 ms to values less than a millisecond - about 0,9 ms.
Flash memory also consumes much less electricity during operation than conventional, rotating disk arrays.
What applications stand to gain the most from the move to flash memory?
All real-time applications can benefit from the use of SSD or flash memory. Typical examples are portal applications of all kinds, applications using artificial intelligence elements, autonomous driving of cars and also all database, ERP and CRM applications.
„The difference is most visible in applications with thousands of clients simultaneously accessing the same data or in general in applications demanding reading and writing data," says S. Dzúrik from IBM Slovakia about the benefits of the flash system.
Why choose IBM FlashSystem
- flash memory systems allow several times faster acceleration than rotating disk systems,
- all applications that work in real time can benefit from the use of a flash system, and power savings are immediately visible - at least 40%,
- as part of the IBM FlashWatch program, IBM will automatically replace any flash module that is near the end of its life,
- it is also possible to implement hybrid storage that combines flash and rotary systems,
- a suitable solution can be found for all types of commercial enterprises from the smallest to the largest, also for the state administration,
- learn more about IBM FlashSystem in a separate article.
Source: živé.sk (Read the article)
If you want to know more, write to us at the email address sales@egroup.sk