PDF of this tutorialDefinition
Put simply, a highly available system is usable when the customer needs it. A system can be highly available while operating from 8 am to 5 pm, if that is all the business demands. The remaining time can be used for scheduled maintenance and repair. Availability is defined as actual service divided by required service. The challenge for many of today’s systems is to operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (sometimes referred to as 24x7 or 365x24).
Overview
The pervasiveness of computers in everyday life is increasing the demand for more highly available systems. Deregulation in the telecommunications industry, the Internet, and new entertainment services such as video on demand are creating opportunities for new computing platforms. The challenge in these industries is to provide reliable services at competitive costs. The architectures for the next-generation computing platforms must be as open and flexible as today’s desktop computers, highly reliable, and a fraction of the cost of traditional fault-tolerant computers. This tutorial examines multiple fault-management processes and high-availability models and concludes by presenting a Compact peripheral component interconnect (PCI)® system for both architectures.
