Reliability and Recoverability
Reliability and Recoverability
The system is designed to recover from a power outage or other failure instantly, regardless of the source of the failure. Each port network includes a set of segmented, parallel buses. If one of the paired segments fails, the other bus segment continues to handle communications. You can always further enhance the system’s reliability by duplicating critical components such as processors or
In systems with duplicated control carriers, the entire processor complex is dupli- cated in the processor cabinet. Should the active elements fail, the standby ele- ments are instantly activated and assume system control. All
In addition, all system I/O links also stay operational. These links include support for the Call Management System, the CallVisor Adjunct/Switch Applications Inter- face, a Distributed Communications System, and the INTUITY AUDIX Voice Mes- saging System. Redundancy is built into the packet bus, and higher packet bus reliability can optionally be achieved by adding a maintenance/test circuit pack to each port network.
Memory shadowing, a unique DEFINITY ECS capability, is a function where the memory in the standby processor is continuously updated to reflect the memory in the active processor. This permits the system to change from one processor to another without any noticeable interruptions in service. Memory shadowing is not only important for maintaining basic intercom, incoming, and outgoing calls, but also for complex calling processes such as queuing and call vectoring opera- tions.
Much of DEFINITY ECS’s reliability and recoverability is attributable to the switch architecture and the power of the system software. The distributed processor architecture provides subsystem processors on each circuit pack, for example. A standard maintenance routine is conducted automatically by the system, as are periodic backups of translations. All of this inherent reliability/recoverability can be further enhanced by redundancy in system configuration.
Configuring for Reliability/Recoverability
DEFINITY ECS can be configured to meet the disaster recovery needs of any business. For example:
■Calls can be routed through an alternate DEFINITY ECS if one site is destroyed or disabled by natural or
■Multimedia (voice, video, data) connections to the network can all be made redundant, in case of network failures. The system can be routed through multiple public exchanges to protect against network failures (a cable or fiber being cut, for example).
Issue 5 January 1998 |
