Blogs
What are Redundant Servers and How Can They Help Your Business?
May 27, 2021
March 8, 2023
Modern businesses rely on data centers and shared storage spaces to function. With data being vital to business operations, what happens if you lose access to your file system? If you don’t have a redundant server, the consequences for your business could be disastrous.
Research shows that 90% of businesses without a disaster recovery plan will fail after losing their primary servers due to hardware malfunction, cyberattack, or user error.
However, if a business has a redundant server setup, 96% of them will fully recover from ransomware attacks and file loss.
With so much on the line, it’s important to build a redundant server to back up your data and keep your server running, even in the face of disaster.
A redundant server is like having a spare tire for your network. It’s essentially a duplicate of your system – including lines of communication and network devices – that can act as your business’s main operating system if your primary server goes down for any reason.
Having a backup server ensures that your business will still be able to function in the event of data loss. You won’t be stuck on the side of the road, waiting for the tow truck (figuratively speaking). Instead, you can swap out the spare and continue toward your goal.
You never want to be stuck with a single failed server. Even in the best case scenario you’ll still experience excessive downtime, which can be quite expensive. According to Gartner, the average cost of network downtime is $5,600 per minute, or well over $300,000 an hour..
Implementing a redundant web server essentially preempts calamitous outcomes in the event of data loss. Instead of shutting down to fix the problem, your business can function using the failover cluster and continue with business as usual while your IT department works to resolve the issue.
Many redundant servers also offer real-time monitoring features to constantly scan your primary file server cluster for problems. With the additional information, your team can prevent potential failures before they happen and maintain your system’s health.
Generally, there are three different types of redundant servers that businesses can use to protect their information:
At the fundamental level, creating a redundant server means constructing a new network infrastructure that houses identical information of your primary server. You’ll have one primary server and an identical backup server.
Of course, even with a backup server, it’ll take time to swap all your business processes from the primary to the backup server.
To reduce downtime, many businesses also implement a failover monitoring server that scans the primary servers for potential issues. If it finds an error, it’ll automatically reroute network traffic to the backup servers by updating the DNS records.
Then, your team can continue working on business as usual, while your IT department works on the issues hindering the primary servers.
Because installing physical redundant servers can be expensive, many businesses rely on cloud applications for their data backup needs. With cloud-based disaster recovery solutions, you won’t need to worry about purchasing and installing new hardware or finding on-site space for servers.
All your information is safe in the cloud, and if something happens to your primary servers, you can restore your data quickly from the internet. Some of the most popular cloud-based redundant servers include AWS and Azure.
Without access to your systems, your business can’t function. Protect your data and avoid expensive downtime by backing up your data with a redundant server.
Implementing server redundancies isn’t always a simple task. It helps to have the support of an experienced IT firm to ensure your systems can be properly restored in the event of disaster.
At Quadbridge, we know what it takes to protect your information.
Our experienced professionals will take the time to build a relationship with and understand your business, so we can provide you with personalized advice so your server solutions meet your specific needs.
We’ll identify, procure, and implement the perfect disaster recovery solutions to ensure your business is safe from data loss, relieving you of your IT planning burden.
Contact us today and get the support of one of the fastest-growing IT companies in Canada to help you find the perfect data recovery solutions for your business.
Client profile
Industry: Environmental
Employees: 25-50
✓ Managed IT
✓ Managed M365
✓ Managed Backup
✓ Professional Service
✓ Managed Endpoint
After supporting Waterloo Biofilter with an office move, they quickly switched fromtheir current Managed Services Provider to Quadbridge. We now manage their entireIT environment and support their end-to-end IT needs.
• Quadbridge worked with the client to implement our Elite IT service thatprovides ongoing IT monitoring and management, responsive help desk,proactive service, and vCIO consulting
• We’ve become a fully trusted partner and have proactively led a number ofinitiatives to improve performance and advance their IT, including thefollowing services:
• Managed Cloud Backup: we optimized their backup strategy with anaccessible, cost-efficient cloud-based backup solution that our teamcontinuously monitors and assists with restore requests.
• Infrastructure Architecture: we upgraded their server infrastructure toimprove redundancy and performance – especially for employees workingremotely.
• Ad Hoc Requests: as the clients’ IT support, our team uses our range ofexpertise and onsite support capabilities to deliver on a range of simple andcomplex IT projects. These have included upgrading their conference roomsystems and completing a functional and aesthetic clean up of their cabling
Let us help you choose the right solution for your business.
Talk to an expert today!1 800-501-61721 800-655-3282info@quadbridge.cominfo@dtm.ca
