Redundancy
Redundancy means excess over the necessary. In the context of IT technology, the word redundancy is used in various ways. However, it is usually in the context of increasing the reliability and availability of services.
However, redundancy can vary from the duplication of just a few critical parts to the complete multiplication of all parts. Therefore, redundancy also tends to be, for example:
- Data – Storing the same data in two different locations is the basis for various clustered storage and backup systems. It is also popular protection against data loss.
- Infrastructure – Hardware components come with varying degrees of perishability, so it is sometimes worth duplicating. If one component fails, it is automatically replaced by a backup component. Therefore, the IT infrastructure continues to operate continuously without needing a technician to repair it. A high level of availability is thus guaranteed.
- Communication Channel – An example is the possibility of remote server management via the internet and over a parallel optical cable.
- Power Supply (Dual Power Supply) – If the server is connected to two independent power supplies, a failure of one of them will not affect the server’s availability.
- Connectivity (Dual Connectivity) – The server can be connected to two or more ISPs to ensure the most reliable connectivity.
