Fault Tolerance and Load Balancing Solutions

Today’s critical applications demand fault tolerance, high availability, and ease of management. 3H Technology (3H) can successfully provide these capabilities using a combination of clustering and load balancing solutions customized to your enterprise environment needs.

Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS) provides fail over support for applications and services that require high availability, scalability and reliability. With clustering, organizations can make applications and data available on multiple servers linked together in a cluster configuration. Back-end applications and services, such as those provided by database servers, are ideal candidates for server cluster. 3H has implemented MSCS servers in large enterprise environments (2,100 users) in order to maintain a 99% uptime. The current cluster servers house all of the user data for the enterprise as well as handle the application and printing support.

Network Load Balancing (NLB) provides fail over support for IP-based applications and services that require high scalability and availability. Web-tier and front-end services are ideal candidates for NLB. 3H has implemented NLB in large enterprise environments for mission critical websites with over 100,000 hits per month.

3H engineers have deployed Microsoft’s Windows 2000 Advanced Server with Windows Clustering service to ensure that business-critical applications are available when they’re needed. Windows Clustering service is used to keep applications running, even if a server fails. We have deployed single and multi instances of cluster servers for Federal Government Agencies and corporate customers.

Applications that can benefit from the increased availability assurance provided by the Cluster service include:

• On-Line services: Including customer support capabilities, Internet/Intranet/e-commerce sites. i.e. Helping employees order office supplies and computer equipment online, or retrieve human resources and corporate policy information.
• Line-of-business applications and databases: such as accounting, customer relationship management, and manufacturing systems allow businesses to link raw-materials suppliers and production data. i.e. Allow customers to electronically place orders, check order status, and request product literature.
• File and print services: to support information exchange between staff members, allowing easier management and access to files and printers. i.e. The ease of files accessibility allows you to undertake large-scale collaborative projects where documents must be reliably shared, stored, and retrieved.
• Communications services: such as e-mail, virtual private network (VPN), or streaming media. i.e. Present customers with a video overview of your products and services, make virtual sales presentations, or provide executive communications to employees.